Learning for Life

Extended breaks between semesters offer the perfect opportunity to engage in career-related internships - and see the world! Sustainability faculty engage their own professional networks to create transformative opportunities. Recent favorites include Ocean Spirits (Grenada), Sadhana Forest (Haiti), Australian Gas Light Company, Para La Naturaleza (Puerto Rico), Department of Environment & Coastal Resources (Turks & Caicos Islands), and the International Livestock Research Institute (Kenya). Students apply classroom learning, develop new skills, explore complex issues, and build a resume - and we're behind you 100%!

Whether you're headed to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, AmeriCorps, Urban Harvest STL, EcoLab, Brevard Zoo, Evergreen Institute, Hungry Planet, Juneau Icefield Research Program, Christian Science Publishing Society, Ocean Conservancy, 2atara Design Build, Midwest Permaculture, or any one of dozens of natural resource agencies, corporations, community-based nonprofits, and Congressional offices - an internship is an experience you'll never forget. Visit the Internship and Career Development Office for resources, including financial support.

Sustainability students are encouraged to pursue professional certifications that support and extend their academic and career interests. These credentials provide powerful co-curricular learning opportunities, as well as a chance to apply classroom learning to real world applications, acquire technical skills, enhance a resume - and result in a unique sense of accomplishment!

Students have earned their Home Energy Audit License and Permaculture Design Certificate, passed their LEED Green Associate exam, and attained the status of Master Gardener, Beekeeper, Wildland Firefighter, Accredited Green Roof Professional, and GPRO [Green Professional Building Skills] Trainer, to name just a few.

"Can I use these technical skills on campus?" You bet! Students have conducted campus building energy audits (for example, of the Guest House and Cox Cottage) and made recommendations for greater energy efficiency, designed rain gardens and solar installations, constructed an apiary and a green roof, installed native plantings, participated in controlled prairie burns, and more.

Whatever you aspire to learn, whatever you aspire to be, your Principia education is designed specifically for you!

What does a commercial recycling facility sound like? What does a coal-fired plant smell like? How does a mayor build resilience into a flood-prone river town? As a sustainability student, you'll be exposed to the authentic voices of corporate CEOs, urban mayors, "green" architects, and industry experts ... field trips and guest speakers provide invaluable insight into the thought processes of professionals on the front lines of change ... you’ll walk the walk, hear it, feel it, smell it ... this is an education like no other!

What would a local farmer say is the biggest challenge to feeding the world? How do we measure carbon sequestration by the Principia Forest? What is it like to live near the Arctic Circle in an era of climate change? What is the role of a federal land manager in protecting biodiversity? Take a walk with us, you'll meet Wildlife Refuge staff, farm advocates, climate scientists, and policymakers committed to reimagining the 21^st century. Along the way you'll have an opportunity to network with professionals who can help you in gaining access to internships and career track jobs.

"One Mind. One Light. Infinite Rays"

Principia's Solar Car program is not a Center for Sustainability initiative, but we're a big fan! We love the solar technology, the focus on teamwork and innovation, and the inspired progress exemplified by this unique hands-on program - and we encourage our students to participate! The team motto, “Glorify God and Always Do Your Best,” reflects a unwavering standard of excellence that inspires us all.

"Sugarbush" is a popular learning platform offered by the Biology and Natural Resources department. Every spring, as our sugar maples come alive after a cold winter, students learn the art and science of sap collection ("tapping") and distillation. The course emphasizes sustainable forestry, local food systems, microenterprise development, and cultural ties to the land. Students also create a marketing plan for products they craft from the syrup, and these delicacies are sold in the College Store. It's a great example of how sustainability is taught across the curriculum, and practiced in everything we do!