Welcome
From antiquity, midwives have assisted women in childbirth and mothering. Knowledge about the science and art of midwifery was passed on from midwife to apprentice. Eventually, traditional midwifery education via the apprenticeship model became very hard to find.
Thanks to the efforts of midwives from Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) and Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC), the preservation of midwifery was finally realized in the United States. The grassroots efforts of midwives, midwifery advocates, consumers and organizations such as Citizens for Midwifery (CfM) have helped families to secure access to midwives far into the future.
Since its creation in 1984, Via Vita Midwifery Foundation continues to provide
state-of-the-art, up-to-date academic midwifery education that encompasses the MANA Core Competencies and meets NARM's General Education Requirements for Certification. Via Vita is a comprehensive, self-paced (two-year equivalent), distance-education program based in Palmer, AK, and is recognized as an Approved Course of
Study by Alaska's Board of Certified Direct-Entry Midwives. (Please check your own
state regulations to determine if this program qualifies for your academic midwifery education. Generally, if your state allows non-MEAC-approved schools, this program
will meet educational requirements. Depending on the state, there may be additional
studies needed to become certified.)The Via Vita Difference
Via Vita is a correspondence program with an instructor that cares about your
success, is easily accessible, and is eager to answer questions! You will be working directly with the administrative director of the school, Sharon K. Evans, CPM (Certified Professional Midwife).Via Vita is based on a proven, high-quality curriculum combined with your preceptorship (practical experience with a mentor) and enriched by small, local study groups (as available) to discuss your learning experiences.
Via Vita's tuition is a fraction of the cost of others'. To keep our tuition affordable for students, we did not seek MEAC-accreditation, which saved us thousands of dollars. We have found the process unnecessary for the ongoing success of our graduates, and therefore continue to pass the savings on to you!
(Whether or not your school is MEAC-accredited should in no way affect your job prospects, as long as your education complies with state and national standards. Although we fully support the mission of the organization, we also acknowledge that MEAC-accreditation does not guarantee a program or school is any higher in quality than one that is not MEAC-accredited.)