UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Building bridges to a sustainable future

Students in an Environmental and Sustainability Studies capstone course embarked on an ambitious journey to foster sustainability initiatives on campus and beyond, culminating in a community engagement session that showcased their commitment to making a positive impact.

The public gathering hosted in downtown Prince George by ENVS 480 students late last fall brought together city residents, business owners, local government representatives and community leaders with UNBC students and faculty. 

School of Planning and Sustainability Professor Annie Booth and students in ENVS 480 (front row, left to right) Ben Gadd, Riana Smith and Namuun Bat-Umult. (Back row, left to right) Danae Meise, Tate Fowler and Kiara Mills.

"We wanted to make space and time to facilitate discussion on sustainability projects already underway or being planned in Prince George," says undergraduate student Riana Smith. "It was an opportunity to network, share resources, learn from each other and potentially collaborate on some of the projects already happening in the community."

Designed to deepen knowledge gained over the course of their undergraduate programs, students in ENVS 480 used their skills and interdisciplinary experiences to develop a shared project focused on green education. In the lead up to the community gathering, the classmates organized and collaborated with other student-led groups on a number of campus events including a waste panel discussion, eco-tourism discussion, tour of the University's Bioenergy plant and an art supply meet & swap. 

"It's a unique, flipped class where the students define and create a project that interests them, with guidance," says instructor, UNBC's School of Planning and Sustainability Professor Dr. Annie Booth. "The capstone course allows reflection on their previous learning and also encourages them to look ahead to where they want to go with their degree. We work through understanding and articulating what they have to offer an employer, explore possible careers and I bring in alumni who share their journeys."

"It was inspiring to come together with classmates from different backgrounds to discuss an issue that affects us all," says Smith, who is from 100 Mile House, B.C. and is in the final year of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a specialization in Communities and Environmental Citizenship. "Facilitating a community event gave me hands-on experience engaging with community partners - something that will be invaluable in my future career."

Recent graduate Namuun Bat-Urnult, who came to UNBC from Mongolia, says the best moments came from working as a team. "Everyone brought something different to the table - ideas, expertise, perspectives. Together, we created something bigger than ourselves," she says. "The sense of collaboration came together in our final event, a community-focused gathering that received overwhelmingly positive feedback and even drew the attention of the city's mayor."

The students had the unique opportunity to present their findings from the community engagement session to Prince George Mayor Simon Yu and city councillors when they were invited to a lunch-and-learn earlier this month. An abstract of their work has also been accepted for a special edition of the International Journal of Educational Research on youth activism in schools. The manuscript is due in April.

As Tate Fowler prepares to graduate next fall with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a joint major in Environmental Studies and Political Science, he says he feels buoyed by the possibilities for his future. 

"ENVS 480 has shown me all the outlets available to explore with my passion for sustainability, whether it's through community engagement, policy advocacy, education or hands-on initiatives," says the Prince George resident. "This course demonstrated that a job in the sustainability field isn't a one-size-fits-all approach, rather it's an extremely flexible and evolving practice that can be woven into any career path."