Bryant University
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Yes, several existing campus programs offer sustainability-focused immersive experiences. For example, the study-abroad program provides opportunities for students to immerse themselves in sustainability-related endeavors. Recent students have participated in such programs, such as climate change studies at a Swedish university, which focused on economic and technological climate change issues. Other students have embarked on coral reef studies in Australia, and environmental studies in Ireland. Other immersive experiences have included studies of Galapagos ecology and its economic importance. Other students have embarked on coral reef studies in Australia, and environmental studies in Ireland. Other immersive experiences have included studies of Galapagos ecology and its economic importance.

Additionally, the Sustainability Marketing course explores marketing sustainability from an international perspective. The course is built around assessing sustainable practices of international companies with a focus on the supply chain and how these practices compare to those in the United States. The course emphasizes communication, consumer sentiment and regulation regarding sustainability. There is a travel component for this course to provide students with a true global and experiential learning experience.

Students are abroad anywhere from 8-10 days. We visit sustainable coffee, chocolate, vanilla bean, and banana farms, and stay at varying levels of sustainable hotels. We learn about the LEAVES certification which can be somewhat compared to LEED for buildings. We get behind the scene tours of all facilities and work on some of the farms. Once students return, they work on providing best practices to Bryant and its community from Costa Rica on some aspect of sustainability, like energy or waste. Students are asked to keep journals, give presentations, and keep a consistent social media presence in an effort to inform and educate their community.