Champlain students present an app prototype to BETA Technologies. Kyle Clark in baseball hat speaks during the session. Photo Credits Champlain College.
Vermont-based sustainable aviation company will host students each semester for applied learning and career-focused experience across departments.
Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College and BETA Technologies, Inc (BETA) (NYSE: BETA), an electric aerospace company based in Vermont, today announced a multi-year partnership that connects students with real-world projects at BETA. The collaboration gives students the opportunity to do meaningful work while gaining practical experience and supporting BETA initiatives through a sustainable model.
As part of the partnership, an inaugural cohort of third- and fourth-year students enrolled in the College’s Software Development Methodologies course interface directly with teams at BETA as part of their academic work. The course is led by computer science professor Dr. Brian Hall and is designed to immerse students in applied, team-based projects that reflect professional industry practices.
Under the supervision of Dr. Hall and in collaboration with BETA advisors, students will contribute to non-critical path initiatives that support internal operations and enhance company‑wide knowledge sharing.
“Experiential learning is central to Champlain’s academic model, and starting from Day One, our students are engaged and making real-world impact at some of Vermont’s largest innovators,” said Alex Hernandez, president of Champlain College. “Through partnerships like our collaboration with BETA, students don’t just study innovation, they live it. They earn academic credit while building professional portfolios and the confidence that comes from doing practical work with partners. Champlain students graduate ready to lead, contribute, and stand out in a competitive market.”
The partnership is intentionally structured to be self-sustaining so that projects extend across multiple semesters. As seniors graduate, rising juniors assume established roles within project teams, allowing work to continue without interruption while broadening access to hands-on, professional experience for future student cohorts. The inaugural cohort has been working with a team of advisors at BETA to build out and develop an internal app called Echo, the use of which is intended for knowledge sharing and company connection. Throughout the Spring 2026 term, students have developed and presented prototypes to Champlain faculty and BETA team members, including founder and CEO Kyle Clark, for feedback. The goal of the first cohort is to produce a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
“Aligned with Champlain’s experiential learning model, this collaboration connects students with real‑world partners and projects tied directly to course outcomes,” said Dr. Hall. “With both virtual and on-site meetings, our collaboration with BETA allows students to gain hands-on experience, build professional skills, and contribute to an active work environment.”
Champlain’s work alongside BETA for this initiative stems from its career-focused learning model that ensures students gain both credit toward their diploma and valuable professional experience before entering the workforce. Students frequently make real-world contributions to companies, both locally in Vermont and globally, during their four years at the College.
“As a native Vermonter, it’s important to me to recruit and retain BETA talent from right here in the state, and Champlain College shares our passion for growing Vermont’s innovation workforce,” said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies. “We’ve already been so impressed and energized by the valuable, fresh perspectives of this cohort from Champlain, and we’re looking forward to seeing how our work on this initiative can evolve.”
Clark will deliver the keynote address to the Class of 2026 at the College’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9. He will also be presented with an honorary doctorate of technology and innovation honoris causa.
To learn more about Champlain’s collaboration with private companies to create opportunities for applied learning and professional experiences, visit https://www.champlain.edu/office/champlain-exchange/.
Champlain student cohort stands above BETA Technologies manufacturing floor at South Burlington headquarters.
About Champlain College
Founded in 1878, Champlain College is an innovative college with a distinctive, career-focused approach to higher education. Champlain offers a residential undergraduate experience at its beautiful campus overlooking Lake Champlain in Burlington, VT, as well as over 100 online undergraduate and graduate degree programs and certificates to students across fifty states. Champlain College is different by design: we believe experiential, real-world learning creates unreal opportunity for students. Our graduates are ready to advance their careers with leading employers in future-focused fields—on average, 90% of on-campus students have a successful career outcome within six months of graduation. Champlain ranks in multiple categories of U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges,” is included in The Princeton Review’s 2025 list of “The Best 390 Colleges,” and earned the #9 spot in Princeton Review’s “2025 Top Schools for Game Design.” Champlain was awarded one of America’s Best Colleges by Money for combining quality and affordability.
BURLINGTON, VERMONT (April 14, 2026) – Champlain College and BETA Technologies, Inc
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