Brilliant solutions are more than just answers to problems. They are catalysts of hope, beacons for those who believe in a better world. Shining brightly, the best solutions beckon thousands to take notice, to recognize the call to action and to make a difference.
But once we are inspired to change things for the better, where do we go from there? How do we learn to make a difference in the world? From Amsterdam to Ontario, Vancouver to Southern California, universities and colleges around the world are reshaping their education models to integrate theories of sustainability into every school of thought. They are building new majors and adjusting traditional ones to prepare their students to be the smart thinkers, brilliant builders and cunning innovators that we’ll need to transition into a more prosperous world.
My own desire to make a difference was sparked just a few months into my first year of college, when I quickly learned that the world was much bigger, and in much more trouble than I realized. I teetered on the edge of my desk chair, scrawling down details as my professors taught me about how realities like overpopulation, the sixth extinction, climate change and resource depletion have been changing the world. I pored over classics from Leopold to Abbey, Carson to Thoreau, and attended lectures, meetings and rallies. I started to see more clearly how our society’s actions were affecting the air, land, water and other creatures. For the first time, I began to question my role as a person on this planet. Even from my desk, I could see that the planet needed help, we needed help – and I wanted to be a part of whatever movement was going to create change.
The university I was attending didn’t offer many options in environmentally focused majors outside of wildlife biology. So, I transferred schools and changed my major to get the skills and knowledge I needed to prepare me for a job where I could help, where I could feel like I was making a difference.
And as I’ve found out, more and more students are doing the same. For the past few weeks, I’ve been researching how students are demanding that their universities provide them with the skills they will need to help build a better world. They are realizing that in order to have the knowledge and tools for the jobs they want in the 21st century, they’re going to have to integrate ideas of sustainability, ecology and social justice into whatever field they pursue.
From business to biology, traditional fields of study are transforming to give students who want to make a difference the knowledge they’ll need to become part of the sustainability revolution. But this revolution is not like the ones that came before. It will not be characterized by weapons or singular voices, but with knowledge and cohesiveness; with educated change makers, ready to fill the niches of the bright green revolution.
This is the first piece in a series dedicated to helping people who want to make a difference find their niche. During the course of the week we’ll delve into different areas of study, from global health to sustainable technology, to show how anyone can make any major make a difference.
So you want to make a difference?
To make the transition to a sustainable world, we’ll need an army of sustainability-minded revolutionaries. We’ll need scientists to record what’s happening in the forests and oceans, prairies and deserts, to plan for the future and to work on restoring and conserving what’s left. We’ll need builders and designers to help reconstruct our cities and their systems. We’ll need mechanics and engineers to construct new technological and energy systems. More than ever before we’ll need a team of people working on social justice, humanitarian rights and fairness issues, holding the world to a higher level of accountability. And last but not least, we’ll need hordes of artists, musicians and creative types to paint life with that delectably unique human essence.
From architecture to engineering, fields of study are incorporating sustainability theories in order to give students the knowledge they’ll need to become part of this revolution.
What follows are some examples of universities around the globe where students can earn a solid sustainability-related degree. I searched to find institutions with leading programs in game-changing fields like Sustainable Design, Holistic Wellness, Environmental Education and Conservation Biology.
Click below to check out the articles we have published so far:
Building Better Energy Systems: Sustainable Engineering
Nourishing a Healthy Society: Public Health and Wellness
Protecting the future: Environmental Law
Redefining Progress: Sustainable Development
Monitoring and Maintaining the Earth: Conservation Biology
Inspired to Teach: Environmental Education
Bringing Sustainability to Business
We’ll add to that list each day this week, each article identifying a specific school's degree program along with other universities offering similar majors, and reviews of resources for learning more about each field.
We know there are many schools out there working to expand their programs, and we’d love to hear about any you are attending or have attended. And even more so, please let us know about the yet-undeveloped fields of study you imagine shaping the minds of the new, bright green frontier.
Images by Morgan Greenseth
