CRAFTSBURY – Headwaters Community Trust and Sterling College are working to find a path forward for the Craftsbury campus that will fit the requirements of both organizations and the wider community.
An April 1 Headwaters update said an offer had been made to take on the Sterling College Campus. “In mid-March, Headwaters Community Trust presented the Sterling College trustees with a draft offer to acquire the Sterling campus. We took care to present terms that are within Headwaters’ reach, and also respectful of Sterling’s needs as we understand them.”
The Headwaters update noted, “Sterling’s response made clear that there is still some distance between us, so we are fully engaged in finding a path forward to achieve the best outcome.”
Sterling College President Scott Thomas agreed that the exploration of a potential sale is ongoing: “We continue to work with Headwaters Community Trust to reach an agreement that will satisfy the College’s commitments and serve a larger community need.”
He added, “The Sterling Board remains very receptive to their interest and is appreciative of the efforts they are making to help us reach an agreement on a sale.”
Headwaters offered an optimistic comment, “We are giving it our all. Stay tuned!”
In November 2025 Sterling College announced it would end degree programs following this spring semester, holding its last commencement this May. The board’s decision was made “in the face of persistent financial and enrollment challenges,” notes the college website.
While staff reductions have been made, fewer than 100 students continue to pursue two- and four-year environmental studies degrees using local farms, forests, rivers and wetlands as their classrooms.
Meanwhile Headwaters says its board “is taking concrete steps to fulfill the trust’s organizational development goals.” They are in a “ten-week sprint to create a comprehensive business plan and key organizational documents.”
That work is intended to create the necessary framework for the organization to be in a position to “secure project funding and act on development opportunities as they arise.” At the same time the board is “embarking on organizational development work . . . to further clarify board roles and responsibilities as well as internal decision-making structures.”
Sterling College intends to remain fully accredited through the summer of 2026 so students can complete degrees on an accelerated schedule, it reports.
“While Sterling’s chapter as an institution of higher learning draws to a close, its spirit and legacy lives on through the hundreds of alumni, faculty, staff and partners who carry forward its mission and values in their work and communities. The legacy of Sterling’s commitment to sustainability, community, and hands-on learning will continue to inspire generations to come.
“As we focus on the weeks and months ahead, our highest priority is to support every member of the Sterling community. We are dedicated to ensuring a smooth and thoughtful transition for our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
Since a February transition information session during which a Don & Allison Hooper $100,000 Challenge Match was announced to support the campus into whatever its future may bring, “additional conversations with local community partners have taken place, with support from the Preservation Trust of Vermont, to identify a successor entity or entities. We will continue to share updates on the Sterling Transition Information page” at sterlingcollege.edu/transition-plan.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
