As the biological, economic, and cultural costs of tropical ecosystem destruction become more apparent, researchers and community leaders are drawing on diverse sciences to generate strategies for sustainable land use and wilderness preservation. Workable solutions to environmental conflicts can only come from an understanding of the intersection between community needs, ecosystem dynamics, and politico-economic systems. Parallel to its academic aims, the Field Course challenges students to develop self-initiative, personal resourcefulness, and a commitment to progressive social change. Students are encouraged to guide the progress of the course and take a leadership role in their own learning. Although some teaching occurs in traditional lecture format, emphasis is placed on group discussion, fieldwork, and personal reflection.
Students learn to facilitate group analysis and decision-making.
Throughout most of the course, students live with Costa Rican families and speak Spanish on a daily basis. While in the field, students collaborate with Costa Rican educators, researchers, and community leaders to collect and present information pertinent to the search for effective land use and community development. Students develop the language skills, cultural understanding, and personal resources to function effectively in an economically oppressed Central American society. The Field Course accents this tradition by analyzing dominant systems of land use and agricultural development within global political and economic context. The modest size enables students to establish meaningful rapport with communities and to maximize input from faculty.