Middlebury College students complete over 100,000 hours of community service each year in the town of Middlebury and Addison County through on- and off-campus activities.
At the heart of the college’s outreach efforts are the Community Engagement Organizations (CEOs). These student-led groups coordinate initiatives to meet community needs, including projects ranging from student support and community building to enhancing civic life and providing emergency response services.
One of the most direct ways for students to connect with Addison County is through mentorship clubs that seek to develop long-term relationships with the community. Community Friends, for instance, matches Middlebury students with children ages six to 12 for weekly one-on-one hangouts.
“My favorite thing about community friends is being able to connect with the local community and other students. Families from all different backgrounds participate in the program, and it’s a pretty comprehensive cross-section of Addison County,” Sarah Connolly ’26 said. “Mentees get unlimited free access to the dining halls and school resources with their mentors, so that helps with access to nutrition, library resources, the athletic center, etc. that they may not have any sort of access to otherwise.”
Each semester, the organization hosts a “Match Day,” where new mentors meet their mentees and the mentee’s parents for the first time, marking the start of relationships that typically last through the students’ time in college.
“My community friend is genuinely one of my best friends. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age, and getting to spend time with her and her family has made me feel more at home at Middlebury. I kept in touch with her while I was abroad, made it to her elementary school graduation, had dinner with her family once or twice a semester, and made time to come up to Midd to go see movies with her over the summer,” Connolly said.
For Middlebury students, Community Friends also offers a chance to spend some time away from the college campus environment.
“I think my favorite thing is the fact that it’s two hours a week where I don’t need to think about any school or personal stress/obligations, because my time is completely dedicated to making sure we’re having fun,” Neel Shah ’26 said. “It’s great to disconnect for a second and truly give my time and energy to something outside of myself.”
Sibling to Sibling (Sib2Sib) also matches Middlebury students with young people in Addison County, but focuses on middle school students and group bonding. Student volunteers in this program gather weekly to devise programming for local teens, creating bonds and friendships that last throughout their time at Middlebury.
“My favorite thing about Sib2Sib is making close relationships with the children and watching the children grow over time,” Former Sib2Sib president Sadie Sadler ’26 said. “It feels so nice when they warm up to you and want to give you a hug every time you see them.”
Sib2Sib also aims to create events that not only allow for social interaction but also teach essential life skills for the children.
“It offers great mentorship to middle schoolers and gives children from different middle schools in Addison County a chance to connect and have fun with one another,” Sadler said.
CEOs like Sib2Sib can also offer event management experience.
“It’s always intriguing to watch the kids interact with one another — how they form groups, and the tone of voice they use with each other. It adds another challenge to hosting events, making sure that everyone gets along,” vice president of Sib2Sib Sirin Labbar ’28 said.
Some CEOs, such as the Page One Literacy Project, focus on providing academic support to local children through reading and craft activities.
“I believe Page One helps grow a love of reading and art among elementary schoolers in town and gives them an opportunity to be creative and hands-on,” former Page One president Sadler said.
“I’ve always loved reading and children, so Page One was a no-brainer for me. Reading each week and seeing the children’s faces during a dramatic moment is immensely fulfilling for me,” Co-President of Page One Jude Kuykendall ’28 said. “The entire process has helped me learn about strengths I never knew I had, sustaining the childlike room to dream about the world when I return to campus.”
“I'm not a full-time member of Page One, but even when I participate occasionally, it's a great way to connect with the community and help share skills with the youth,” Xander Bowles ’26 said.
Another CEO, The Charter House Coalition, seeks to be part of community-building initiatives in the town of Middlebury.
“The town has supported the college in a variety of ways, so it’s nice to continue these relationships and engage with people,” Makalya Reed ‘26, who has volunteered at The Charter House since the fall of 2022, said.
Participants can contribute not only to initiatives that provide shelter, food, and essential human connection to community members facing difficulties, but also spend time cooking and eating alongside community members using the houses’ services.
“I also think it's wonderful that we get to not only cook for them but also eat with them. I think it’s very eye-opening, especially as someone from Delaware. I have learnt about the homeless situation in Vermont,” Reed said. “There is a liaison between The Charter House and our organisation. She [the liaison] will send us a list of supplies that will be really helpful for them to have in the house.”
For students drawn to public service through emergency response, the Middlebury First Responders (MFR) group serves as an accessible entry point.
“MFR offers training for EMTs to keep their certifications, helps reach CPR to those interested, brings in interesting and new topics and gives education about first responder activities in the community,” Piper O’Neil ’27.5 said. “From MFR, I have been able to apply to the Middlebury Fire Department, which is my favorite thing on campus and is where I have made my best friends.”
Often in partnership with local emergency services, the group hosts monthly training sessions covering a wide range of topics, including medical situations, search-and-rescue navigation techniques and firefighting fundamentals.
The college offers a range of CEO opportunities: Students can commit to short-term activities or long-term community-building projects, all aimed at bridging the gap between the campus and the local community.
“[Community Friends] has allowed me to build a life here that doesn’t just revolve around student life, and gives me a better sense of the surrounding community that we often feel so distant from on campus,” Connolly said.
Yuvraj Shah '26 (he/him) is an Senior Opinions Editor.
Yuvraj is the Senior Opinions Editor at The Campus. He is a joint major in History and English Literature, and previously interned for the New England Review. He was awarded the $5000 Mellon Migration grant and is conducting research into the migrant experience of Kenyan Indians. He studied abroad at Keble College, University of Oxford and is a senior fellow at Middlebury Admissions. He is from Nairobi Kenya, and London, UK. He is a UWC Davis Scholar.
Agnes Wang (she/her) is a Local Editor.
Aside from the paper, Agnes is a part of the Chess Club, Community Friends, Sib2Sib, and the SIC. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano, listening to music, reading, film, stargazing, and talking with people. Though she prefers dogs, Agnes has five cats and zero dogs.
She is currently an undecided major and hopes to figure it out soon!
