Vision and Mission
WHOLE STUDENT | WHOLE COMMUNITY | WHOLE PLANET
To create an inclusive, healthy, and sustainable center for SJA student life and athletics while providing educational opportunities, support, and physical space that allows all students to learn, collaborate, and grow.
A Commitment to Wellness
This transformational project reflects our understanding that student life and learning are inseparable from mental, physical, and social well-being. In every square foot, the new Center advances our goal of supporting students not just in the classroom or on the field—but as whole people navigating life together.
Dr. Sharon L. Howell
Headmaster
“At St. Johnsbury Academy, we know that wellness is a community endeavor. Our new Center for Student Life and Athletics will serve as the beating heart of a healthier, more connected, more resilient community—designed to foster belonging, equity, vitality, and joy for every member of SJA.”
Read letter from
campaign tri-chairs.
Sam ’64 and Janet Bain
“I was born and raised in St. Johnsbury and attended St. Johnsbury Academy. The town’s strong sense of civic engagement and the Academy’s exceptional education were the two most important influences in shaping me as both a citizen and a businessperson.
This capital campaign—and the new student center it will create—will add an important new dimension to how students, faculty, administrators, and the broader community connect. These everyday, person-to-person interactions will foster meaningful engagement and open the door to remarkable opportunities and outcomes.
My wife, Janet, and I are proud to support this effort as major contributors through a multi-million-dollar matching program. We look forward to witnessing the impact of this new campus hub. It is exciting to imagine the creativity and innovation this space will inspire, building on the Academy’s long-standing tradition of educational excellence and reputation as a school of distinction. We are confident the campaign will achieve its goals and are eager to see all that unfolds in the years ahead.”
View the key features of the Center for Student Life and Athletics.
Chris Despins ’88
SJA Faculty and Athletic Trainer
“SOver the years, the Academy has grown not only in population and campus size, but also in the numbers of sports teams and extracurriculars offered. Our overall athletic facility and training room are too small to serve the needs of our students. By upgrading the building, we can provide safe space for all students to play, work-out, and socialize.”
Charleigh Moriarty ’26
“Serving as president of the student body, I understand the importance of community and what it means to be together, in person. The world is constantly changing, and the cutting-edge design of this facility, with the open spaces and many multi-purpose rooms of all sizes, can adapt to those changes well into the future”
A Living Expression of Our Values
This Center is a physical commitment to our mission: to educate students to be deep thinkers, bold creators, and compassionate, responsible members of society. It brings that mission to life through spaces designed to encourage balance, promote inclusion, and cultivate lifelong habits of well-being. Our design partner, Opal, brings a world-class sustainability lens to the project. Following Passive House principles, this will be a remarkably energy-efficient school facility that would both reinforce our commitment to planetary wellness, reflecting environmental values we want our students to carry forward, and serve as a powerful teaching tool for the next generation of builders—the students in our Construction Technology programs.
A Center That Unites Us
Strategically located near the Morse Center for the Arts and the Mayo Center for Academic Excellence, the new Center will connect the diverse activities on our campus, and embody the full human experience of being part of a school community. As student participation in athletics and extracurriculars—and our commitment to health education for our students—continues to grow, our spaces must evolve to match that vibrancy. The new Center will meet today’s needs while anticipating future possibilities, serving as a place for learning, celebration, wellness, and connection.
View the Center floor plan.
Konosuke Oi ’24
“I was involved in the focus groups when this project first began. A student center on campus is greatly needed. Our facilities are amazing, but having space where students can gather in a non-academic setting, where dorm and day students have a shared place to be together, and where clubs, big or small, can meet and promote their achievements will only strengthen our SJA community.”
Andi Handy ’77
Growing up in St. Johnsbury with older siblings, SJA was always a big part of my life. The close-knit Hilltopper community had a significant impact on my growth and something I talk about with wonder even today; people from outside St. Johnsbury, just don’t have a comparison! Being able to give back to the place that shaped me, ensuring future generations can enjoy the same experience, was very important to me. And coupling that with the opportunity to honor my parents, made donating to the Center Campaign an obvious choice!
View Legends Court, Tom Lovett Community Hub, or Chip Langmaid Indoor Track Naming Opportunities
A Campaign for a Healthy Community
We have launched a $19 million Capital Campaign to support this vital project. This campaign is about more than bricks and mortar—it is a living statement of who we are and who we aspire to be: a school and a community investing in shared spaces, shared purpose, and shared well-being.
We believe this Center is a missing piece in our pursuit of excellence—an essential structure to bring our hopes for students and community to life.
We Invite You to Join Us
St. Johnsbury Academy has long been shaped by the strength and generosity of our community. Today, we ask you to help us build a home for wellness, connection, and healthy futures—a space that will nurture generations of students and help to realize our mission to create healthy communities.