Sustainable Study Abroad Grants of up to $500 are available to students studying abroad through Middlebury College. Grants may be used for research projects or participation in events or projects related to sustainability issues; this may include projects or research that look at ways of reducing the human impact on the environment, enhancing social well-being, or economic development that addresses the environment and/or social well-being.
Sustainability projects aim to create “a delightfully diverse, safe, healthy, and just world, with clean air, water, soil and power - economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed.” (Wm. McDonough)
Click here for more information and an application
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ACADEMIC YEAR 2009-2010 Grant Recipients:
Shannon Engelman
SIT Tanzania
"A vegetation study in the coral rag forest"
Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park, established in 2005, is the only national park in Zanzibar, TZ, meaning that it is the largest remaining forest area on the entire island. Conservation efforts began in the 1950's, when local villagers realized that their demands for building materials and fuelwood could not be met if deforestation continued at its alarming rate. Over time, the area of the protected forest has increased and now includes five distinct vegetation types, including mangrove forest and a coral rag forest. The park is also home to half of the world's population of Red Colobus Monkeys, who are endemic to Zanzibar. I will be using my Sustainable Study Abroad Grant to increase knowledge about the coral rag forest and to improve tourism in the forest, since tourism is the primary source of income for the forest itself, as well as many of the local people who are employed by Jozani. The first goal of my project is to conduct a vegetation study in the coral rag forest to determine if the vegetation is changing with time. Next, I will clear a tourist trail through the coral rag forest, since the trail system currently does not include a coral rag trail. The third goal is to produce a map of the trails for tourists using GIS, and the last goal is to design a tourist brochure to provide them with detailed information about the forest. My overall goal is to enhance the tourist experience so that the National Park will continue to receive funds to pursue their conservation activities in this forest that faces extreme pressure from local communities.
Marissa Lenoir
Middlebury School in Russia
“Sustainable Farming and Family-Building in Kaliningrad"
Farming has played a defining role in Russia’s social, economic, and political history. Even after the abolition of serfdom, former serfs were suspicious of technology and reluctant to modernize. In the Soviet era, the Soviet Union modernized to the extent that urban factories became the new centers of social interaction and community. To achieve absolute loyalty to the state, ties between families and land were dismantled, and intra-family ties were broken. It was only in the 1980s, during the Perestroika reforms, that the family unit regained importance in Russia. Between my two semesters in Yaroslavl, I will work in Kaliningrad on an organic farm operated by a German missionary venture. The farm functions also as a children’s village, providing social ties and sustainability education for orphans. The orphans live appropriately spaced in a series of cabins, and each cabin has a “mother.” The children and adults living in these houses become each other’s family, and thus, the children’s community can be seen as a microcosmic solution for how people, disengaged from each other during the Soviet era, can create meaningful family units based on goodwill and concern for the environment and their communities. I will work alongside the other residents on the farm, and I will work in the classroom, teaching children. Through this experience I will learn about the relationship between farming and family in the unique historical context of Russia, and how sustainability and community-building can be complementary forces.
Nora Hirozawa
Middlebury School in Latin America, Argentina
2-Part Project:
"350 Buenos Aires- Marcha en Bici"
On October 24th 2009, thousands of people from around the world will unite to support sustainable actions as part of the international day of climate action coordinated by 350.org. In Buenos Aires, a city of reputably reckless bus traffic and dangerous streets for cyclists, hundreds will gather at the central Plaza de Mayo for a mass bicycle march through the microcenter of Buenos Aires, ending in front of the Casa Rosada, the primary government building in Argentina. In addition to demonstrating sustainable conscience in the weeks leading up to the climate talks in Copenhagen, the bicycle march will also function as a protest for the right to alternative transportation within the city.
"Los Cartoneros: the unofficial recycling phenomenon in Buenos Aires"
In terms of sustainability, one of the most striking contrasts between Buenos Aires and many other cities of comparable size is not only the fault of a centralized recycling system, but the presence of unofficial “cartoneros” that fill this need. Cartoneros can be found throughout the night on nearly every street corner in the city, selecting garbage which they then carry out to the Buenos Aires province in carts, or sometimes carts pulled by horses. In unofficial recycling centers in the suburbs of the capital, the cartoneros are then paid for the delivery of sorted garbage. This decentralized phenomenon of recycling appears to be recognized by the government, but has yet to be coordinated on any sort of municipal or national scale. In this project, I aim to investigate the fine line between the official and the unofficial in the recycling system in Buenos Aires, as well as the origin of the cartoneros, whose position is distinct from general garbage diggers. Through this investigation, I also hope to demonstrate the benefits and disadvantages to having a decentralized system of recycling.
