A Project Emerges

Thank you once more to everyone who came to Headwaters’ first annual membership meeting in December. Headwaters appreciates the energy and support you brought to that milestone event, and we’re bringing it with us into 2026!

The newly elected board met on January 8 to elect officers and lay out next steps in business planning and organizational development. The board also reviewed developments following Sterling College’s November announcement that its degree-granting programs will end this spring.

Headwaters dedicated 2025 to organizational development, capacity building, and community engagement, forming relationships with individuals and institutions in our service area and beyond. Following Sterling’s announcement, many of our neighbors saw a role for Headwaters in ensuring that the campus continues to benefit Craftsbury and surrounding communities.

With the support of other Craftsbury organizations and in communication with Sterling, Headwaters is exploring the acquisition of the Sterling College campus. Headwaters’ mission and the community land trust model offer compelling possibilities to create a thriving, economically viable mixed-use campus that will serve Craftsbury and the surrounding community now and for generations to come.

Headwaters supports Craftsbury Saplings’ expansion on the Sterling campus, as well as efforts by Sterling faculty and staff to develop new programming. Beyond that, Headwaters proposes a robust, holistic, and transparent planning process that respects the Sterling College legacy and includes neighbors, area organizations, local businesses, and other potential partners.

Headwaters Community Trust’s mission aligns well with Sterling’s stated hopes for the future of its campus. This gives us confidence, in the face of many unknowns, to continue exploring this ambitious endeavor in service to our mission and our communities.

Thank you so much for your support!