Global Education partners with schools across campus to create Study Away programs focused on diverse and specialized educational experiences. Discover Abroad, under Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, combines global citizenship with issues in sustainability. Each program offered by Discover Abroad gives students the unique opportunity to conduct coursework in international locations sites utilizing environmental progression practices. Sustainability guides the material for each course, ranging in disciplines from business to humanities and social sciences.
Kyle Neesmith is a fourth-year student studying Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources who studied on the 7 day Hawaii Discover Abroad Spring Break course. ” I was ecstatic to study sustainability and the concept of progress. Not only did I learn of the four dimensions surrounding sustainability-People, Planet, Profit, and Ethics- but I was able to develop my own personal story with sustainability,” he shared.
The program explores the not only the most crucial environmental spaces in Hawaii, but the most culturally integral spaces as well. The course uses Hawaii’s current state as a case study for global sustainability issues including climate change, loss of biodiversity, human and wildlife population capacities, over-tourism, and universal social welfare. Students investigate historical resource management and how that translates to modern biodiversity management on the islands. Students in this course explore alternative energy sources in Hawaii including wind, ocean thermal, and wave action.
Classroom time is limited; students embark on field experiences to interact with real-life case studies in Hawaii. This component of Discover Abroad courses fosters a relationship between students and the environment, a core concept of environmental appreciation, which aid students in adding a Sustainability lens to their future academic and professional work.
This course is offered as class credit under the following UGA departments and schools:
- Department of Anthropology
- Odum School of Ecology
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
- Department of Geography
- Department of International Affairs
“Personally, I found progressing to a sustainable future is possible once we start appreciating our Earth more frequently. From the beautiful landscapes, renewable energy resources, and local food provisions, we gain a lot from our planet. With Earth Day approaching, it’s time to show our appreciation. And what’s a better way than by becoming a global citizen venturing on your own sustainable journey?”
“I highly recommend a Discover Abroad trip, whether it be domestic here in the U.S or beyond our borders, to find your own understanding of sustainability.”
To learn more about Discover Abroad, visit discoverabroad.uga.edu. To explore other Study Away programs at UGA, visit studyaway.uga.edu.