About Sterling

Mission and History
Location
Faculty Profiles
Student Profiles
Community Life
The Work College Program
Sustainable Sterling
Directions & Map
Affiliations
Articulation Agreements
Board of Trustees

Location

Sterling College's campus is very much a part of life in Craftsbury Common, a community of classic New England beauty that sits on a ridge top overlooking the forested sweep of northern Vermont's hills and mountains. The college's white-clapboard buildings blend in with those of our neighbors around the Common (a town green), where baseball games are played on spring afternoons and the community gathers for concerts from the bandstand on summer evenings.

For Sterling College students, our setting is no mere scenic backdrop. We engage local crafts-people and other community members as part of a living laboratory for Sterling's unique approach to learning. The surrounding rivers, woods and mountains, as well as the college's farm and woodlot, are all teaching facilities. The College also has arrangements with a number of northern Vermont landowners, farmers, and businesses to provide students with work and "lab" experiences not available on campus.

Our home, Craftsbury Common, was first settled in 1789, and the local economy has always been based on forestry, farming, and education. The Town of Craftsbury has its own school system, three churches, two public libraries, a volunteer fire department (on which several faculty members serve), and numerous small businesses.

Northern Vermont is also the home of many creative artists, among them writers, musicians, and visual and film artists. Most notable among regional events are annual productions presented by Bread and Puppet Theater, and concerts by the Craftsbury Chamber Players, a group of professional musicians who summer in our community.

Craftsbury is surrounded by a variety of rich resources that draw outdoor sports enthusiasts from all over the world. The nearby Craftsbury Outdoor Center offers nearly 160 km of groomed cross-country trails (Craftsbury Outdoor Center Trails are open for free use by Sterling College students). Stowe is 25 miles away for downhill skiing and snow-boarding. The Green Mountains of Vermont, the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the lakes and streams of both are just outside the back door.

Burlington, a lively college town, is 65 miles to the west, while the rich French culture of Canada is only 30 miles to the north. Students can enjoy the rural lakes of Quebec’s "Eastern Townships" and urban centers such as Montreal and Quebec City. Montpelier, Vermont’s capital city, is 38 miles to the south.