Kaitlynn Saldanha
Middlebury School in Latin America, Argentina
"Sustainable Development in Patagonia"
In today’s increasingly globalized world, developing nations face a dilemma: should development come at the cost of sacrificing environmental concerns, or should the environment take priority over development? As a developing nation with an emerging economy, Argentina faces this constant challenge. In Patagonia for instance, the “internationalisation” of land as it has been named, involves the Argentine government allowing large tracts of land to be sold off to the highest bidder; the rich and famous around the world rapt by the area’s pristine charm and vastness. Despite conservation efforts, Patagonia shelters some of the newest and most extensive development projects within Argentina. Although not all of the projects are unsustainable, the majority share a common flaw: the land being used is inhabited by indigenous communities whose ancestors have lived off the land for centuries. At the end of my semester in Buenos Aires, I plan to spend a month investigating the status of sustainable development and the “global land grab” currently taking place in Patagonia. Is Patagonia another example of how industrialization, modernity, and economic interests are seizing the few virgin lands and its people that still remain? What do current sustainability initiatives in Patagonia look like, what problems exist, and what can we learn from them? Through my investigation I hope to foster a sophisticated understanding of the status of sustainable development in Patagonia in an effort to reveal Argentina’s role as an emerging leader in the global economy.
Jonas Schoenefeld
Middlebury School in Latin America, Chile
"Sustainable University Initiative Chile"
Environmental issues, whether global warming, ozone depletion or overfishing, require university programs that provide a global vision, but also knowledge and skills to find future solutions that benefit all of humanity. To date, according to Manfredo Langer Ramirez of Chile’s CONAMA (Comisión Nacional del Medio Ambiente—National Environmental Commission), a government organization, Chile has no university programs that teach students a global perspective, such as the Environmental Studies Program at Middlebury College. What’s more, this lack of programs is accompanied by limited current initiative of Chilean universities to engage in sustainable practices as well as student bodies that are generally unconcerned about pressing environmental issues. In recent years, however, Chile has experienced a growth in environmental concern which is slowly manifesting itself at many levels of society. The goal of this project is hence to support an initiative by CONAMA that brings together university administrators from the Metropolitan Region of Santiago (Chile’s capital), student representatives as well as government officials to initiate sustainability programs at university level. Working as a liaison between Middlebury College and Chilean universities, I’m planning to tap into decades of experience in sustainable practices and programs at Middlebury College to provide examples, suggestions and active support for this growing Chilean environmental movement.
Melissa Segil
Middlebury School in Latin America, Uruguay
"Getting Montevideo to 350- Starting at la Playa Pocitos"
The goal of our project in Uruguay is to raise awareness about the climate change reality facing both our local and global communities. On October 24th, communities around the world will rally behind the number 350, and call on our world leaders to support strong climate change legislation in Copenhagen. Here in Montevideo, we will host a potluck picnic at la Playa Pocitos (Pocitos Beach) and invite students, families, friends, and professors to get involved. There we will also distribute educational materials about what 350 means, how this number affects us and how we affect it, and how we as individuals can help get to 350. We are hoping to get "350 Goals" as well: 350 individual commitments to reduce their contributions to climate change. The day before the international day of 350 actions, along with the help of the Univerisidad ORT, we will host a presentation from a professor specializing in sustainable tourism, followed by discussion and a screening of "An Inconvenient Truth." We will also have a panel discussion regarding the ways each person contributed to climate change and can reduce their impact on the environment. We invite everyone to get involved! As individuals, we are the most direct way to get to 350 as soon as possible.
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ACADEMIC YEAR 2008-2009 Grant Recipients:
Kat Hartley
Sophia University, Japan
"Organic Farming in Japan"
The success of organic farming in Japan must confront some of the most fundamental attitudes held by Japanese society. I am currently living in Tokyo, one of the most densely populated areas of the world, and each time I enter a supermarket I find produce of the same size and shape perfectly arranged on the shelves, each apple and pear and carrot showcasing an unnatural uniformity. Despite traditional Shinto beliefs in the importance of respecting nature, modern Japan seems to take a capitalistic approach to agriculture, emphasizing efficiency of land use and aesthetically-pleasing packaging over sustainability or nutrition. To learn more about how small, self-sufficient organic farms survive in Japan I will spend my two month break between semesters working on an organic farm in rural Japan through the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms program. Through this experience I hope to gain a firsthand understanding of the problems Japan faces as an island country with limited resources trying to feed teeming metropolises like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and many other cities. Is it feasible for organic farming to thrive on a large scale in Japan? Could Japan feed itself through organic farming? At the end of these two months I will synthesize my experience and research by creating a photo collection with captions that will explain what I’ve learned about Japan’s agricultural past, present, and possible future.
