Place-Based Experiential Learning to Support Interdisciplinary STEM Graduate Degrees

“Our research team is excited to provide environmental Masters students an opportunity to design their own summer experiences, potentially transforming their own training and development.  We assist choosen students in selecting the place they want to live, identifying community partners, and working on an environmental issue important to them. We study this experience as a signature component of their success, rooted in place-based theory.” – Emily Wakild

This project will study the effectiveness of place-based education as a way to confront the challenges in contemporary environmental management. The goal of this program is to ultimately lead to a transformation in how environmental managers understand the communities they serve and how rural students find new pathways to rewarding careers.

This project expands the knowledge of effective place-based instructional practices for preparing graduate students for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) careers related to environmental management, with potential application to non-environmental fields. The project will develop, implement, examine, and disseminate insights into place-based experiential learning curriculum gained by studying graduates from environmental degree programs at Boise State University.

Read the full project abstract