Acting for Positive Change Requirement

All Sustainability minors must fulfill an Acting for Positive Change (APC) component to supplement their classroom instruction at the University of Richmond. Embedded in the concept of the sustainability minor is the idea that education for sustainability is essential to the co-creation of a better future. Through the Sustainability minor, students gain insight into how to become agents of change and engaged citizens as they work toward the well-being for all. Students examine what makes agents of change effective in individual, local, regional, and global contexts. Being effective as an agent of change relies on actualizing core competencies of a liberal education, including communication, problem-solving, analysis, and cultural literacy. Students learn how engaged citizens effectively formulate goals and develop solutions.

Examples for completing the Acting for Positive Change requirement include an internship or volunteer position equaling approximately 80 hours of service, applied summer research, an applied summer field course (e.g., master naturalist), volunteering on sustainability initiatives during a semester of study abroad, or another educational and hands-on sustainability initiative agreed upon by the student and faculty sustainability supervisor.

Sustainability minors should approach the Chair of Geography, Environment, & Sustainability, before their junior year, if possible, to discuss and identify potential Acting for Positive Change opportunities.

Expectations of the Acting for Positive Change Opportunity:

1. Learning objectives, sustainability goals, and potential sustainability solutions will be identified with a faculty mentor before starting the Acting for Positive Change component and revisited at the conclusion. Students should complete the webform below before starting their APC activities. Potential linkages to the student’s Sustainability Worldview and the following core concepts of sustainability should be clearly stated:

Systems Thinking
Sustainability Knowledge
Justice
Integration
Acting for Positive Change

2. Sustainability minor students prepare a StoryMap that shares their Sustainability Worldview along with sustainability goals, actions, and solutions that formed their Acting for Positive Change. The StoryMap can be embedded with video, images, maps/geovisualizations, and to share their experiences with Sustainability faculty, staff, and students. The StoryMaps need to clearly engage with the five core concepts.

3. Students will also prepare a one-image post that can be shared over social media and that serves to invite faculty, students, staff, and others to engage with their Acting for Positive Change StoryMap.

I will complete *

Write in the specific activity for choice #1: *

Name: *

Date: *

Year in School: *

E-mail Address: *

One paragraph description of Acting for Positive Change Activity *

Learning Expectations (cross cultural, field, GIS etc...), sustainability goals, actions, and potential solutions reached as well as how you will engage the Core Sustainability Concepts (systems thinking, sustainability knowledge, justice, integration, and acting for positive change) anticipated during the Acting for Positive Change activity: *

Estimated Schedule of Activities (e.g., number of weeks, hours expected on task, etc.): *

The above Acting for Positive Change component has been mutually agreed upon by the student and the faculty supervisor. They will stay in communication during the schedule outlined above to discuss the experience and to assess the achievement of learning objectives.

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Acting for Positive Change Requirement

The above Acting for Positive Change component has been mutually agreed upon by the student and the faculty supervisor. They will stay in communication during the schedule outlined above to discuss the experience and to assess the achievement of learning objectives.