Stephanie Joyce
Universidad Austral de Chile (Middlebury School in Latin America)
"Glacial Meltwater as an Urban Resource"
Home to the largest glaciated areas outside of Antarctica and Greenland, Chile’s glaciers provide freshwater and hydroelectric power to most of the country. These glaciers are rapidly disappearing, raising questions about the supply of freshwater and electricity that will be available to urban populations in the coming decades. I plan to explore the impact of glacial retreat and climate change on urban population centers. In particular I will investigate the recent announcement that the Glaciar Echaurren, which forms Santiago’s principal water source, is likely to disappear within the next 50 years. Although this is the only such announcement that has made international news, I will also investigate the outlook for smaller cities where similar disappearances are expected. By speaking to hydrologists, glaciologists and urban planners I hope to learn what plans are being made to compensate for this looming water crisis and what changes will have to be made to the urban landscape.
Deanna Tamborelli
Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (University of Virginia), Peru
"Saving Peru’s Waterways: The Effectiveness of Grassroots Environmental Activism"
Grassroots organizations have always seemed to me the purest, most altruistic form of activism. However, some people argue that while grassroots organizations are great in an idealistic sense, they may not be the most effective because they lack the resources (human and monetary) to bring about real change. I plan to explore this question during my semester studying in Lima, Peru. A small grassroots organization called Ecoplayas has been working since 1997 to preserve beaches and coastal areas of Peru. I hope to interview and to work alongside its members to gain an understanding of their successes and failures. I will then compare Ecoplayas to the Clinton Foundation’s top-down approach to environmental activism as well as to grassroots environmental activism being done inland in Puno on the outskirts of Lake Titicaca. In exploring these comparisons I hope to come to a better understanding about activism as a whole and to better understand the pros and cons of different types of environmental activism.
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ACADEMIC YEAR 2008-2009 Grant Recipients:
Kat Hartley
Sophia University, Japan
"Organic Farming in Japan"
The success of organic farming in Japan must confront some of the most fundamental attitudes held by Japanese society. I am currently living in Tokyo, one of the most densely populated areas of the world, and each time I enter a supermarket I find produce of the same size and shape perfectly arranged on the shelves, each apple and pear and carrot showcasing an unnatural uniformity. Despite traditional Shinto beliefs in the importance of respecting nature, modern Japan seems to take a capitalistic approach to agriculture, emphasizing efficiency of land use and aesthetically-pleasing packaging over sustainability or nutrition. To learn more about how small, self-sufficient organic farms survive in Japan I will spend my two month break between semesters working on an organic farm in rural Japan through the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms program. Through this experience I hope to gain a firsthand understanding of the problems Japan faces as an island country with limited resources trying to feed teeming metropolises like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and many other cities. Is it feasible for organic farming to thrive on a large scale in Japan? Could Japan feed itself through organic farming? At the end of these two months I will synthesize my experience and research by creating a photo collection with captions that will explain what I’ve learned about Japan’s agricultural past, present, and possible future.
Stephanie Joyce
Universidad Austral de Chile (Middlebury School in Latin America)
"Glacial Meltwater as an Urban Resource"
Home to the largest glaciated areas outside of Antarctica and Greenland, Chile’s glaciers provide freshwater and hydroelectric power to most of the country. These glaciers are rapidly disappearing, raising questions about the supply of freshwater and electricity that will be available to urban populations in the coming decades. I plan to explore the impact of glacial retreat and climate change on urban population centers. In particular I will investigate the recent announcement that the Glaciar Echaurren, which forms Santiago’s principal water source, is likely to disappear within the next 50 years. Although this is the only such announcement that has made international news, I will also investigate the outlook for smaller cities where similar disappearances are expected. By speaking to hydrologists, glaciologists and urban planners I hope to learn what plans are being made to compensate for this looming water crisis and what changes will have to be made to the urban landscape.
Deanna Tamborelli
Universidad Antonio Ruiz de Montoya (University of Virginia), Peru
"Saving Peru’s Waterways: The Effectiveness of Grassroots Environmental Activism"
Grassroots organizations have always seemed to me the purest, most altruistic form of activism. However, some people argue that while grassroots organizations are great in an idealistic sense, they may not be the most effective because they lack the resources (human and monetary) to bring about real change. I plan to explore this question during my semester studying in Lima, Peru. A small grassroots organization called Ecoplayas has been working since 1997 to preserve beaches and coastal areas of Peru. I hope to interview and to work alongside its members to gain an understanding of their successes and failures. I will then compare Ecoplayas to the Clinton Foundation’s top-down approach to environmental activism as well as to grassroots environmental activism being done inland in Puno on the outskirts of Lake Titicaca. In exploring these comparisons I hope to come to a better understanding about activism as a whole and to better understand the pros and cons of different types of environmental activism.
