University of California, Irvine
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

UCI's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program administers the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, which provides students with the opportunity to become immersed in a research topic full-time over a 10-week period or the equivalent of 400 hours. Students define their own research objectives, which can be sustainability focused. See: http://www.urop.uci.edu/SURP.html Social Ecology Field Study Program: The School of Social Ecology requires its students to participate in the field study program, which includes 10-20 hours per week of public service in exchange for academic credit, with an academic component. The program offers students opportunities to choose sustainability-related field study placements. See: http://students.soceco.uci.edu/pages/field-study-catalog Professor Peter Bowler offers students academic credit for creative research on sustainability issues (i.e., recycling studies) through Biological Sciences course number 199. See: http://www.bio.uci.edu/students/undergraduates/research/#s1 Public Health Brigades: UCI students traveled to Honduras during spring break. For the first four days they worked closely with community members and UCI volunteers to improve basic sanitation infrastructure through the collective construction of latrines, water-storage facilities, eco-stoves, and concrete floors. They also conducted a public health workshop for children and participated in a community assessment where they observed past and present construction projects and collaboratively discussed ways to improve future projects. Toward the end of the trip, they visited orphanages to distribute the hygienic and educational supplies collected throughout the school year. Background available at: http://news.uci.edu/features/students-earn-living-our-values-award-for-launching-uci-global-brigades/ Costa Rica Program: Students travel to Costa Rica for one week during spring break for cultural immersion and community-engaged sustainability learning on an eco-farm. See: http://sites.uci.edu/costaricaprogram/

Last year Engineers Without Borders was listed for a project in Kenya. They are currently planning an effort in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica for the following academic year.