Williams College
AC-5: Immersive Experience
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Tanja
Srebotnjak Director Zilkha Center for Environmental Initiatives |
"---"
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:
A collaboration of Williams College and the Mystic Seaport Museum, Williams-Mystic educates undergraduate students in a transformative semester-long academic investigation of the sea accompanied by original research opportunities and travel throughout the United States. The Oceans and Coastal Studies Program covers "topics such as sea-level rise, global warming, coastal erosion and hazards, pollution and nutrient cycling, and fisheries productivity shed light on the critical importance of understanding the human relationship with the sea." (https://mystic.williams.edu/academics/courses/marine-sciences/).
These courses are experiential and emphasize original research: it’s not unusual to be on a boat, at the beach, or immersed in Mystic Seaport Museum’s historical collections for class. In our unique interdisciplinary approach, our small cohort studies the literature, history, policy, and science of the oceans and coasts of the United States.
Based in Mystic, Connecticut, students live cooperatively in houses on the grounds of the nation’s leading maritime museum. Students consider the turmoil of Captain Ahab from Melville’s Moby-Dick while sitting on the deck of the world’s last remaining wooden whaling ship and present on a historical maritime artifact while actually holding it. Nineteenth century maritime skills classes complement the academics. Students work alongside master artisans to forge iron, climb aloft to furl sails, or skipper a sailboat.
Students travel alongside faculty and staff to experience each of America’s three coasts. These extended field seminars to the East, West, and Gulf Coasts inform classroom discussions and research projects. While sailing offshore aboard a tall ship in the Atlantic, students act as the ship’s crew while collecting and analyzing oceanographic data. On the West Coast, we discuss international trade regulations while on board tugboats in busy ports and Steinbeck’s Cannery Row while on Cannery Row in Monterey. Students witness the effects of sea-level rise while paddling through vanishing marshes in Southern Louisiana. On these field seminars, students cultivate meaningful relationships with local community members as well as with other students, faculty, and staff.
These experiences create leaders to take on the world’s most pressing issues. Take a step back and look at the big picture: experience new perspectives, horizons, and possibilities in a life-changing semester.
In addition, the annual Williams Winter Study program (3 weeks in January) offers students a variety of immersive learning opportunities across many disciplines, including in particular environmental science. The 2022 Winter Study catalog includes examples of such courses under the ENVI label. https://winterstudy.williams.edu/course-offerings/
These courses are experiential and emphasize original research: it’s not unusual to be on a boat, at the beach, or immersed in Mystic Seaport Museum’s historical collections for class. In our unique interdisciplinary approach, our small cohort studies the literature, history, policy, and science of the oceans and coasts of the United States.
Based in Mystic, Connecticut, students live cooperatively in houses on the grounds of the nation’s leading maritime museum. Students consider the turmoil of Captain Ahab from Melville’s Moby-Dick while sitting on the deck of the world’s last remaining wooden whaling ship and present on a historical maritime artifact while actually holding it. Nineteenth century maritime skills classes complement the academics. Students work alongside master artisans to forge iron, climb aloft to furl sails, or skipper a sailboat.
Students travel alongside faculty and staff to experience each of America’s three coasts. These extended field seminars to the East, West, and Gulf Coasts inform classroom discussions and research projects. While sailing offshore aboard a tall ship in the Atlantic, students act as the ship’s crew while collecting and analyzing oceanographic data. On the West Coast, we discuss international trade regulations while on board tugboats in busy ports and Steinbeck’s Cannery Row while on Cannery Row in Monterey. Students witness the effects of sea-level rise while paddling through vanishing marshes in Southern Louisiana. On these field seminars, students cultivate meaningful relationships with local community members as well as with other students, faculty, and staff.
These experiences create leaders to take on the world’s most pressing issues. Take a step back and look at the big picture: experience new perspectives, horizons, and possibilities in a life-changing semester.
In addition, the annual Williams Winter Study program (3 weeks in January) offers students a variety of immersive learning opportunities across many disciplines, including in particular environmental science. The 2022 Winter Study catalog includes examples of such courses under the ENVI label. https://winterstudy.williams.edu/course-offerings/
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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