Click here
to view the video presentations of Kat Hartley, Stephanie Joyce, and Deanna Tamborelli, presented as part of the International Studies Colloquium, September 11, 2009.
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SPRING 2008 Grant Recipients:
Cully Cavness
University of Otago, New Zealand
"New Zealand’s Geothermal Power – Geology and Production"
New Zealand in a world leader in geothermal power production. The country has 129 functioning geothermal sites, and it is my intention to understand the geology and operations underlying that prolific resource development. To achieve this, I will identify the geologic processes and structures that best facilitate geothermal power production. Additionally, I will review the cultural, economic, and political circumstances that have motivated the movement to geothermal resources. Hopefully these findings will be applicable to Middlebury and the United States as our communities attempt to change the landscape of American energy consumption.
Allison Conley
Middlebury School in France
"Sustainability in Modern Parisian Architecture"
How does France emphasize sustainability in its modern architectural design? I will be exploring this question by visiting architectural sites in France, particularly in Paris, interviewing architects and professionals, and studying the current architectural news. With sustainability being such an important issue, I am investigating the ways in which French architecture implements green design concepts and sustainability. Paris has always been highly regarded for its architecture and is now in the modern world moving in a sustainable direction. My research will be presented by a visual book or poster presentation to graphically display the sustainable design.
Samuel Lazarus
Middlebury School in China
"Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Analysis of Chinese Factories Proximities to Local Watersheds and their Respective Impacts on Water Supplies"
I will be working with Chinese scientist Ma Jun (named to TIME Magazine’s 100 people that influence our world) and the Natural Resource Defense Council to develop GIS-based maps displaying the interactions between local watersheds and factories in Northern China. After developing the maps we will join NRDC representatives in approaching factory owners to discuss ways in which they can reduce their influence on water sources and work closely with local villages to develop methods of water preservation.
Jeremy Martin
Middlebury School in Latin America
"Uruguay’s Fight for Choice: Boost the Economy or Bust the Environment?"
This project investigates the dynamism of choice in the third world by exploring how nations prioritize economic development over environmental sustainability. It focuses on Uruguay’s recent victory over Argentina in the International Court of Justice, in which Uruguay gained the right to build two cellulose burning plants in the coastal city of Fray Bentos. For Argentine environmentalists, the new factory symbolizes the ecological destruction of the shared river, Rio de la Plata, and its prized surrounding soil. For Uruguayans, however, the new port infrastructure promises hope because of the 8,000 additional jobs it will create and the chance to rebound from the 2002 economic crisis. Because it is the largest construction project in Uruguayan history, illuminating the sustainable initiatives used in the factory will offer valuable insight as to how developing countries attempt to manage their physical and financial assets while also coping with the consequences of industrialization. Finally, this grant proposal tries to answer whether or not innovative sustainable technologies can mitigate environmental harm without sacrificing economic opportunity.
Andrew Stein
Middlebury School in China
"A Comparative Study of China's Waste Abundance"
The Middlebury Sustainable Study Abroad grant affords me with the opportunity to extend my conduction of a research project, the focus of which is the environmental damage, particularly the abundance of waste, that China’s recent modernization, rapid industrialization, and massive population are giving rise to. My research begins in Hangzhou and continues on to that of the Yunnan province, located in the South of China, just above the South-East Asian country of Vietnam and to the East of Myanmar. China leaves in its wake of exponential development a vast trail of environmental deterioration; the Yunnan province is no exception to this relationship between man’s modernization and the World’s environment. The Yunnan province is currently a hot topic of environmental debate as well as the setting of China’s most successful environmental victories. I will direct my research towards the cities of Kunming and Dali, as well as the province’s northern region which encompasses “Tiger Leaping Gorge” and the Nu River valley. While in Yunnan I will seek out interviews with the NGO representatives, environmental scientists, and civilians being affected by modernizing change in their surroundings. In addition, I plan to unveil the effectiveness of the clean air policies being implemented in Kunming, the thoughts and concerns of this province’s people, as well as reveal several pressing issues that will soon surface to the public’s attention in the near future.
Click here to view the video presentations of Samuel Lazarus, Cully Cavness, and Jeremy Martin, presented as part of the International Studies Colloquium, September 19, 2008.
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Sustainable Study Abroad Student Grants are co-sponsored by International Programs and Off-Campus Study and Environmental Affairs. Please contact Stacey Thebodo (sthebodo@middlebury.edu) in International Programs and Off-Campus Study with any questions.