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Australia: Sustainability and Environment
Program Overview
Empowering Students to Work for Sustainable Societies
The SIT Australia: Sustainability and the Environment study abroad program is designed to empower students to make a positive contribution towards making our societies more sustainable. Students are not only given the knowledge needed to make informed judgments about environmental issues; they are inspired to believe that they can make a difference and are motivated to take action to address environmental problems.
The program is based on the philosophy that environmental issues such as global climate change are so important in today’s world that all students, no matter what their major, should be 'ecologically literate.' Therefore the program welcomes students from all majors and values the diversity of academic perspectives that this brings. There are no prerequisites and the program is designed to cater to students with a wide range of background in environmental issues. Students are shown how to apply the principles of sustainability, not only in their own personal lives, but in any career they choose from Accounting to Fine Arts.
The emphasis on environmental management is what distinguishes this program from other SIT environmental programs that place more emphasis on natural ecology. The program is also characterized by the use of extensive field trips and workshops as methods of teaching. These two-day workshops, run by leading practitioners in the relevant fields, are highly regarded by students because they feel engaged in an active learning process.
A Model of Sustainability
There are few places on earth where the environment has had a stronger effect on both the traditional indigenous and contemporary societies than in Australia. Australia possesses:
- a climate governed largely by El Nino, rather than by the seasons;
- a geologic history devoid of extensive glaciations or volcanism (which has resulted in very poor soils);
- a unique assemblage of marsupials and plants that have Gondwanan origins;
- a human occupation of the land extending back 50-75,000 years ago (earlier than the first humans in Europe);
- two centuries of ecological and social upheaval following the continent’s settlement by the English.
As a result, Australia has begun to suffer serious impacts from global climate change well before other developed nations and, therefore, environmental problems have a higher profile than in the United States. In addition, Australian economic, social and political structures are similar enough to the United States that it experiences many of the same sustainability issues, and solutions are often relevant to both countries.
Students thus have the opportunity to learn how Australia’s successes can be applied in public policy and in their own lives back in the United States.
Northern New South Wales, where the program is located, is acknowledged as one of the leading areas of Australia in sustainability. Students interact with academics, environmental planners, conservationists, and indigenous groups to learn about workable solutions in various landscapes and how a strong sense of place spurs individuals to take action to protect their environment. Homestays with host families give students a balanced perspective on locals’ relationships with their environment and their efforts to live more sustainably.
