Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.00
Liaison Jonna Korpi
Submission Date Nov. 4, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Minnesota, Duluth
AC-5: Immersive Experience

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 Mindy Granley
Sustainability Director
UMD Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program that is one week or more in length?:
Yes

A brief description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s) offered by the institution, including how each program addresses the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainability:

Several programs are offered that immerse students in global sustainability issues.

One program that ties most directly is "Marine Biology in New Zealand": Students spend their May term studying marine biology in the small but beautiful coastal community of Leigh, New Zealand. Observe abundant marine life in the crystal clear waters of the protected coves in the Goat Island Marine Reserve. This reserve contains arguably the most productive and accessible temperate water reef in the world. On Goat Island, they view numerous bird species such as reef herons, fantails, and blue penguins and have easy access to sandy beaches, mangrove forests, rocky intertidal and mudflat ecosystems. Field trips to include Waitomo Caves Visitor Center, to take a black water rafting trip, undertake nocturnal kiwi hunts in the Tawharani Reserve, undergo the Roturao Cultural Experience and visit Tongariro National Park.

The above-mentioned field or snorkeling trips are planned with laboratory follow-ups to further examine the marine life you observed during the day. We will spend time on the lab’s research vessel in Harukari gulf with an opportunity to spot and listen to whales! You’ll also get to observe the use of underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) during portions of this program. Additional lectures will be given by marine biologists from Auckland University, New Zealand for you to learn more and get a glimpse of the teaching styles in New Zealand. This is sure to be one of the more memorable biology classes you enroll in during your college career.

Details: https://umnduluth-ieo.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=35803

Another example is "Global Surf Culture." Costa Rica is a premier surf destination nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and this course will explore the history of modern surf culture. From nineteenth-century Hawai'i to twenty-first-century Central America, we'll take a deeper look at how this pastime has driven and been changed by a number of major global developments.

As part of the program, you'll learn to surf! We'll spend two weeks in a number of coastal destinations (Nosara, Playa Avellanas, and Playa Grande). In addition to surfing, you'll visit a turtle reserve, learn about local sustainability efforts, and take a stand-up-paddleboard (SUP) river tour to a deserted black sand beach.

Details: https://umnduluth-ieo.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=41378

Additional Study Abroad programs available
http://www.d.umn.edu/study-abroad/


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Short term and long-term study abroad programs at:
https://umnduluth-ieo.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ListAll


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