Community Works Institute

CWI's Summer EAST: Nearby Attractions and Accommodations

Useful information and links for Shelburne Farms, and the Greater Burlington, Vermont area

Coach Barn

CWI's Summer EAST Institute on Service-Learning
will take place in the "Coach Barn" (pictured at right) at Shelburne Farms, a genuinely unique location for educators to retreat, inspire, and reinvigorate themselves.

Accomodations:
You will find numerous acommodations on or near Shelburne Road, which will provide the quickest access to Shelburne Farms itself. We highly recommend considering the Inn at Shelburne Farms, (photo at right) located on Lake Champlain. The Inn is five minute walk from our Summer Institute location. Prices are reasonable with a wide range of rooms and cottages available—early reservations are suggested!

Special CWI Room Rate Available: We highly recommend Smart Suites, (802-860-9900) our partner hotel which is very close (15 minutes by car), locally owned, and provides excellent accomodations. Smart Suites is offering Institute participants a special rate for a limited number of suites—including studio king suites at $89/night. (Approx. 50% discount off regular summer rate).This offer is good through early June. Be sure to tell them you are with Community Works Institute (CWI) when you call to register. FREE AIRPORT SHUTTLE is available from Smart Suites. Just call them at 802-860-9900 when your plane lands and they will pick you up in 15 minutes.

Shelburne Farm

Camping is also an option beginning with the spectacularly beautiful Mt. Philo, a Vermont State Park. This is a VERY small park and reservations may be made by calling 802-425-2390 –between 6 and 8 pm. Additional options can be found at Virtual Vermont

About Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms is a membership-supported, nonprofit environmental education center, 1,400-acre working farm, and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. Shelburne Farms' mission is to cultivate a conservation ethic for a sustainable future. Summer East participants may enjoy the walking trails, children’s farmyard, Inn at Shelburne Farms, restaurant, and special events. To pursue its mission, Shelburne Farms practices rural land uses that are environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable.

Shelburne Farms was created as a model agricultural estate in 1886 by William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. more history In 1972, it became an educational nonprofit. The Farm contains nearly 400 acres of woodlands are Green Certified from the American Tree Farm System. The Farm's grass-based dairy has 125 purebred, registered Brown Swiss cows. Their milk is transformed into Shelburne Farm's award-winning farmhouse cheddar cheese on the property.

Shelburne Farms offers a variety of professional development opportunities for both formal and non-formal educators teaching grades Pre-K through 12. Their programs are designed to give educators the confidence, motivation and skills they need to integrate science, agricultural, and natural resource topics into their curricula.

Shelburne Farms also works collaboratively with other organizations like Community Works Institute. The Farm's workshops and curriculum design around Education for

Sustainability are an important and complimenting part of the CWI Summer EAST experience. A staff member from the Shelburne Farms supported Sustainable Schools Project will be present during the week as workshop leaders and guest faculty resources.

Shelburne Farms is convenient to the city of Burlington, (a 20 minute drive), with numerous options for local accomodations. Burlington International Airport is a twenty minute drive from Shelburne Farms. Shelburne Farms is approximately a two hour drive due south of Montreal, three hours from Boston, and six hours drive from New York City. directions to Shelburne Farms

General Area Links
• Seven Days Weekly: excellent local news and listings (food, nightspots, etc.)
• Burlington Chamber of Commerce
• Burlington Free Press: mainstream local newspaper
• Smart Suites, on Shelburne Road (800-860-9900)
• The Shelburne Museum: One of the nation's most ecclectic musems
• Shelburne Town Web Site
• Burlington Lodging and Tourism
• Lodging.Com for Burlington area–seek Shelburne Rd. area
• State of Vermont Offical Tourism Site
• Vermont Life Magazine