| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.49 |
| Liaison | Elizabeth Swiman |
| Submission Date | March 15, 2023 |
Florida State University
AC-5: Immersive Experience
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Elizabeth
Swiman Director of Campus Sustainability Facilities |
Does the institution offer at least one immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program that is one week or more in length?:
A brief description of the sustainability-focused immersive program(s) offered by the institution:
Community Ambassador Program
The FSU Community Ambassador Program links local nonprofit agencies with the people, programs, and resources on FSU’s campus. Each ambassador works with one local agency for a full academic year, learning the inner workings of that agency. Ambassadors bring knowledge of their agencies to Florida State, connecting campus and community. An ambassador's knowledge of their agency's specific service needs, combined with the center's resources, create opportunities for positive, sustainable change through the university and the local community. Several sustainability issues explored are food justice and security, community gardens, and environmental justice.
Florida State Alternative Breaks (FSAB)
FSAB’s mission is to provide accessible, short-term, immersive service experiences. FSAB works with community partners to design a week of quality, direct service. In addition to a significant amount of service each day, participants engage in developmental activities, workshops, documentary viewings, and other program components designed to promote active citizenship. The topics of each alternative break are determined by Experience Facilitators in their Experience Proposal, reviewed by the Programming Team. Previous experiences have focused service on classism/poverty (food insecurity, housing insecurity), racism, sexism, health, xenophobia, ableism, and environmental justice. In Spring 2022, FSAB will offer a permaculture opportunity in the mountains of North Carolina. Approximately 10 students will experience a week at an off-grid farm and engage in hiking, reflection, and environment-led learning. Other Spring 2022 FSAB opportunities could include a trail and park conservation effort in Tennessee.
Moellership Program
The Moellership Program provides undergraduate and graduate students at Florida State University the opportunity to focus 8-12 weeks of their summer on service at a non-profit agency. Students receive a stipend of up to $4,000 for participation in the program. Examples of past projects include working in a community garden in Tallahassee, serving at a camp for children with chronic illnesses in North Carolina, engaging in bicycle advocacy in Washington, D.C., implementing a reading curriculum in South Africa, caring for people with HIV/AIDS in Spain, designing a poultry production project in Tanzania, and promoting sustainability in Brazil.
Global Scholars Program
The FSU Global Scholars program offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to engage with critical questions about social impact, social justice, and social change through a combination of cohort-based online learning and independent research, internship, and/or service-learning experiences. The program provides students with guidance and support as they pursue their own student-designed learning experiences. The program consists of a theory (spring) course and a reflection (fall) course, both of which are hybrid courses and explore the ethical and political complexities of attempting to ‘do good’ or ‘help others’ while crossing significant differences of culture and power. The program also introduces students to qualitative, community-based research paradigms and provides space for reflecting on larger questions about power, privilege, inequality, and diversity. Between these courses, students are asked to put these ideas and skills into practice through a (Summer) experience. Examples of recent topics include environmental education in Samara, Costa Rica , government and petroleum in Lobitos, Peru , and deforestation in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest .
Social Science Scholars
The Social Science Scholars Program was created in 2011 to recognize and challenge outstanding majors in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy. Social Science Scholars receive funding up to $5,000 for approved travel and other expenses related to their internships or projects. The latter may be conducted in the U.S. or abroad. Examples of recent project topics include human trafficking, women in politics, Black identities, and emergency services.
Website URL where information about the institution’s immersive education programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.