University of Maine
AC-5: Immersive Experience

UMaine offers a number of immersive experiences focused on sustainability. One example is BIO 387: Sustainability on the Front Lines of Climate Change This course uses Eleuthera, Bahamas, a subtropical island ecosystem of enormous conservation value, as a case study to examine the nexus between sustainability and climate change. Students explore social and cultural dimensions of sustainability and innovations to promote sustainability in a developing country under stress due to climate change. The course consists of six 2-hour meetings in the fall semester followed by a 12-week trip to Eleuthera in January 2018. The student learning objectives include: 1. Able to discuss the concept of sustainability in biological, engineering, and cultural contexts, with specific attention to the dual relationship between climate change and sustainable development. 2. Able to appreciate the unique environmental, technological, and societal challenges in developing nations. 3. Understand and compare perspectives on the challenges of sustainable development from different disciples that may not regularly interact in the classroom. 4. Develop skills necessary to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams to analyze a particular environmental challenge to sustainability by completing a field project in Eleuthera. 5. Effectively communicate the results of these student-driven projects to various audiences.