Sterling College

Sterling College you may have to suspend some of your ideas about higher education, about how people learn, and how communities function. There is no other college quite like Sterling, and we hope this website demonstrates that for you.

Sterling College is a small, progressive college in northern Vermont, in the heart of what’s called the Northeast Kingdom. It’s unusual in many ways, among them its size (125 students), its commitment to experiential academics, and its membership as one of only seven Work-Learning-Service colleges in the nation. Sterling is also a year-round college, conducting three full semesters – fall, spring, and now summer. Sterling students can begin in any semester, take any semester off and still maintain full-time status. Many go to school year-round and have the opportunity to graduate in less than four years.

Almost all academics at Sterling combine theory and practice. Here, as elsewhere, traditional academics employ books and computers, writing and thinking, classrooms and labs, pop quizzes and essay questions.

Sterling was founded by Norman Rioux in 1958 as a boys’ college preparatory school. It was named after Margaret Sterling, the deceased wife of Douglas Field. Mr. Field was one of several Berkshire School (MA) faculty members who came here with Mr. Rioux.  Sterling’s educational philosophy soon became rooted in the precepts developed by the founder of Outward Bound, Kurt Hahn. His compelling educational pillars included combining academics, physical challenge, craftsmanship, and service to others. In the early 1960s, these principles found solid footing in the Northeast Kingdom under the leadership of new Headmaster W.E. “Ted” Bermingham. In late November 1964, the first Winter Expedition bivouacked at the base of West Mountain near the Canadian border. Winter Expedition is still a signature element of the Sterling experience and serves as the culmination of the fall semester.

Sterling College attracts faculty dedicated to undergraduate teaching, interdisciplinary curriculum, and diverse learning modes. Mottoes of the original school—Fovette Stirpes (Nourish the Roots)—and of the College—Working Hands – Working Minds—epitomize the core values of this unique, dynamic, forward-looking institution.

Mission
The Sterling College community combines structured academic study with experiential challenges and plain hard work to build responsible problem solvers who become stewards of the environment as they pursue productive lives.

Courses Offered

• Conservation Ecology
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Outdoor Education and Leadership
• Northern Studies
• Natural History
• Environmental Humanities

Contact Details
Sterling College
PO Box 72
Craftsbury Common, VT 05827
1-800-648-3591
(802) 586-7711
FAX (802) 586-2596
Official Website: http://www.sterlingcollege.edu/