Alvernia University students and alumni studied abroad through the Sustainability Immersion Program on Grand Manan Island in Canada to gain a better understanding of creating a more sustainable community and the leadership needed to help create this change. (Courtesy of Alvernia University)
Seven Alvernia University students and alumni studied abroad through the Sustainability Immersion Program in Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick, Canada.
This one-week study abroad experience offers college students an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the components involved in creating a more sustainable community and the leadership approach necessary to help create this change. Participants included Alettya Zalapa-Alonso of Reading, Noah Rizzo of Mohnton, Anthony Pires of Douglassville and Stephen Maurek of Blandon.
“At the heart of the Canada sustainability immersion trip is the adventure-based group learning program developed and facilitated by the Sustainable Misfits, a nonprofit organization founded by five Alvernia alumni,” said Dr. Alicia Sprow, Sustainable Misfits executive director and Alvernia University assistant professor of leadership, in the release. “The program’s focus is to guide young adults on how to effectively cultivate a caring, resilient community of people who make a positive impact on others and the environment.”
They toured the island to gain a better understanding of the community and industries on which they rely. Students worked alongside community members and organizations on service projects and planning discussions.
“The place we stayed was made out of an old ship, with different parts of the gathering place and other areas being made from different parts of the ship, so you are truly embracing and practicing sustainability,” said rising senior psychology major Zalapa-Alonso in the release.
The students stayed at an eco-retreat complete with tiny homes, composting toilets, recycled items that have been artfully built into the structures, and a central gathering place to come together for meals and conversation.
“It made me want to learn more. I think I can say for every one that went, that the Island and its residence were absolutely wonderful,” said Zalapa-Alonso. “The overall experience that Grand Manan leaves is magical, not only by its scenery but the history you can learn about transformation, adaptability, and the beauty that can be found even when it’s foggy out.”
The five main program outcomes this trip yields include skill and knowledge development around community building, effective communication, systems thinking, innovative leadership, and supportive followership.
“The trip was a magical experience,” said digital media marketing graduate, Rizzo ’21 in the release. “The word magic was a constant theme in Grand Manan, this is a special place where people go to experience things they have never seen before.”
Concluding, Rizzo said, “The immersive experience of staying in an eco-retreat reminds many students there is a simpler way of life and the value in that. One of the best features of the Canada trip is the connection students experience with nature and others as screen time is down significantly.”
Alvernia University is a Catholic comprehensive university with a liberal arts foundation founded by the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters in 1958. The university serves over 3,000 students in Reading, Pottsville and Philadelphia with a unique blend of rigorous liberal arts education, strong technical training in many high demand majors, ever-expanding experiential learning opportunities through study abroad and internship experiences and community engagement through its Franciscan-based community service model.