There are many ways to become involved in the fight against poverty.  One way is to volunteer; another is to join a related student organization.  You can also take a course that puts theory into practice.

Internships

EIA also offers paid summer and for-credit winter-term internship opportunities, here in Addison County and elsewhere in the eastern United States.

During January term, students have the opportunity to intern at various local homelessness-alleviating agencies, through the John Graham Shelter Internship in Vergennes, VT and the Charter House internship in Middlebury, VT.

To support local organizations in their work against poverty and to give students opportunities to take part in this important work, EIA funds two internships each summer in which students take active and meaningful roles in the community by working firsthand with poverty-related issues in Addison County.

Addison County Summer Poverty Interns

The Shepherd Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty and Human Capability supports students in summer work with agencies that seek to benefit impoverished members of society. Each summer, approximately fifty students are selected from around the nation to learn first-hand about the multiple dimensions of poverty in the United States by working for agencies that strengthen impoverished communities and assist poor persons to participate more fully in society. These agencies are located in urban and rural sites throughout the eastern United States, and serve the educational, healthcare, legal, housing, psychological, social, and economic needs of individuals and their communities.  Middlebury College has been participating in this internship program since 2005. Each summer ACE works with the Career Services Office and a faculty review committee to select two Middlebury students to attend.

Shepherd Consortium partner, Washington and Lee University, has launched a poverty focused website, onPoverty.org. Here you can talk about writing on issues of social justice, post an article you've written, or read about others' efforts in the fight against poverty.

For more information on these internships view the recruitment PowerPoint, or contact Director Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79.

Shepherd Povert Recruitment 2012

The word “poverty” is used frequently in our society, and you no doubt have a clear mental image of what “poverty” means to you. Click here to read about some of the specific ways that poverty is defined in the United States and take a brief look at poverty in Addison County and how it compares to the rest of Vermont and the United States.

Visit the National Poverty Center to access further resources on poverty.

Many thanks to those in the Class of 1953 who are supporting student academic study and community-connected initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation. We hope our web site illustrates for you the dynamic exchange with our local community and beyond.  The fact that we can offer poverty internships as paid experiences help ensure accessibility to all Middlebury students. EIA initiatives raise awareness about poverty in our area and work towards poverty alleviation with our community partners.

Your gifts directly support these opportunities, and more! Special thanks to both Nancy Hamilton Shepherd and Sue Taylor who are leading their classmates in this donor effort.

If anyone has questions, please feel free to contact me.

~Tiffany Nourse Sargent '79, Director, Civic Engagement, Center for Education in Action

"We are enthusiastic that students are getting more and more involved in understanding and acting on issues of poverty—locally, nationally and internationally. Internship opportunities, ranging from Vermont to Virginia, are a major piece of several ways in which Midd students are taking action. Other examples include participation in the Addison County Anti-Poverty Partnership (ACAPP)—a partnership between the College and human and social service agencies, businesses, and government to improve the quality of life for no- and low-income families and individuals; attendance at regional and national conferences; course work offered by engaged faculty across multiple disciplines (e.g., economics, sociology, geography, etc.); and more!" 

~ Nancy Hamilton Shepherd ’53 and Susan Taylor ’53