Hope College
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Because of both its academic mission and Christian commitment to care for the earth, sustainability courses from a wide wide range of academic disciplines are offered to as many students as possible. A few examples include: Our Day One Program which allows students (any major) to plug in to hands-on research projects and solve real-world problems in laboratories and in the field, right from day one. Topics include Michigan Rocks, Watershed, and Great Lakes. http://www.hope.edu/academics/day1/ Summer Terms -The College offers four-week long May, June, and July terms, during which some sustainability courses are offered, e.g. Ecological Theology in the Adirondacks, a Geology course in the Bahamas, and Biology courses in Tanzania and Ecuador. http://www.hope.edu/offices/registrar/registration-schedules/summer-registration.html In REL 365, students spend two weeks in the Adirondack mountains, studying nature and the causes of current ecological degradation. the witness of Christian scripture and tradition concerning matters ecological, the duties and responsibilities of humans as earth keepers, and the practical implications of living in a more earth-friendly way. In GEMS 295, students travel to Eleuthera Island, Bahamas studying their geology and biology, and the ways that people have used those geological and biological resources, and how new practices might lead to a more sustainable future.