Champlain College Online Opens the "Accomplish Anything" Interactive Digital Experience at Burlington International Airport

Partnership Helps Promote Higher Education as a Path to Reaching Career Goals

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SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT (05/09/2018) Champlain College Online unveiled two interactive kiosks in both terminals of the Burlington International Airport this week as part of its campaign to increase access to higher education in Vermont and across the country.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 8 brought together many entities working together toward these goals. Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, Champlain College President Donald Laackman, and Airport Aviation Director Gene Richards were among the event's speakers.

The interactive display at the airport will remain until the end of September. Visitors flying into or out of the airport can see the kiosks in either the North or South terminals, past the TSA security checkpoint.

In April, Champlain College Online announced a 50% reduction in tuition for its undergraduate online degree programs for adult learners, starting this fall. To support this change, the College has launched a campaign to help empower adults to "Accomplish Anything." The initiative includes an interactive digital experience inviting the approximately 1.4 million people who pass through the airport each year to visualize and discover ways to achieve their career and personal aspirations.

At the two interactive kiosks, on-screen questions prompt users to think about what they'd like to accomplish - whether it's this week, this year, or in their lifetime. Users then have the opportunity to create a digital keepsake that serves as a reminder of what they hope to accomplish and is shareable on social media using the campaign hashtag, #accomplishanything. The interactive kiosks were designed by Champlain College Online and built at the Generator Makerspace by Champlain College alumnus and Generator member Jake Blend.

A national survey commissioned by Champlain College Online in November 2017 found that nationally, 60% of adults wish to go back to school, but don't see it as an option due to cost, time, and lack of resources. In Vermont, there are 60,000 adults with some post-secondary education but no degree or credential. Through the "Accomplish Anything" initiative, Champlain aims to increase educational access for these adults by helping them to see that their goals - whether they're educational, personal, or career-focused - are in reach.

"We believe that by reducing barriers and helping more adult learners, both nationally and here in Vermont, access the high-quality education they deserve, they can accomplish their goals and create meaningfully better lives; and our workforce, our economy, and our communities will be stronger as a result. We're committed to helping our Vermont learners gain the skills they'll need to be competitive in the job market, and to creating a pipeline of skilled workers for Vermont employers in high-demand fields like healthcare and cybersecurity through our career-focused degree programs," said Donald J. Laackman, President of Champlain College.

The airport interactive digital experience aligns with the State of Vermont's 70x2025 campaign, which aims to increase the state's educational attainment, with the goal of 70% of working-age Vermonters possessing a postsecondary degree or credential of value by 2025.

A common goal between Champlain College Online, 70x2025 partners and Burlington International Airport is access to the community. "Champlain's campaign is about access. What better place to feature it than the airport, which is a primary point of access to Vermont for over a million people each year! The airport is working with many partners to bring more high-growth business to Vermont, thereby improving economic opportunities for Vermonters. Higher education is a critical component of this equation," said Gene Richards, Director of Aviation, Burlington International Airport

About Champlain College Online

At the forefront of one of the most innovative, regionally accredited, not-for-profit colleges in the nation, Champlain College Online prides itself on a long history of providing career-focused education to adult learners. One of the oldest online institutions in the United States, Champlain College Online was established in 1993 by Champlain College, a non-profit private college founded in 1878 and offering a campus undergraduate experience in Burlington, Vermont.

Today, Champlain College Online is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a leader in online higher education and serves more than 3,000 students through more than 60 online undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates in high-growth fields like cybersecurity, healthcare administration, and human resource management. Through the strategic alliance program known as truED, Champlain College Online has pioneered a bold reimagining of workforce development to create additional opportunities for adults to further their education in Champlain College's award-winning online academic programs aligned to needs in government and industry.