Sister-to-Sister Hosts Halloween Party on Oct. 21.

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. – Sister-to-Sister, a student-led mentoring program, will kick off its 2016-17 season with a Halloween party on Friday, October 21, from 7-9 p.m. The party will take place at Chellis House on the Middlebury campus and is open to middle-school girls from Middlebury, Vergennes, and Bristol. Participants will enjoy pumpkin decorating, spooky games, and plenty of fun. All Sister-to-Sister events are free.

Sister-to-Sister began as a J-term class in 2005, with the goal of giving girls a safe space to talk about the challenges that girls face in this day and age. “The program recognizes that, in addition to teachers and textbooks, achievement is affected by what happens in the hallways, between classes, and outside of school,” said Karin Hanta, director of Chellis House, who runs the program with former staff member Liane Barrera.

Each month, the College student mentors sponsor a two-hour event of some kind. Hanta says the organizers try to program a fun activity along with a chance for more serious discussions. The signature event of the season is the daylong summit, which this year takes place on Saturday, November 19, from 9:30 a.m. -4 p.m. at the Kirk Center. Activities at the summit will include fun workshops such as improv theater, acapella singing, dancing, yoga, and journaling.

Nearly 100 student and community volunteers contribute to the program’s success, along with financial sponsors, including Chellis House–the College’s women’s resource center–the Center for Community Engagement, the American Association of University Women, and private donors.

To register or organize transportation, please call Karin Hanta at 802-443-5937 or email khanta@middlebury.edu.