Vermont’s newest “university” requires no personal essays or SAT scores for admission. And if it’s been a minute since you last pulled an all-nighter cramming for midterms, don’t sweat it. This tuition-free school isn’t about grade point averages or Greek life but community building and personal growth.
This week, Wallingford becomes the latest Vermont town to tap the collective wisdom of its residents when it launches Wallingford University, a weekend of free classes for any and all takers, taught by local residents. The Rutland County town of 2,100 is just the latest to offer pop-up classes, like those held for years in Bethel and Middletown Springs, as a way to bring together residents and celebrate the talents and experiences of community members.
“I’ve always been impressed with the backstories of people who live here,” said Carol Tashie, cofounder and organizer of Wallingford University. “I have lots of friends in Middletown Springs and thought: What a brilliant idea!”
So in February, Tashie and fellow residents Peg Soule and Susan Kramer reached out to dozens of their friends and neighbors and invited them to teach a course based on their personal expertises. When nearly all said yes, they winnowed their list to 20 classes. (One has since been postponed.)
Wallingford University’s inaugural session, taught at four locations around town, features an eclectic mix of classes and workshops. Interested in delving into your family history? Kristin Cassidy will provide practical advice and tools for researching your genealogy. Or perhaps you’ve wondered how refugees and asylum seekers find their ways from war-torn countries to the Green Mountain State. If so, Nan Dubin and Sabra Shulman explore the history of U.S. immigration laws and the current status of recent immigrants and asylees in Rutland County.
Several of the 19 classes are already full and have waiting lists. Among them: a workshop on basic bicycle maintenance, a course on foraging wild mushrooms, a tutorial on painting your own barn quilt and a needle-felting class for crafting small mythical creatures called “Chillin’ With My Gnomies.”
However, space is still available in most other classes, including those for learning to play bridge, preserving Vermont’s native plants, exploring how masonry heaters work and understanding life as a transgender person in today’s society.
“It’s a town that really works hard to have an identity and to feel like we know each other,” Tashie said. “Wallingford University adds to that.”
Tashie and her colleagues are hoping to replicate the success of Vermont’s first pop-up university, in Bethel. After the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, town residents gathered to brainstorm ideas for revitalizing their community and bringing newcomers to downtown. When someone suggested Bethel University, residents launched the pop-up in March 2014 with 18 courses, 180 students and 21 “professors.” A year later BU had grown to 40 classes and 250 students who hailed from 37 towns and three states. By 2025, it had more than 1,000 participants attending 47 classes throughout the month of March.
Tashie said she hopes to eventually expand Wallingford’s offerings year-round to better align the subject matter with the season, such as a fruit-tree pruning class in February or March and a walking tour of Wallingford Village in May or June.
And perhaps next year a local history buff can teach a class about Wallingford’s unusual mascot: a small 19th-century statue known as “The Boy With the Leaking Boot.”
This article appears in April 8 • 2026.
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