"Thank you for the opportunity to participate [in this service learning project]. I am looking forward to reviewing the reports and the flashy landfill calculator! It was easy and enjoyable to work with both you [Professor Breck Bowden] and Joan [the TA]. Your course was very well organized, and I was impressed by the level of understanding about the issues the students developed in such a short period of time. I hope we can do this again next year."
-Carey Hengstenberg, Community Partner with Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Waste Mangement Division

In fall 2014, the Rubenstein School formalized a unique partnership with the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR). This August 2015, the School entered our second year of close collaboration in creative educational design and public service with ANR.

In 2014-2015, more than 10 Rubenstein School interns worked in the Agency’s Departments of Environmental Conservation; Fish and Wildlife; and Forests, Parks, and Recreation. During the spring 2015 semester alone, 56 graduate and undergraduate RSENR students engaged in authentic work with the state agency on 11 service-learning projects. Through these experiences, students have had hands-on opportunities to work closely with leaders in the state on urgent conservation, land management, and water quality projects. Students engaged in legislative processes, valuable research, field work, and more.

In service-learning courses, students collaborated with Agency staff on projects including a rapid wildlife inventory on state land, the development of communications materials for a new visitor center, the design of an environmental education curriculum for State Parks programming, research on agricultural best management practices, and more.

This collaboration has been made possible through the committed work of many agency staff members. ANR staff have made time to supervise interns, work one-on-one with students to support service-learning course work, and create special opportunities for students to gain authentic, hands-on experiences. In one semester, staff estimated spending about 200 collective hours on engagement with students. Furthermore, ANR has also developed a Service-Learning Work Group to deepen its own commitment to working with Rubenstein School students and strengthen the infrastructure around supporting student learning experiences broadly.

This deepening relationship has created a special avenue for cross-pollination between the Rubenstein School and the state agency. This year, the School looks forward to the continued collaboration of students, faculty, and ANR professionals through experiential learning opportunities in collaborative work addressing many of the environmental challenges facing the state of Vermont.