Are you passionate about leading a greener life and enjoy learning about how we can leave a more positive impact on the world around us? Sustainability is a complex and ever-changing concept with implications for nearly every possible career path. The University of Cincinnati offers a full bachelor's degree program in Environmental Studies for students passionate in learning about this complicated world and pursuing a career focused on environmental problem-solving. However, becoming literate in the intricacies of the world around us and the natural systems we interact with is valuable for individuals of every major. To address this need, the Office of Sustainability recently launched the Environmental Literacy Certificate of Achievement.
The Environmental Literacy Certificate provides students the opportunity to enhance their knowledge in topics of ecology, economics, social justice, and sustainable design, and to enable them to make informed, responsible choices in their daily lives. This is not a traditional academic program centered on classroom lectures and seminars. Once accepted into the program students have the entirety of their academic careers to satisfy all requirements of the curriculum which includes:
Attendance of 4 films
4 approved lectures
4 small group discussions
4 additional UC|Sustainability engagement opportunities
A final 1,000-word reflection essay
The program is designed to be flexible, interesting, and fun. An ever-changing cast of films each year includes high-quality documentaries like Leonardo DiCaprio’s Before the Flood and Jeff Bridge’s Living in Futures Past. Lectures are hosted by notable movers and shakers throughout the sustainability community including local professors and activists as well as occasional traveling speakers like Adam Brock, founder of the GrowHaus in Denver, Colorado. There is a wide variety of engagement opportunities hosted by UC|Sustainability which allows students to attend events that suit their interests. The calendar of events is posted at the beginning of each semester and ranges from tours of the UC Powerplant or Rumpke Landfill to garden workdays and our Annual Bike Show. Finally, the small group discussions are a great way for all those in pursuit of the certificate to come together and share what they are learning. Each discussion has different focuses drawn from a textbook called Choices in Sustainable Living and allows the group to progress their knowledge together. The book is a wonderful collection of essays, opinion pieces, and reports related to each topic and acts as a great conversation starter and resource for advancing your practical knowledge in ecological principles related to food, water, community, and more.
The best part of all this is that it is entirely free of charge! The textbook is available for free on reserve at the Geo-Phys Library. And, as a non-credit bearing certificate, there are no prerequisites, barriers to admission, or academic costs associated. This puts the emphasis of the program on the lessons its participants learn along the way and all who complete it are awarded an official certificate signed by the University President.
So if all of this sounds like an exciting and worthwhile opportunity for you to gain the tools you need to lead a greener and more responsible life, sign up today! More formal descriptions and information about the program can be found here: https://www.uc.edu/af/pdc/sustainability/get_involved/environmental_literacy.html .