Type of Degree

Undergraduate Certificate

School or College

College of Education and Social Services
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College of Arts and Sciences

Area of Study

Education and community
Environment and sustainability

Program Format

On-campus, Full-time

Credit hours to graduate

12 credits

Engage with local communities and environments as a context for action-oriented teaching and learning through UVM's cross-college Place-Based Education (PBE) Undergraduate Certificate Program.

Program Overview

Fostering a More Sustainable Future For People and Planet

UVM students have a clear interest in environmental education, outdoor education, service-learning, and experiential education. Place-based education helps students gain a better understanding the past while fostering a more sustainable future. 

With its natural and human histories, economic and social issues, and political and ecological dynamics, our local environment provides a robust and integrative context for teaching and learning.

Connect with People and Places in the Community

Our collaboration with Shelburne Farms and other community partners offers unique opportunities to immerse yourself in the social-ecological system you are studying. Actively engage and deepen your connections to people and places in the local community and environment. Through an interdisciplinary approach, you will learn to address local social, cultural, and environmental issues with learners of all ages.

PBE student Ivy Befeler at Shelburne Farms

"I was able to see PBE in practice. It was very refreshing to see real kids experience what I have been learning about in my PBE classes, and how vital that connection to place is in understanding one’s community." – Ivy Befeler '23

Coursework (12 Credits)

See Coursework Requirements in the UVM Catalogue

Student Success Spotlight: Samantha Marcotte '23

Collage of place-based education experiences in Vermont.

"I believe the transferable outcomes and experiences that come from place-based and outdoor educational opportunities are truly far reaching.”

Inspiring Future Generations

Contact Us

Please reach out to our Student Services Office or contact one of the core faculty members shown below if you are interested in the Place-Based Education (PBE) Certificate.

Curriculum

See Place-Based Education Certificate Requirements in the UVM Catalogue

Coursework (12 Credits)

Core Courses (6 Credits)

  • EDTE/NR 1610 Foundations of Place-Based Education 
  • EDTE 3510 Place-Based Education Capstone 

Elective Courses (6 Credits)

  • CDAE 2020 Sustainable Community Development
  • CDAE 3710 Local Community Initiatives 
  • CDAE 3760 Community Design Studio 
  • CDAE 3780 Applied Community Planning 
  • EDTE 2889 Resilience-based Outdoor Education 
  • EDEC 3810 K-3 Inquiry
  • EDEL 3570 Social Education and Social Studies
  • EDML 3990 Place-Based Teaching Middle Grades
  • EDSC 3227 Teaching Science in Secondary Schools
  • EDSS 3220 Social Justice Education
  • EDSP 3899 Global Resilience Families, School, Communities
  • GEOG 1760 Global Environments & Cultures
  • GEOG 1765 Place, Landscape, Environment in VT
  • GEOG 1780 Society, Place, and Power
  • NR 1010 Natural History and Human Ecology
  • NR 1090 Natural and Cultural History of VT
  • NR 2730 Landscape Natural History
  • NR 2810 Environmental Justice
  • NR 3950 Environmental Education
  • NR 4080 Birding to Change the World
  • PRT 4550 Environmental Interpretation