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The School for Field Studies
Encyclopedia
The School for Field Studies (SFS) is the USA's oldest and largest undergraduate environmental study abroad
program. http://www.petersons.com/stdyabrd/select/f1311250.asp Through its network of field stations, SFS has been teaching students how to address critical environmental problems and providing solutions to local stakeholders. The School for Field Studies is accredited by Boston University
and works closely with many colleges throughout the country.
Around this time, The School for Field Studies began to create localized center sites in a small number of countries in an effort to create a shared sense of responsibility to the environmental problems experience by the locals.
Currently, The School for Field Studies has sites in Australia
, Costa Rica
, Kenya
, Mexico
, and the Turks and Caicos Islands
. SFS continues to work closely with these communities to research problems and develop solutions.
and students participating in them can earn college level credits for their work.
Australia:
Two different programs are offered in Australia
; Tropical Rainforest Studies, which is offered during the spring and fall semesters, and Tropical Rainforest Management Studies, which is offered during the summer months. Students participating in this programs work to assist local stakeholders and landowners address rainforest
depletion and fragmentation.
Costa Rica:
In the fall and spring semesters, SFS students in Costa Rica
can take Sustainable Development Studies. During the summer sessions, Sustaining Tropical Ecosystems: Biodiversity, Conservation, and Development is offered. These programs deal with the effects of globalization
and sustainability issues such as trash management and overpopulation
.
Kenya:
The School for Field Studies’ Kenya
site offers programs in Wildlife Management Studies during the spring and fall, and Community Wildlife Management, and Field Study in Public and Environmental Health during the summer. The programs dealing with wildlife management examine the issues surrounding the shared use of land and resources between migrating herds of animals and the local Maasai people.
The course in public and environmental health is run in affiliation with Boston University
http://sph.bu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=483&Itemid=585.On this program, SFS students work closely with the Maasai community to identify and assist with various health issues, and work to promote more sanitary conditions.
Mexico
The SFS Mexico
center offers programs dealing with marine ecosystems. During the spring and fall semesters students can take Conserving Marine Mammals and Coastal Ecosystems. During the summer sessions Conservation of Coastal Diversity and Threatened Marine Turtles in Bahia Magdalena is offered. In these programs, students develop partnerships with the local community and government officials to create a conservation and management plan for sea turtles.
Turks and Caicos Islands
During the spring and fall semesters at the Turks and Caicos Islands
, The School for Field Studies offers Marine Resource Management Studies. During the summer, Marine Protected Areas: Management Techniques and Policies is offered. Students participating in these programs learn how to identify marine species and ecosystems. They also work to balance the economic needs of the local fishing community and analyze the costs and benefits of potential new fisheries.
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
program. http://www.petersons.com/stdyabrd/select/f1311250.asp Through its network of field stations, SFS has been teaching students how to address critical environmental problems and providing solutions to local stakeholders. The School for Field Studies is accredited by Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and works closely with many colleges throughout the country.
History
The School for Field Studies was conceived by James L. Elder and founded on October 23, 1980 by "a group of visionaries (seeking) to create an educational institution that addressed the need for sustainable stewardship of the world's natural resources." http://www.fieldstudies.org In the years that followed, SFS began to extend its program offerings and in 1985, it began to offer both semester and summer courses.Around this time, The School for Field Studies began to create localized center sites in a small number of countries in an effort to create a shared sense of responsibility to the environmental problems experience by the locals.
Currently, The School for Field Studies has sites in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
. SFS continues to work closely with these communities to research problems and develop solutions.
Programs
The School for Field Studies offers programs in various countries. Each location deals with a different and specific environmental problem. All programs are accredited by Boston UniversityBoston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and students participating in them can earn college level credits for their work.
Australia:
Two different programs are offered in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
; Tropical Rainforest Studies, which is offered during the spring and fall semesters, and Tropical Rainforest Management Studies, which is offered during the summer months. Students participating in this programs work to assist local stakeholders and landowners address rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
depletion and fragmentation.
Costa Rica:
In the fall and spring semesters, SFS students in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
can take Sustainable Development Studies. During the summer sessions, Sustaining Tropical Ecosystems: Biodiversity, Conservation, and Development is offered. These programs deal with the effects of globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
and sustainability issues such as trash management and overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
.
Kenya:
The School for Field Studies’ Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
site offers programs in Wildlife Management Studies during the spring and fall, and Community Wildlife Management, and Field Study in Public and Environmental Health during the summer. The programs dealing with wildlife management examine the issues surrounding the shared use of land and resources between migrating herds of animals and the local Maasai people.
The course in public and environmental health is run in affiliation with Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
http://sph.bu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=483&Itemid=585.On this program, SFS students work closely with the Maasai community to identify and assist with various health issues, and work to promote more sanitary conditions.
Mexico
The SFS Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
center offers programs dealing with marine ecosystems. During the spring and fall semesters students can take Conserving Marine Mammals and Coastal Ecosystems. During the summer sessions Conservation of Coastal Diversity and Threatened Marine Turtles in Bahia Magdalena is offered. In these programs, students develop partnerships with the local community and government officials to create a conservation and management plan for sea turtles.
Turks and Caicos Islands
During the spring and fall semesters at the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
, The School for Field Studies offers Marine Resource Management Studies. During the summer, Marine Protected Areas: Management Techniques and Policies is offered. Students participating in these programs learn how to identify marine species and ecosystems. They also work to balance the economic needs of the local fishing community and analyze the costs and benefits of potential new fisheries.