Develop skills,
refine your interests
Sterling’s Work Program helps you learn time management, problem-solving, communication, and leadership, translating to confidence beyond the campus grounds. You will explore a variety of jobs, honing and developing new and existing interests while weeding out pursuits that aren’t a good fit.
All residential students must perform 80 hours of work per semester, 5 hours per week, which reduces their tuition. Time for this is built into Sterling’s weekly schedule. In addition to dish and farm chores, students serve on one of the following crews:
Farm Crew
Kitchen Crew
Community Crew (Community Advisor/Residential Upkeep)
Buildings & Grounds Crew
Admissions Crew
Administrative Crew
More than a job
As a Work Program participant, you graduate with a valuable degree, real-world experience, and insights into your impact on your community.
More than just a job to earn a few extra bucks, valuable work on campus, alongside staff and faculty, is how we all do our part to keep things running smoothly while also helping pay for your education. The Work Program equips you with tangible skills that empower you to leave a positive mark on the world and teaches the value of good work.
At Sterling College, students participate in a comprehensive work-learning service program as part of the Work College Consortium. Working and studying together not only significantly reduces your tuition but it deepens your education by letting you test theories, see results, and make your mark on campus.
While you’re at Sterling, working five to seven hours a week builds your resume and positions you to step into the career of your choice when you graduate. In fact, 80% of BA alumnx felt better prepared for work because of the Work Program. Improved work ethic was the second-top practical skill credited to the Sterling experience by its alumnx.
Member of the
Work College Consortium
If graduating college with little or no debt and the work experience to help land the job you want are your top priorities, you’ve come to the right place.
Prepares you for life; sets you up for success
In the Work Program, you learn tools of the trade, such as how to operate industrial kitchen equipment, best practices for operating heavy machinery, and proper body mechanics on the job. You participate in All College Work Day each semester, when all students and staff roll up their sleeves and tackle big projects together.
As you gain field experience, you also earn responsibility. Junior and Senior Crew Leaders run the ecology lab and aspects of the farm. In the Work Program, you’re autonomous but supported.
There’s no one holding your hand.
And there’s no one holding you back.
