Academics

The Classroom and Beyond

Are you ready to pursue your passions and design your own path? Academics at Sterling College let you craft a unique, personalized education in environmental stewardship. In small classes—usually under 11 students—you’ll explore the critical issues of our day: humanity’s relationship with the natural world and each other, and the stewardship of our air, water, soil, food, and climate. You’ll have classes on campus in a laboratory or seminar room, on the side of a mountain, or in a barn or pasture.

Rigorous, Experiential & Place-based Academics

You’ll also work one-on-one with our academic and practitioner faculty to delve deeper into issues of environmentalism, education and sustainability. In independent studies and research projects , you’ll design learning objectives and explore issues in a hands-on, experiential way.

Faculty are drawn to the College to do more than just lecture—they are mentors and guides, constantly engaging with students in the classroom, in the field, and in the community.

Majors

Ecology

Posted January 13, 2016 by Tanner

Ecology Education rooted in forests, mountains, and rivers What are the habitat requirements for migrating songbirds that breed in the North Woods? How does geology affect forest composition and forest…

Environmental Humanities

Posted January 25, 2016 by Lou Lepping

What is Environmental Humanities? Taking an ecological perspective on the humanities means that students look at a broad view of the ways humans engage with nature—from regional and global literary…

Outdoor Education

Posted January 27, 2016 by Lou Lepping

GET OUTSIDE Expand Your Relationship with Nature As an Outdoor Education major at Sterling College, you will become comfortable learning and teaching in the outdoors at all times of year,…

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Posted January 26, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Cultivate your best self Shape a more resilient food and farming future The study of sustainable agriculture and food systems encompasses the range of interrelated processes, practices, institutions, and knowledge…

Self-Designed Major

Posted February 1, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Choose your own adventure with a Self-Designed Major! Sterling College tends to attract independent-minded souls, so it’s no surprise that many Sterling students choose our interdisciplinary Self-Designed Major. Actually, around…

NASA photo of a melting glacier by photographer Denis Felikson

Climate Justice

Posted January 25, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Climate Justice Minor What is Climate Justice? Should privileged countries and communities bear more responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions? What are the systems and interests perpetuating the carbon dioxide emissions?…

Draft Animal Power Systems

Posted January 27, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Draft Animal Power Systems Sterling College is one of the rare places where you can get hands-on draft animal experience, working daily with these heavy animals. As a Draft Animal…

Natural History Minor

Posted February 23, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Natural History Minor How can we recognize the plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms with which we share the world? What are their lives like? How do species and whole…

Natural Resources Conservation

Posted February 23, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Natural Resources Conservation Minor Sterling College students pursuing a minor in Natural Resources Conservation examine local and global conservation issues, including natural resources sustainability and biodiversity protection. Courses provide students…

Education Studies

Posted March 8, 2016 by Lou Lepping

Education Studies Minor The Education Studies minor is designed to allow students from a variety of majors (including self-designed) to enhance their professional portfolio with an immersion of courses that explore…

Environmental Humanities

Posted January 25, 2016 by Lou Lepping

School of the New American Farmstead

Posted January 27, 2016 by Lou Lepping

The School of the New American Farmstead offers leading-edge courses & Professional Certificates in regenerative farming and artisanal food production to support professionals and lifelong learners of all ages.

Open

The Gear Design and Repair course being held in partnership with @alpine_luddites will give students the hands-on tool skills necessary to design, make, and care for outdoor gear and equipment. Students will be introduced to the history of gear manufacturing and learn about what goes into material selection and the manufacturing process. Students will also learn hands-on skills to do common gear repair both in and out of field situations.

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Things are on a roll at Sterling (pun intended) 🍱 Last Tuesday, the Sterling Kitchen hosted a Sushi Workshop featuring Faroe salmon and Ahi tuna from Stowe Seafood. Director of Dining Services, @eachad '14, demonstrated how to make Spicy Tuna, Salmon Avocado, and Philadelphia rolls - and the students made those and basically whatever the heck they wanted (even peanut butter made an appearance).

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Join us virtually by Zoom on Thursday, April 15th, 6:30pm - 7:30pm as we welcome Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx and the Majora Carter Group, for a discussion on Environmental Justice: Implications of America’s Land Uses

The built environment plays an important role in community talent retention or repulsion. When the majority of success stories migrate out, communities are more vulnerable to the consequences of dirty power, transport, and waste management practices.

Join the Sterling College Environmental Justice Beyond Borders class as we explore the work of Majora Carter, environmental justice activist dedicated, in her words, to “greening the ghetto,” encouraging urban renewal, green-collar jobs, and environmental justice.

Majora Carter will share how her projects and policy initiatives have progressed over the years and produced valuable lessons across several fronts in the quest to make America as good as its promise. She is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic developments, technology and green-infrastructure projects, policies, and job training and placement systems.

Majora’s pioneering sustainability work from one of America's most storied low-status communities, the South Bronx, has garnered a MacArthur 'genius' Fellowship, a Peabody Award, and 8 honorary PhDs, including one from Sterling College.

