Fall Semester Course Descriptions for Undergraduates and Gap Year Students
Leading and Learning for Transformation and Resilience
Surveys the history of education and leadership and their modern roles in the sustainability movement. It also introduces the holistic, experiential, and progressive education model used by the Expedition Education Institute. The living and learning community provides an excellent opportunity for individuals to develop their own skills and practices as transformative educators, learners, and leaders. Through experience, action, and reflection, students collaboratively explore transformative approaches to education and the many facets of leadership.
Learning Community as Personal and Social Change
Explores the learning community model and its influence on one’s personal well-being, community, and culture. Students learn group development theory and practice facilitation, decision making, cooperative communication, and conflict resolution skills. They become skilled in outdoor community living and learning. Trust, including the honoring of our commitments to one another, emerges as a foundation of our efforts. Students develop experiential and intellectual foundations necessary to establish learning communities in other settings.
Natural History and Ecology: A Systems Approach
Using both a scientific lens and direct experiential activities, students explore a wide variety of ecosystems to develop a systems-level understanding and a personal relationship with the natural world. They enhance their insight into and connection to each ecosystem through field guides and ecology texts, discussions with naturalists, visits to nature centers, and their skills of observation and interpretation. They also further develop their ecological consciousness—a personal, emotional, and ethical relationship with the natural world.
Worldviews and Culture
Introduces the general principles of cultural anthropology including: the study of various American subcultures, solutions evolved over time by different cultural groups to deal with common human problems, and development of institutions within small groups or established societies. Students examine the scope of what culture and human diversity mean and d
evelop an ability to think critically about culture. Limitations and biases historically encountered in this field (especially concerning indigenous peoples) are brought into focus.
Sustainable Solutions to Regional Environmental Concerns
Explores social, economic, and ecological conditions that lead to environmental degradation and that impact potential solutions. Students experience firsthand numerous concerns, from clearcutting and serious salmon decline to availability of fresh, healthy, food, local economic systems, and environmental justice issues occurring from urban centers to Native Americans communities. They examine ways in which regional environmental decline is impacted by interactions among regional ecology, global economic pressures, demographic trends, and local, state and national politics.
Each course is designed to earn 3 credits. The full semester program is designed to earn 15 credits.