Sustainable China and the Global Traveling Classroom

Abstract

Since its inception in 2009, the Sustainable China Program at Lawrence University in Wisconsin has given students and faculty the chance to engage with important environmental, economic, political and cultural questions by combining interdisciplinary academic work in the classroom with an extended field experience in China. The program is built on the PERC best practices for short-term international study abroad, which includes: Preparing students directly for the experience, Engaging with partners on the ground, Reflecting on personal development, and Continuing that development by using the program as a springboard for further opportunities. Lawrence University has adopted this model, which we’ve named the “traveling classroom,” to similar programs in Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Nepal and other countries. This article briefly outlines the history and objectives of the Sustainable China traveling classroom program, including how it represents an avenue for global engagement and a launching pad for further international education.