“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” —Jane Goodall
Earth Day and study abroad share a lot in common if you think about it: working across barriers, promoting education and understanding, and making the world a better place overall.
In fact, Earth Day was founded with college students in mind. The day April 22nd was chosen by Senator Nelson of Wisconsin because it was soon after the arrival of spring, near the birthday of important conservationist and Sierra Club founder John Muir, and did not conflict with vacation, holidays or exams for college students. The idea was to use the day as an opportunity to educate, and encourage volunteerism and environmental activism among students and youth. We’ve come a long way since 1970, but we still have a long way to go!
We are proud to offer courses ranging from marine biology in Costa Rica to conservation management in South Africa. But you don’t have to go to a tropical location; take a course about urban agriculture in Berlin or pollution biology in Ireland.
Even if your studies do not involve science, consider taking an environmental course during your college career, whether abroad or not. It can enhance your résumé, but more importantly, it will educate you, better prepare you, and maybe change the way you think about the world– just like study abroad.
Check out our Program Search to see where you can take environmental studies courses abroad. And if you can’t, find a small way to make a difference by volunteering, and keep Earth Day in mind no matter where you go, no matter the day.
