by Solvegi Shmulsky

PUTNEY, Vt.--On April 24, 2015, Landmark College was awarded $4,000 from the Vermont Campus Compact and the Davis Educational Foundation for a Tree Campus USA project. Six faculty members contributed to the grant proposal, which describes an interdisciplinary project to teach environmental stewardship through service learning. Students will survey the 125-acre campus, develop a tree care plan, and communicate their findings to the Putney community. Participating courses include sections of biology, civic engagement, nature writing, and first year studies.

The Campus Compact coalition includes postsecondary institutions in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Campuses for Environmental Stewardship (CES) is a program within the coalition, which solicited grant proposals from four-year institutions who “recognize the importance of addressing important societal issues, in this instance environmental stewardship, and who are committed to creating institutional change by embedding service-learning projects into courses” (according to the CES website). In addition to Landmark College, awards in Vermont went to the University of Vermont, Norwich University, and Champlain College.

“We are so excited to have this opportunity,” said Project Manager Debbie Hayward, who is a department chair at Landmark College. She said, ““It’s inspiring to be among this initial group of faculty who are dedicated to environmental stewardship and service learning, which we are growing in our curriculum.”  

Students in the civic engagement course, led by Social Science Professor Peg Alden, will contribute to project as a way to serve the community. Alden said, “I am really eager to have an on-campus environmental project that students can plug into. Not only will this to be a valuable service project for the campus, but it will showcase hands-on learning opportunities to students who are thinking about getting involved.”

Participating Faculty and Courses

Peg Alden, Ed.D., Civic Engagement

Debbie Gassaway-Hayward, M.A.T., Perspectives in Learning

Lena Jahn, M.A.T., Foundations in Learning

Ned Olmsted, M.A.T., Environmental Literature

Andrew Stein, Ph.D., Principles of Biology

Brian Young, Ph.D., Introduction to Biology, Principles of Sustainability

The activities supported by this current grant are part of a longer-term goal for Landmark College to become a Tree Campus USA. Tree Campus USA is an Arbor Day Foundation program that “helps colleges and universities around the country establish and sustain healthy community forests.” In the U.S. almost 250 colleges and universities are designated Tree Campuses, including two in Vermont, Middlebury College and the University of Vermont. The Arbor Day Foundation cites environmental preservation and campus pride as the two primary benefits of becoming a Tree Campus.

Landmark College was the first institution of higher learning to pioneer college-level studies for students with dyslexia. Today, Landmark College is a global leader in integrated teaching methods for students with learning disabilities (including dyslexia), ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The College offers two- and four-year degree options, a graduate-level certificate in universal design with technology integration, and summer programs for students who learn differently. Students, faculty, and professionals from around the world are drawn to Landmark College for its innovative educational model, designed through research and practice to help all students become confident, empowered, and independently successful learners.