Developing Death Literacy

Death literacy goes beyond understanding the dying process—it is about fostering meaningful conversations, breaking the silence around illness and loss, and giving people the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. In this course, we will explore mortality awareness, end-of-life care options, and the effects of fear and aversion, through a respectful lens of cultural, spiritual, religious, and identity-based humility. We will also examine the power of storytelling as a tool for conveying complex concepts. For our two main projects will be drafting a community resource directory and holding a story-sharing event, during which students will apply what they have learned to gently enhance communal understanding. This course contains a community-connected component.



Francesca Lynn Arnoldy is a practicing community doula and the author of numerous titles related to death and grief. She is also a published researcher at the Vermont Conversation Lab with a focus on StoryListening.