Roots
A social support group for students who self-identify as BIPOC, the Roots group was formed in 2016 to give BIPOC Sterling students an enhanced sense of belonging and to better address inequity at the College. This student-organized and -led group, advised by a BIPOC employee, has a dedicated campus meeting space, its own library, and College funding to support BIPOC student wellness.
The Northeast Kingdom is a particularly isolated region of a primarily white state. BIPOC students are supported with resources to make Sterling and Northern Vermont their own, including direct access to Sterling’s Dean of Community, who serves as an additional line of communication between the Roots group and Sterling’s leadership team.
The Roots group receives funding from Sterling’s Equity Committee to support activities and events, advocacy, activism, and protest. Each semester, Roots members host events for its members and the larger Sterling community and respond to racism locally and globally with panels, protests, marches, and vigils. Roots members plan group outings to the Jay Peak Waterpark at least once a semester. And, if the College community is lucky, Roots members sometimes take over the Sterling kitchen to prepare culturally-specific menus for an all-campus meal.
The size and engagement level of Sterling’s BIPOC community change by semester. Sterling’s Dean of Admissions works with prospective students of color to provide a candid perspective as they consider Sterling.
