The Future of Education

Many fields within environmental studies are identified as crisis disciplines, which recognize the need to act to enable adaptation and mitigation of environmental threats. Due to the pressure of confronting impacts from climate change, students may eventually find themselves feeling uninspired and unempowered. For this reason, it is especially important for environmental studies students to develop coping skills, acquire teambuilding experience, build support systems, and affirm their motivations for entering the discipline. The study of Environmental Science and Policy at Central European University offers students the challenge of exploring contemporary issues in a multicultural cohort composed of students from at least 25 different countries and a variety of academic backgrounds. Engaging in an initial orientation that is designed intentionally to facilitate respect and cooperation through shared experiences could ease transition, and empower students to succeed in rigorous educational and professional environments. This project aims to explore orientation design practices, paying special attention to pedagogical methods that are most compatible with multicultural students in the environmental field. Second, the project will determine and present the needs of the students and faculty in the CEU Environmental Science and Policy Program. Finally, the research results in suggestions and curriculum for the 2017 ESP Orientation. The recommendations incorporate teaching models such as community based learning and problem based learning, while integrating environmental themes into each activity.