The American Precision Museum (APM) has promoted Mike Fenzel to director of education.

Since joining the museum in 2024, Fenzel has been a driving force behind the museum’s STEM+Manufacturing (STEM+M) education initiatives. Building on traditional STEM education, the museum’s STEM+M approach emphasizes the essential role of manufacturing in turning scientific discoveries and engineering ideas into real-world products. Through hands-on learning at the American Precision Museum, students gain practical experience in design, problem-solving, teamwork, and innovation while exploring career opportunities in advanced manufacturing.

Fenzel played an instrumental role in redesigning the museum’s STEM+M Education Kit Program and expanding educational programming that has brought more young learners through the museum’s doors. He led the development of the second generation of the museum’s A Maker’s Journey STEM+M Education Kits, which are now being used by classrooms throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, western Massachusetts, and the south suburbs of Chicago. He also expanded educational programming at the museum, giving more young learners opportunities to engage with interactive exhibits and discover how manufacturing has shaped the past — and continues to shape the future.

Fenzel has been a driving force behind the museum’s STEM+M education initiatives.

“Mike’s passion for education, creativity, and commitment to the museum’s mission have made a lasting impact on the American Precision Museum and the communities we serve,” APM’s Executive Director Steve Dalessio said. “His leadership has strengthened our educational programs and inspired thousands of students to see themselves as tomorrow’s innovators, makers, and problem-solvers.”

Fenzel began his museum education career in Washington, D.C., in 1999 before spending more than 20 years at the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont, where he developed engineering and maker education programs. He joined APM in 2024 during an exciting period of growth and innovation.

As director of education, Fenzel will lead the continued expansion of the museum’s educational initiatives, including new maker experiences in the Gene Haas Center for Manufacturing Inspiration. By growing opportunities for students, teachers, families, and lifelong learners to explore designing, making, and manufacturing, he will help position the museum as a leading destination for hands-on learning and workforce inspiration.

“I am thrilled to help expand the museum’s makerspace and STEM+M programming,” said Fenzel. “Helping students understand not only how things are designed, but also how they are made, gives them a deeper appreciation for innovation and opens doors to exciting future careers. I’m excited to build on that work through new experiences in the Gene Haas Center for Manufacturing Inspiration.”

LISTEN Community Services will launch New Hampshire’s first Situation Table and expand community-based support for people affected by opioid use disorder after receiving a $150,000 Opioid Abatement Community Grant.

The award provides $75,000 annually over two years through the Opioid Abatement Community Grants Program, administered by Granite United Way in partnership with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation on behalf of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission.

This year, the organization served 9,050 neighbors across New Hampshire and Vermont, as rising costs left more people facing hardship. More than 2,600 people turned to LISTEN for the first time for help. Across its food, housing, financial assistance, and service coordination programs, the organization continues to see that opioid use disorder is often accompanied by other challenges that make recovery and long-term stability more difficult.

“This grant gives us the opportunity to strengthen how our community responds to opioid use disorder and the interconnected challenges that often accompany it,” said Kristi Lenart-Rikert, executive director of LISTEN Community Services. “By expanding community-based support and helping people access services earlier, we can build a more coordinated system that improves outcomes for individuals, families, and the Upper Valley as a whole.”

The grant builds on several years of expanded harm reduction and outreach efforts at LISTEN, including the organization’s Community Health Worker and growing partnerships with healthcare providers, municipalities, and nonprofit organizations throughout the Upper Valley.

This year, LISTEN expanded its community-based outreach by adding a Community Case Manager. Over the next two years, the organization will launch New Hampshire’s first Situation Table to coordinate responses among community partners, provide specialized training for its Service Coordination team, and explore installation of a publicly accessible harm reduction vending machine in Lebanon to expand access to free health and safety supplies.

The Situation Table will become a cornerstone of this collaborative effort, providing a structured process for healthcare providers, law enforcement, schools, municipalities, and community organizations to identify and respond to individuals and families facing urgent, interconnected challenges before situations escalate into crisis. The evidence-informed model has been successfully implemented in communities across Canada and several U.S. states and will make its New Hampshire debut through LISTEN’s initiative.

2026 marked the fifth year of The Junction Dance Festival (TJDF). The annual event, which took place July 10-19, featured performances, workshops, classes, and dance experiences throughout the Upper Valley.

The Main Showcase was presented in two performances at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. It featured new and original work from regional dance makers and a diverse lineup of artists, including Caitlin Morgan, this year’s featured Vermont Dance Alliance grant recipient.

The festival also featured a new Norwich Community Dance Day, which included free workshops and a performance of “SEASONS: Summer” by Avant Vermont.

Dancers from Caitlin Morgan’s piece Wind and Unwinding strike poses onstage during dress rehearsal of the Junction Dance Festival’s Main Showcase in White River Junction.

One of the 2026 ChoreoLab Residency artists was Norwich native Aida Claire Bauer, a dancer, maker, and student at the New School studying Interdisciplinary Science and Contemporary Dance. Bauer’s project explored the relationship between embodiment and labor and the connection between farmwork and dance.

ChoreoLab artists are “creators who are deeply engaged with the New England landscape and the intersection of movement, science, and spatial exploration.” In addition to her artistic practice, Bauer works at Three Cow Creamery in Corinth.