Earlham College
AC-5: Immersive Experience

The New Zealand semester program is an interdisciplinary off-campus program with an emphasis in environmental studies. New Zealand's unique biogeography, progressive land management policies, and cultural dynamics make it an ideal location to examine the complexity and interrelatedness of environmental problems and sustainability challenges. With a combination of academic coursework and experiential field study, the program immerses students in the landscapes and communities of New Zealand's north and south islands. The New Zealand Semester involves academic coursework in natural and cultural history and modern environmental issues as well as experiential learning in the form of service learning, outdoor education excursions such as hiking, canoeing, and sea kayaking, and an emphasis on self-reflection and community building. Just as environmental problem-solving cannot be reduced to one field of inquiry, the New Zealand semester will purposefully engage students holistically and encourage the development of multiple ways of knowing and learning. Additional "EPIC Advantage" programs are offered annually. While topics vary each year, in 2018, sustainability focused programs included Icelandic Field Studies (climate change/sustainability); Global Issues & Local Initiatives: Comparing Urban & Rural Community Health and Sustainable Development in The United Kingdom, Iceland, and The United States; and Alaska: People, Plants, & Culture.