Sweeping landscapes across the globe inspire awe and exhilaration, but sometimes it’s the little details that can truly pique our imaginations. Having taken students on regional and national learning excursions, and as far away as Grenada in the Caribbean, Casey Allen, assistant professor of geography and environmental science in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, knows this well.
“Experiential education helps students understand more about themselves and how they react to situations in the real world,” Allen says. “The only way to really get that experience is to live it.”
One of his more popular adventures, Allen offers students a field study class on the island of Grenada. “We spend all Maymester conducting fieldwork on site,” Allen explains. This involves students conducting environmental analyses such as monitoring sea surface temperature and water quality, but also extends into the human realm such as learning about tourism, economics, and politics first-hand. “Grenada is an intense, field-based experiential learning opportunity that is difficult to duplicate,” he says. “We learn all we can about the entire island.”