Digital Commons Network^™

Maine School Of Wonder: Developing A School For Earth Skills And Sustainability In Maine, Leigha Hart

Capstone Collection

This research project explores the feasibility of establishing an earth skills and spirituality school in Maine, examining pertinent literature on adult environmental education, contemporary notions of work and leisure, earth-centered spirituality, and sustainable development. The study draws insights from interviews conducted with four distinct organizations across Maine engaged in similar initiatives. These include two farms hosting community events and workshops, alongside two retreat centers dedicated to fostering personal growth and skills development. These interviews provide diverse perspectives on the operational dynamics, required resources, and necessary skills for launching a new school aimed at creating inclusive, engaging, and sustainable learning environments …

History Education: Learning History From Community College Students’ Perspectives, Mylinh V. Pham

Dissertations

Given the current political climate of division, the study of history is important now more than ever, but the value of the study of history has been marginalized. This study used student focus groups to understand ways in which history could be taught in such a way that its importance is emphasized through relevance and connection to current social and political issues and through student-centered learning. This study also determined how history could help students evaluate and think critically about historical content. This study drew on the experiences of community college students who have taken a higher education history course …

Thinking Blue / Writing Red: Marxism And The (Post)Human, Stephen C. Tumino

Publications and Research

Thinking Blue/Writing Red interrogates contemporary culture across a range of texts, from the pandemic (‘Covid’ and ‘Trump Speak’) to high theory (Melville's narratives) and popular culture (Beyoncé's ‘Formation’ and Super Bowl performance, Twin Peaks , metamodern ‘cli-fi’ films). Inspired by Derrida’s idea of the secret, Tumino examines the significance of social movements (Black Lives Matter, Occupy, alter-globalization) and naïve art (Darger, Ryden) to argue that these texts speak of the secrets that capitalism cannot speak. Contending that the cultural surfaces narrate only the ‘nonsecret,’ that to see the social logic of the culture one must dig into what Bruno Latour …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2024 - 2025, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Academic Health Department Model: A Study Of Awareness, Attitudes, And Practices In Kentucky's Local Health Departments​, Jonathan Dunham Vorbeck

Online Theses and Dissertations

Public health involves the organized efforts of society to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote health. These efforts are exemplified through partnerships across various public and private sectors, including academia, which are crucial in addressing complex public health challenges. The concept of an Academic Health Department (AHD) embodies a formal collaboration between academic institutions and public health practice organizations, aiming to integrate public health practice with academic training, research, and service delivery. Despite the documented benefits of the AHD model, there is a knowledge gap regarding local health departments' (LHDs) awareness, attitudes, and practices related to the model, particularly in …

Summer 2024, Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois

Augustana Magazine

No abstract provided.

Identifying And Removing Barriers To Accessibility In Environmental Education And Outdoor Recreation, Patricia Bonnin

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

There are numerous mental, physical, and socio-emotional health benefits to spending time outdoors, and this is especially true for people with disabilities. However, outdoor spaces such as park systems, nature centers, and other natural places are typically not accessible for people with disabilities. Research shows there are numerous barriers they encounter when trying to attend outdoor areas. The capstone project, titled Nature Adapted: Guidebook for evaluating and modifying current programs and practices to increase outdoor accessibility, was created to assist environmental education centers and outdoor recreation organizations in becoming more inclusive. It includes information sections, pre-assessements, reflections, and places to …

Stories Elicit Feelings Of Kinship And Inspire Pro-Environmental Behavior, Ellen Shaw

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Humans pass down stories to transmit ways of knowing and ways of interacting within their culture. For Indigenous humans, stories give outsiders insight into a deeply intertwined connection with the environment. As a woman of European descent teaching Environmental Education classes, my lack of awareness inspired the question, How can a story lead to adolescents developing a kinship with the more-than-human elements of a place and lead to pro-environmental behavior grounded in reciprocity? The literature review focused on elevating Indigenous authors such as; Robin Wall Kimmerer, Gregory Cajete, Jessica Hernadez, Albert Wiggan, Masanobu Fukuoka. Traditional Ecological Knowledge is the current …

