Degree Name

MA in International Education

First Advisor

William Hoffa

Abstract

The School for Field Studies (SFS) is a non-profit environmental research based study abroad program that integrates academic, research, social and community activities in a holistic education model. One of the six SFS centers is the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Baja California Sur, Mexico. At CCS, students take courses that explore local and regional environmental, social and economic problems and they have the opportunity to design their own research project. Even though students study these problems and come up with sustainable solutions, it does not mean that they make personal choices with the least impact on the environment. The proposed Sustainability Series (SS) is designed to raise student’s awareness about their personal effect on the environment through consumer choices and connection to the environment. This seven-session series is integrated with the current SFS CCS semester and addresses the need for student’s to examine their own beliefs and habits, engage in sustainability practices, and to learn skills that will last beyond a semester abroad.

The SS program design will use Kolb’s Experiential Learning cycle and Lieb’s Principles of Adult Learning. Students will reflect on places that they visit, such as a permaculture center, the landfill, a local beach, and the recycling center. Through discussions, activities, and practice, students learn ways to incorporate personal choices in their lives that lead to a smaller environmental footprint. With the implementation of SS, sustainability can have a reach beyond a semester abroad.

Disciplines

Environmental Sciences | International and Area Studies | International and Comparative Education | Oceanography | Sustainability

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