Bard College
AC-5: Immersive Experience

BardCEP students participate in two-week intensive immersion courses during January of each year, known as J-term courses: All MS students participate in a ten-day intensive course, during January of the first year. During this faculty-led experience in Oaxaca, Mexico students work with local NGOs to understand how food, energy and water policies both affect local communities and how those policies evolve in a developing country context. All travel and lodging are included as part of program fees. The course is also open to the public for credit or certificate. In addition BardCEP students are engaged year round while in residence at Bard on the Micro-Hydro Stakeholder Process (MHSP) and the Climate Adaptive Design (CAD) Program. MHSP: Students and faculty at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy will develop and test a “stakeholder process” to help communities and landholders evaluate the potential for micro-hydro installations. The initiative is part of a broader research focus at Bard on micro-hydro potential in New York State. CAD: The Climate Adaptive Design Program is a partnership with Cornell University, bringing Landscape Architecture Students into Hudson Valley communities to help them visualize potential climate adaptations.