Integrating Environmental Education Into The 4th-Grade Classroom, Brandi Mckenna

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The growing awareness of the effects of climate change on our planet and the need for solutions that slow, stop, or potentially reverse these effects have led to the desire to increase environmental education in our youth. Research shows that building environmental literacy and stewardship helps create citizens with pro-environmental behaviors. Since the Tbilisi Declaration in 1977, there has been significant growth in environmental education programs in non-traditional education settings. However, despite the need for environmental education, it struggles to gain a strong footing in the traditional classroom. This is due to multiple reasons, with educator preparedness and resources being …

Faith Development In Informal Environmental Education Through Rock Climbing, Kylie Knutsen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The outdoor world invites a sense of wonder, of learning, of believing in something bigger than yourself. In order to foster this connection for years to come, it is necessary to find ways to connect individuals to the land around them. This capstone project answers the question: How can rock climbing contribute to the faith development of students and educators in the informal environmental education setting? Through research into this topic, it is concluded that place-based and outdoor experiences have the opportunity to increase both environmental literacy and Christian faith for individuals and communities. This research was used to develop …

Ocean Literacy: Understanding The Importance Of Sharks In Marine Ecosystems, Nicole Mueller Januário

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The ocean covers about 71% of our planet’s surface and provides us with food and marine resources. It regulates global climate and weather patterns, and acts as a climate change carbon sink yet remains largely unprotected. A restorative human-ocean relationship is urgently needed to combat the negative impacts of humanity and climate change and support marine biodiversity. Sharks, one of the oldest fish species and apex predators, play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced marine ecosystem and healthy ocean. However, sharks are threatened by climate change and illegal, unregulated, unreported fishing and finning. A radical behavior change is also …

Experiential Gardening For Environmental Literacy And Food Systems Awareness, Adam De Leeuw

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

School and community gardens have a rich history from the late 19th Century to the present, which includes the voices of Agassiz, Greene, Dewey, Washington Carver, Du Bois, and Montessori. This history spans the periods of school gardens from ‘nature study,’ the School Garden Army, Victory Gardens, the Tbilisi Declaration, and Garden-based learning. The purpose of this capstone project was to answer the following question: What are the individual lessons needed in a curriculum to support and connect experiential school and community garden programs for K-2 youth to serve as effective educational tools for environmental literacy and food systems awareness? …

Creating A Community Garden To Enhance Environmental Education And Action In 10th-12th Grade Boys, Tess Ingebrigtsen

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

The purpose of this capstone is to understand how making community connections through the creation of a community garden will emphasize environmental education and action from students. The guiding question of this project is: How can creating a community garden enhance environmental education and action for 10th-12th grade boys in a science elective? Throughout this project, I explore how 10th-12th grade boys' perceptions and feelings on environmental education and action develop and change through the process of creating, designing, and maintaining a community garden and making community connections through their school. Throughout this project, a multitude of major learnings occurred …

Volume 33, Number 2, Summer/Fall 2024, Office Of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2018-present

VOLUME 33 | NUMBER 2 | Summer/Fall 2024

ON OUR COVER:

President Sheahon Zenger poses for a portrait in the Bates & Merwin Reading Room on the fourth floor of The Ames Library. The room hosts a collection of award-winning books in honor of IWU's former president Minor Myers jr.

18 Discoveing Home, As a career university administrator with a long record of success and optimism for the future of liberal arts, Sheahon Zenger has been appointed the 21st president of Illinois Wesleyan University.

22 Browadway Reunion, More than a decade after last performing together at IWU, Bry Parham '07 …

Author Bios, Back Matter 04

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Featured Artist: Yaire Thaiz Barboza, Back Matter 02

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Academic Success In First-Year Engineering Students At Private Higher Education Institutions In Egypt: Key Factors, Wassim Alexan

Theses and Dissertations

This research aimed to identify the key factors contributing to the success of first-year engineering students at private higher education institutions (HEIs) in Egypt. It specifically examined how various independent variables influence the success of these students, measured as the dependent variable. By analyzing these relationships, the study seeks to pinpoint key success factors (KSFs) for first year engineering students in this specific educational context. The research work employed a mixed methods approach, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The quantitative analysis involved collecting data through a survey administered to a sample of first year engineering students at private …

Education And Land Management On The Pacific Crest Trail Phase 4, Ben Sherman, Emma Perry, Cade Cappello, Hattie Cahill, Anna Macklyn, Aidan Tull, Tristian Xu, Augrey Gregg

