During the May mini-term this spring a group of sustainability students traveled to Freiburg, Germany to study global sustainability. This study abroad experience allowed students explore Europe while making international connections about sustainability and the environment. The trip was led by the director of the sustainability major, Melissa Hinton. 

Dr. Hinton was first introduced to Freiburg during a faculty seminar. This seminar made her fall in love with the city, and inspired her to share it with students. During the trip, students learned about urban sustainability. This topic includes water resources, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and more. Each day on the trip was different, with student’s spending time in the city and spending time in classrooms to hone their skills. Some field activities that the students enjoyed were visiting organic farms and renewable energy plants. One aspect of the trip that stuck with Dr. Hinton and the students was experiencing the positive mindset and community engagement around sustainability in Germany. This was a new idea introduced to the students and they loved meeting with passionate leaders in the field. Studying abroad is a great way to expand your horizons and gain a completely new perspective.

Anyone interested in studying sustainability can major or minor in Sustainability or take classes. Dr. Hinton teaches an introductory sustainability course in Geology 206 that will be offered in the spring semester.