COA embarks on 24-Hour Challenge

College of the Atlantic’s 13th-annual day of giving features a round-the-clock campfire, ice skating, food, friends, and more.

Coffee cups and event details.

College officials seek to raise $100,000 from 550 donors during the 2025 COA 24-Hour Challenge on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Reaching those goals will trigger $150,000 in challenge funds, thanks to six close friends of the college.

“COA relies on contributions from our community to provide our unique and impactful educational experience to students. The 24-Hour Challenge is the best day of the year to give because every gift helps us meet our challenge goals, leveraging even more funds for the college,” says COA Dean of Institutional Advancement Shawn Keeley ’00. “If you value the role COA plays in our community and in the world of higher ed, the 24-Hour Challenge is the perfect day to support our work.”

All contributions to the 24-Hour Challenge benefit the College of the Atlantic Annual Fund, which supports scholarships, financial aid, field-based coursework, and upgrades to campus facilities. More than 80 percent of COA students receive some form of financial aid, which the 24-Hour Challenge helps make possible. The school offers merit scholarships as well as need-based aid, with the goal of making COA affordable for all students, regardless of income. COA is consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation for financial aid.

College of the Atlantic Dean of Advancement Shawn Keeley ’00 burning the midnight oil around the 24-Hour Challenge fire.
College of the Atlantic Dean of Advancement Shawn Keeley ’00 burning the midnight oil around the 24-Hour Challenge fire.

Beginning at 12 a.m. Feb. 11, there will be a campfire on the COA front lawn for 24 hours. During the day, the ice skating rink will be open and there will be hot cocoa and hot cider available. COA President Sylvia Torti will be at the campfire from 10 a.m–3 p.m. to spend time with members of the community. 

Alumni and community friends are encouraged to stop by from 4:30–6:30 p.m. to visit with staff, faculty, students and others in celebration of COA. During that time, a wood-fired sauna and plunge pool will be available, and there will be chili, cornbread, smores, and more to share.

“Our hope is that the wider community sees COA campus as a resource and a place where they are always welcome,” Keeley said. “We would love to share in the joy with as many as possible on Feb. 11.”

College of the Atlantic is the first college in the US to focus on the relationship between humans and the environment. The intentionally small school of 350 students and 35 faculty members offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in human ecology—the study of how humans interact with our natural, social, and built environments. Each student develops their own course of study, collaborating and innovating across multiple disciplines. COA is Princeton Review’s #1 Green College 2016-2024.