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

This research is a continuation of research collected on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). The purpose of this study was to investigate land ethics and education, Leave No Trace principles, and hiker experiences on the PCT. From July 2023-January 2024, interdisciplinary students collected qualitative and quantitative data through interviews and surveys with hikers on the trail. Past phases of this project have determined that this research is necessary, but due to Covid, the team has only been able to gather data remotely via online surveys and interviews prior to this study. The Baker Koob grant funded travel and research equipment …

Call And Response : Experiments In Storytelling, Deanne Fernandes

Masters Theses

Being part of RISD's inaugural Masters of Illustration cohort has been an immense honor. This journey has been nothing short of transformative and healing, as it has allowed me to unearth layers of self-discovery through my creative practice.

In my thesis, I introduce a fresh research methodology rooted in the principles of call and response, with adaptability, creativity, and storytelling as its foundational pillars. Through the lenses of visual storytelling, experimental animation, graphic journalism, and fictional world-building, I demonstrate how these techniques can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice. This dynamic approach fosters meaningful connections among diverse perspectives …

Atelier Interloper, Isabel Jane Marvel

Masters Theses

Architects frequently specify toxic materials, like fiberglass insulation, for construction projects, materials they would never touch with bare hands, let alone wear as garments. So why incorporate such harmful substances into our buildings? Atelier Interloper, a nimble fabrication studio, intervenes in job sites and manufacturer waste streams, reclaiming industrial materials that are no longer usable at building scale but are suitable for clothing. The premier collection of garments draws inspiration from workwear and is crafted from industrial materials such as Tyvek and 100% recycled denim insulation. In outfitting the body with these materials, this thesis work brings visibility to substances …

Towards More Inclusive Practices In Applied Linguistics: A Study Of Journal Editors’ Views On Using ‘Who’ With Nonhuman Animals With Implications For Language Education, Denise Dillon, George M. Jacobs, Meng Huat Chau

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Like racism or sexism, speciesism highlights how people fail to give due respect to nonhuman animals. After more than 20 years since the publication of Dunayer’s (2001) seminal work, Animal Equality: Language and Liberation, speciesism appears to remain a controversial issue. In this article, we explore the issue of speciesist language by considering the views of journal editors on one point raised in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020): that the relative pronoun who should only be used with humans and not with other animals. The results of this study suggest that while …

Oberlin College Commencement 2024, Oberlin College

Commencement Programs

Program for Commencement Exercises, 191st Anniversary.

Quiet Power: The Librarian’S Role, A Co-Leadership Model, And The Gendered Work Of Pedagogical Partnership, Diane Skorina

Teaching and Learning Together in Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Volume 122, Number 6 - Tuesday, May 21st, 2024, Saint Mary's College Of California

The Collegian

No abstract provided.

Titans Stood As Sole Undergrad Presenters At National Science Symposium, Julia Perez

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

“You Don’T Build Bridges To Safe And Familiar Territories”: Study Abroad Practice Based In Reconciliation As Falling Apart: Part 2, Kalyani Unkule

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

The Essence Of Christian Paideia For Career Classical Christian Educators: A Hermeneutic Phenomenology, Binnie J. King

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenology was to discover the essence of Christian paideia for career classical Christian educators who make daily curricular decisions at a classical Christian online academy that serves a 2nd-12th grade international student body. A qualitative research design was used to gather data on the experiences of classical Christian educational practitioners when making curricular decisions. The theory that guided this study was Mezirow’s transformational learning theory (TLT), as all manner of teaching and learning attempts transformation to a higher ideal. A hermeneutic phenomenology was employed through the interpretive framework of critical realism to discover the essence …

Climate Change In Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration Of Education And Activism, Kala Nance

Honors Theses

Climate Change in Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration of Education and Activism takes an investigative, journalistic approach toward climate change in Mississippi. Specifically, how education and awareness have a direct impact on Mississippi industries, people and legislation. The project explored the level of acknowledgement of climate change across the state, and how certain individuals used advocacy to encourage education about climate change to raise awareness of the severity of the situation. This project includes interviews with university professors and researchers, non-profit organizations, educational groups and working individuals in some of Mississippi’s largest areas of employment. Additionally, this project draws on research …

The Santa Clara, 2024-05-10, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

University Employees Honored For Milestones, Retirements, University Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.