Beloit College
AC-5: Immersive Experience

The Australia Sustainability and Environmental Action program is designed to empower students to make a positive contribution in building more sustainable societies. Students gain critical knowledge necessary to make informed judgments about environmental issues. They learn how to apply the principles of sustainability, not only in their personal lives, but in any career they choose, from accounting to fine arts. The program is based on the philosophy that environmental issues, such as global climate change, are so important in today’s world that all students, irrespective of major, should be ecologically literate. Typically, just over half of the students on the program are environmental studies majors; the program also draws students from diverse fields such as fine arts, business, sociology, anthropology, economics, and political science who are inspired to believe they can make a difference and are motivated to act on environmental challenges. Students learn from academics, practitioners, and Aboriginal elders in extraordinary settings. The program includes numerous field excursions and workshops with leading practitioners. Learning is conducted within remote wilderness areas, national parks, and onsite sustainable housing projects. The program spends a week on the beautiful and sparsely populated island-state of Tasmania. Students also undertake a camping trip with Aboriginal elders. The emphasis on environmental policy and action is what distinguishes this program from other SIT environmental programs, which place more emphasis on natural ecology.