Evolution of a Living Classroom
Abstract
Program Profile Evolution of a Living Classroom By Pamela Marean Built in the 1970s in the Brutalist style by iconic architect Paul Rudolph, using angular concrete and glass, the campus buildings at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth do not immediately inspire visions of harmony with nature. However, even with this backdrop weâve found ways to blend green values, eco-experiences, and studies of man-made versus bio-original materials to create a Living Classroom program that teaches sustainability concepts. âAt UMass Dartmouth, our Living Classroom program is the bridge between our traditional educational resources, the larger community, and our environment. It links learning to real life in ways that make people care about sustainability,â says Susan Jennings, director of the Office of Campus and Community Sustainability which originated and administers the program. The Living Classroom stimulates curiosity in students and local residents alike about how sustainability principles work in our lives by applying higher learning concepts to our immediate environmental resources. It empowers the campus and larger local community to reduce their environmental footprints and create a more sustainable standard of living. The Living Classroom program creates tangible, experiential learning opportunities centered on both the natural and man-made features of our