Community Initiatives

Tent City Champlain College and the Community Service and Civic Engagement Program offer a number of programs to address community and global issues. These initiatives listed below are the result of individuals identifying a need and taking action to address that need. There's always more that we can do. We invite you to share with us the changes you'd like to see in the community. Together, we can initiate that change by taking action and encouraging dialogue. If you have an idea for a program, please let us know.

Tent City

Tent City is a week-long event focusing on educating and raising awareness about the complex issues of Homelessness and Hunger. Students set up and sleep in tents in a designated area on campus, give up all technology (cell phones, iPods, etc), shower in the gym, use internet only in the library, listen to speakers from local non-profit service providers, participate in a nightly reflection, raise money for COTS (Committee On Temporary Shelter), and educate their community about this ever-growing issue in Vermont and our nation.

Service in Action Trip (SAT)

Service in Action Trip to Dorchester, MA Service in Action Trips (formerly called Alternative Spring Break) take groups of students to different communities to learn and serve. This year the trips will go to Washington, DC, Boston, MA, Lexington, Va, Tanzania, Africa. While on these trips students perform direct service in response to community needs and learn about issues such as hunger, homelessness, lack of healthcare, access to education, and poverty as they relate to the community they are visiting.

Java Jabbers at Intergrated Arts Academy

Java Jabbers meets every Monday morning in the Integrated Arts Academy at H.O Wheeler Elementary school. Students facilitate meetings to setup programs for the school by interacting with parents and having discussions based on the school's concerns.

Ronald McDonald House

Groups of students come together about 4 times a semester to plan a meal, shop for ingredients, and prepare a meal for the families that are staying at our local Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House provides an affordable place to stay and support for families who have to spend an extented time in Burlington with a sick child at the Vermont Children's Hospital.

Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Students spend time at the Drop in Center for homeless youth run by Spectrum Youth and Family Services. Depending on the needs students will provide such help as cooking a healthy balanced meal or help organizing donations that come in for the youth.

Humane Society of Chittenden County

This is a brand new program for Champlain starting fall semester 2009. A student had volunteered with their local animal shelter during the summer and wanted to start volunteering through out the school year in Burlington. He and other students will provide support for HSCC by helping to clean and feed the animals in the shelters as well as socialize with cats and walk dogs.

Habitat for Humanity

Students come together on designated Saturday's to work on building or re-building housesin Chittenden County with our local Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity. Students build, paint, clean, landscape, and so much more!

RECESS Program at The Sustainability Academy- Barnes Elementary School

Each day Monday-Friday a small group of Champlain students heads down to Barnes Elementary school to mentor and support students K-5th grade during the lunch and recess hours, 11am-1pm. Join us and provide positive role modeling for young students from many diverse backgrounds.