Stanford University
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

Stanford offers numerous sustainability-focused immersive experiences: (1) Students may elect to spend an academic quarter at Hopkins Marine Station, located in Monterey Bay. Here the coursework focuses on marine ecosystems and ocean sustainability. Course offerings include “Marine Conservation Biology,” “Marine Ecology,” and “Ecology and Conservation of Kelp Forest Communities.” On alternating years Hopkins offers “Stanford at Sea,” a course which includes five weeks of sailing across the Pacific Ocean completing marine research. http://www-marine.stanford.edu/ (2) Stanford in Washington is a quarter-long program in which students live and work in the nation’s capital. Time is split between policy courses and an immersive policy internship. One of the focuses of the Stanford in Washington program is environmental policy. Internships have included Natural Resources Defense Council, Center for Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, and the Department of Energy. Courses include “Sustainable Development,” “International Environmental Law and Policy,” “Civil Rights Law,” “Health and Environmental Regulatory Policy,” and “Critical Health Issues in the US and Abroad.” http://siw.stanford.edu/about/program.html (3) Stanford’s Earth Systems in Hawaii program is a quarter-long immersion program based in the Hawaiian Islands. The program investigates the Earth sciences, life sciences, and Hawaiian culture to address environmental issues that arise from the interaction between man and nature. The program is designed for students interested in Earth systems, biology, geological and environmental sciences, and cultural anthropology. Courses includes “Earth Sciences of the Hawaiian Islands,” “Ecology of the Hawaiian Islands,” and “Heritage, Environment and Sovereignty in Hawaii.” Students are also required to carry out their own independent research project as part of the program. http://gohawaii.stanford.edu/ (4) Stanford’s Bing Overseas Studies Program in Australia is a quarter-long program specifically designed around ecological and biological themes. It offers a unique opportunity to learn about Australian culture while studying the enormous diversity of coral reefs and rainforests. This program is ideal for students interested in environmental and ecological science and policy. The program consists of four modules: “Coral Reef Ecosystems,” “Coastal Zone Management,” “Coastal Forest Ecosystems,” and “Australian Studies.” Together these courses enhance student understanding of key global ecosystems, while emphasizing the challenges of human co-habitation and industry. Students also must design and carry-out their own research project as part of the program. http://bosp.stanford.edu/australia/osp_aus.html (5) Students may elect to spend their Spring Break in an immersive class, known as “Alternative Spring Break.” These trips are week-long, location-based immersive courses with social and community service themes. Examples of 2011-2012 Alternative Spring Break courses include “Migrant Health Stories in the CA Central Valley,” “Science Education in the Bay Area,” “Confronting HIV/AIDS in San Francisco,” “Exploring Disparities in Women’s Health and Health Policy,” and “Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Latino Social Movements.” http://www.stanford.edu/group/ASB/cgi-bin/prod/home (6) CEE/ES 109: Greening Buildings and Behavior is a sustainability-focused service-learning course offered each winter quarter. Co-sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and the Woods Institute for the Environment, the course supports the Building Level Sustainability Program (BLSP), an individual, action-based resource conservation program implemented at the building level. CEE/ES 109 features an overview of operations-based sustainability via presentations from faculty and staff experts on energy, water, buildings, waste, and food systems, as well as hands-on, practical training to enable students to become sustainability coordinators for their dorms or departments. The final class project requires students to complete building-level audits and create recommendations for behavior-based program implementation within a strategically selected building. http://sustainable.stanford.edu/students