She and her teams at the Majora Carter Group develop vision, strategies, and the type of development that transforms low-status communities into thriving mixed-use local economies. Her approach harnesses capital flows resulting from American re-urbanization to help increase wealth building opportunities across demographics left out of all historic financial tide changes.

This event is made possible by a generous Sterling family and is part of a Spring semester series that encourages listening to and conversations with distinguished and accomplished people working in mission-aligned focus areas to advance ecological thinking and action. Stay tuned for future events!

Link on bio.

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When we think of words to describe Sterling, community tops the list. When we think of ways to illustrate that, we think of current student, Aidan Levesque. Aidan has been spending his time in the Sterling Kitchen and making danishes for the weekend brunches. Nourish to flourish!

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"When you are new at sheep-raising and your ewe has a lamb, your impulse is to stay there and help it nurse and see to it and all. After a while, you know that the best thing you can do is walk out of the barn." - Wendell Berry ⁣
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#sheepofinstagram #farming #lambingseason #lambing #lambingtime #wendellberry

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Things are really taking off on the glasshouse, where we start all the seedlings for our summer gardens! Tiny pepper plants have been transplanted by our work college garden crew, and every day students adjust temperatures, water, and keep tabs on the progress of the seedlings.

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Brennan Gallagher of the Wendell Berry Farming Program drives Molly and Mindy and brings up two sections of a northern red oak from the woodlot which will be used for a variety of green woodworking projects as we start work on our woodland workshop in the weeks to come. #wendellberryfarmingprogram

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We are pleased to announce the addition of a dazzle of Mountain Zebras to the Sterling College farm to compliment our fiber arts program!

"With the rise in demand for low impact black and white fiber, zebras offered an excellent solution for Sterling College to differentiate ourselves in the sustainable fiber market," remarks faculty who wish to remain anonymous. The pandemic allowed us the time to try our hand at zebra shearing, short haired equestrian yarn making, and the results have been tremendous! ⁣
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#aprilfoolsday

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From the Kitchen // We've been working with the Sterling Kitchen lately to highlight the goodness that is baked into every bite and also reinforce that even our dining hall is a component of our mission to advance ecological thinking and action (and eating).

So let's stir the soup:

Meet Bobber’s Seafood AKA (@bobbers_seafood )

We sourced monkfish from "Cranberry Bob" that were caught off the coast of New Hampshire from the F/V Rimrack - a family owned fishing business based out of Rye, NH since the 1970s.

U.S. wild-caught monkfish - also known as “poor-man’s lobster” for its flavor similarities - is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Bonus! Besides fish - the cranberries we all love as the holidays near are from Bobber as well!

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A rainy compost pickup with Susie, the Haflinger, with the help of students Gabby Shulkin, Emmet Gilbert and Andrew Wlodarczyk.

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Student Takeover // This spring students took part in a challenging hands-on, wheel throwing class. Students explored and developed some mastery with a range of pottery forms and techniques. This was an intensive, studio based, skill building workshop in wheel throwing techniques.

By the end of this course, students were able to throw a variety of basic pottery forms including bowls, mugs, tumblers, lidded jars, pitchers, and candleholders. Students gained some proficiency in a variety of surface decorating techniques including altering, carving, stamping, and glazing. Students also developed a vocabulary to discuss and critique pottery in terms of anatomy, form, craftsmanship, style, and functionality.

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Dig In!

Stories and Storytelling Performance

I’m comfortable with outdoor adventures and find a sense of peace in these environments. I was not expecting a writing intensive course to adventure in itself. The course facilitated finding…

Reflections on the Vermont Food Systems Study Tour

For three weeks this summer, I traveled in a large white van with seven other students, two instructors, and a media fellow, navigating the food system and landscape of Vermont….

Photography – Post Exam!

Wahoo! We survived the exam! Today was full of our usual antics. We started by checking in about the homework (we all got an A! HOORAY!) and reviewing everyone’s photos….

The Classroom and Beyond

Rigorous, Experiential & Place-based Academics

Majors

Ecology

Environmental Humanities

Outdoor Education

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

Self-Designed Major

Minors

Climate Justice

Draft Animal Power Systems

Natural History Minor

Natural Resources Conservation

Education Studies

Environmental Humanities

Continuing Education

School of the New American Farmstead

Are you ready to remove the barriers between learning and living?

Come see how Sterling College can show you how.

Academics by the Numbers

Stories and Storytelling Performance

Reflections on the Vermont Food Systems Study Tour

Photography – Post Exam!

Academics

The Classroom and Beyond

Rigorous, Experiential & Place-based Academics

Majors

Minors

Continuing Education

Share It!

Are you ready to remove the barriers between learning and living?

Come see how Sterling College can show you how.

Academics by the Numbers

Stories and Storytelling Performance

Reflections on the Vermont Food Systems Study Tour

Photography – Post Exam!