Outside of Class (OC) activities

The point of these is to get you involved in or exposed to community activities and take part in service opportunities related to our class content, or related to important issues in the world today.

Community groups are acting on concerns related to climate change
College learning is the beginning of lifelong learning, which continues on well after college.
Service learning--performing work alongside members of a community that you're learning about--provides a context and fosters relationships that are hard to capture in the classroom. Sometimes, but not always, it also provides a service to the community!
If reading about dire situations has a tendency to make me feel helpless, participating in (and seeing others participate in) activities to address those situations is one way to make me feel more hopeful!

OC opportunities in 2021

Weekend before Thanksgiving

Coral reef ecology--in the Midwest?

We have TWO Science Speakers today, Friday, November 19th, in SC 106 at 4pm! Keila Flores will present "Coral Reef Ecology in the Midwest" and Jaime Webb will present "Using the Arts to Connect Nature and Environmental Justice within Environmental Education." You don't want to miss our last Biology Science Speaker for the semester! See you there!

Prepare the Goshen Community Orchard for Winter

Saturday, November 20, 1-3pm [Coming for just one hour is fine. -PaulMR]
at Abshire Park (in North Goshen off the Pumpkinvine Trail)

Help us get the Goshen Community Orchard ready for the winter!

We will be raking mulch over the planting areas and protecting the trees and shrubs from rabbits and deer. Bring a pair of gloves (we'll have some extras), a rake (if you have one), and a friend.

Let's give thanks for the fruit that we grow ourselves. All are welcome!

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For Updates: Join the Goshen Community Orchard on Facebook.
Questions? Email patrick.j.coonan@gmail.com.

Cleaning up compost bins (If it doesn't rain)

*The cleanup will happen if it doesn't rain during the time of cleanup.

Since composting stopped due to Covid-19, the college is committed to starting it back up again soon. Physplant is also planning on creating a structured composting system that would be sustainable. In the meantime, some of the composting bins need to be cleaned up. The area where the composting bins will be placed also needs some cleaning. This Sunday, November 21, at 1 pm, student and faculty members are invited to help clean the bins and the composting area. This volunteer work will ease the load of other workers on campus that have been working on other key projects. Since some of the bins also need to be repaired, we might also work on repairing the bins (this depends on whether the materials could be available on time). [Behind PhysPlant]

*Wear clothes that can get dirty (gloves will be provided). Thanks!

Sustainability Cookout

From this week's Communicator:

Friday, October 8 from 7-10pm at the college cabin

Related to composting and campus efforts to compost dining hall food waste:

Example OC opportunities in 2019

The Climate Leadership Summit brought city leaders and planners together at Goshen College to talk about local responses to climate change.

GC's annual Service day involved all GC first years in volunteer activities around Goshen.

Recycling mentors were being recruited to help with recycling efforts at the annual Michiana Mennonite Sale.

Trees for Goshen was doing forest maintenance to foster biological diversity in a private tree farm.

Trees for Goshen volunteers planted trees around Goshen, as part of a long term goal of more than doubling Goshen's tree canopy from 21% to "45(%) by (20)45".

Panel discussion on Sustainability and social justice

Join the conversation of “where sustainability and social justice meet,” Wednesday, November 13th at 4:00 in Sc 107. Come hear from an amazing set of panelists including Jonathon Schramm, Regina Shands Stolzfus, Sibonokule Ncube, and Jon Zirkle about what it means to work for eco-justice. This interdisciplinary conversation is not restricted to science people, if you’re human and you’re alive this conversation applies to you!
P.S. There may or may not be a game involving giant dice...

World climate simulation, organized by Eco-Pax.
What?
- An interactive simulation where participants play negotiators representing countries and regional groups to create an agreement that mitigates climate change.

Why?
- To explore the risks of climate change and the challenges of negotiating international agreements ahead of COP25
- And its FUN!!

Dress Up! Be ready to negotiate!
Refreshments will be provided.
*All cool GC people will be there
Here's an article about the Upcoming COP25 negotiations in which representatives of countries which are party to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement will meet to update action plans to respond to climate change.

You may suggest other activities. Attending (and even speaking) at a city or county council meeting would work. But seek approval in advance for any activities not already announced.

How the OC activities are graded

For each OC activity, there will be an assignment in Moodle. You'll generally be asked to reflect on the experience for about 2 paragraphs.

I'll assign points to these activities. 10 points corresponds approximately to an hour of engagement, though this will vary. (For example, you're fulfilling other requirements for Service Day, not just for this class, so I'm only counting that for 10 points.)

30 points of OC credit will completely fulfill the OC part of the semester grade. There should be more than enough opportunities to earn 30 points. Points beyond 30 will count as extra credit.