The Redfish School of Change is a fusion of academic and experiential learning. An intensive and demanding program, in 2018 it will cover course material in three environmental studies courses.
Canadian students will receive credits for three courses at the University of Victoria:
ES 380: Ethnoecology of the Salish Sea (1.5 credits)
ES 381: Fisheries and Environmental Ethics of the Salish Sea (1.5 credits)
ES 370: Leadership Skills for Community Action (1.5 credits)
U.S. students will receive credits for three courses at Western Washington University:
ENVS 491: Fisheries and Environmental Ethics of the Salish Sea (5 credits)
ENVS 498C: Leadership Skills for Community Action
Senior Project (3 credits)
ENVS 498D: Ethnoecology of the Salish Sea
International Experience (3 credits)
US Students: please visit this page for more information.
As a participant in the program you will engage with community leaders, visit Indigenous elders, develop an understanding of ethnoecology, co-create stories, practice leadership in community, learn to communicate about food culture, and enjoy the beauty of the Salish Sea. Assignments will include written responses to readings, participation in group discussions, faciliation of class sessions, leadership reflections, peer observations, working in a group to develop a Storymap, and drafting a roadmap for your Citizen Action Plan. Assignments are due before, during and after the four-week field course. Required readings will be made available 3 to 4 weeks before the field school begins. Be prepared to complete assignments in the 2 to 3 weeks following the field school.
Sample activities:
- Facilitating an educational program for your coursemates
- Conducting interviews with community members
- Paddling throughout the Southern Gulf Islands
- Exploring social change through "Metaphors in Music"
- Shopping for and cooking group meals
- Conducting ecological restoration for a local creek
- Visiting important cultural and ecological sites
Examples of assignments:
- Interview community members for use in your storymapping project
- Facilitate a group check-in and co-ordinate the day's activities
- Keep a personal learning and nature journal
- Prepare and plan your Community Action Project
Learning objectives
Students will be able to demonstrate
- an understanding of the complexity, scale and interdependence of ecological, social and economic systems.
- the capacity to develop effective strategies for a broad range of social and environmental challenges.
- an appreciation for plurality in ways of knowing and among scientific and cultural perspectives toward creating social change
- an appreciation for and reflection on the ways to maintain balance and sustain a life dedicated to creating change
- the capacity and confidence to employ leadership skills for effective community action
- the ability to participate collaboratively in finding solutions for social and environmental challenges.
- an appreciation of the relevance of place — and the features that distinguish regional and local contexts and thus approaches to social and environmental change.
The future is not something we enter. The future is something we create.