Project Assistant Program
Each semester, the CCE trains and supports a dynamic cohort of Project Assistants (PAs). Our PAs are making an impact on campus and in the community, tackling real-world challenges, and each PA experience is so unique. Read some reflections from our PAs from the Fall 2025 term.
Cultural Community Collaboration and Production Course
“There is so much pedagogy and critical thinking and organizing that goes into a class at Middlebury College. […] I am a young teaching artist, and I’m always interested in learning about how different modes of pedagogy might engage students. And I think this is just a perfect class to experiment with pedagogy that isn’t found in typical classroom settings.”
-Ryan Ulen ’26, Project Assistant for Assistant Professor Olga Sanchez Saltveit.
Community Design Senior Thesis Course
“This project offers an opportunity for students to gain real-world work experience—deepening their understanding of the design process, learning to navigate small-group dynamics, client relationships, deadlines, and project organization. So far, this position has given me valuable experience working with students to manage group collaboration, task allocation, and to provide feedback on their visual materials, encouraging them to tell a story through these deliverables. I am so grateful to have this experience to work with my peers and with Sam to strengthen my own skills that I will carry with me after graduating from Middlebury.”
-Mica Bodkins ’26, Project Assistant for Assistant Professor Sam Ostrow. Formerly partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Community Design now collaborates with Megan Brakeley and interns at the Knoll with the goal of designing a new pavilion that will host community events, and serve as a space for produce washing and packing.
Humanitarian Visas in Vermont Course
“The class provides a local view of migrant life and a direct look into the humanitarian groups in Vermont that advocate for migrants. In the first half of the semester, most of the work I did was organizing visits from these humanitarian groups. For the back half of the semester, I’ve been advising students on their final projects, which are multi-media story maps on one chosen facet of migrant life in Vermont. For me, the most impactful thing about working for this class has been talking with the humanitarian groups. Each one covered a different facet of migrant life, from law to medicine to economic help. We all read statistics and headlines but hearing directly about migrant life so close to our college was truly eye-opening.”
-Millicent Gray ’28, Project Assistant for Associate Professor Rachael Joo.
Learn more about the Project Assistant Program and how to apply by contacting Claire Tebbs (ctebbs@middlebury.edu).