This program examines diverse approaches to inclusive community, and explores interconnections of environmental history, sustainability, and disability. This program combines remote instruction and in-person activity, embedding a two-week on-site experience in Santa Cruz within a five-week summer term, with two remote courses: MMW14 (or MMW122 for transfer students) and ENVR150 Environmental Justice. This program fulfills one course in the MMW requirement and the UCSD DEI graduation requirement.

Participants do not need disability, outdoor, or horticulture experience, but do need a willingness to engage all of these. Participants must also be willing to lodge, eat, and work together for two weeks, to participate in group activities and spend time in the natural world (working or walking outside), to “get dirty” through manual activity, like gardening, planting, harvesting, or other such work, and to interact closely with diverse people of all abilities.   

The program’s community partners include:

• Camphill Community:   Camphill is part of a global network of communities. Camphill CA is a community for adults with developmental disabilities and of all abilities who seek to live out a vision of community that involves relationships of mutual respect, ongoing education, meaningful work, and natural circles of support. Their mission is to create a community that supports all individual abilities and recognizes the dignity and potential of every person.  Residents of Camphill California are dedicated to caring for the land using organic and biodynamic practices. During the long growing season, they tend to six properties of land and gardens. One of their main day activities is gardening, as well as producing and processing herbs.     

• Common Roots Farm:   This is an urban, organic farm where people with and without disabilities grow healthy food and build community.  The farm offers horticulture and farm skills training, internships for people with developmental disabilities, environmental and gardening education, and micro-enterprise opportunities on a four-acre urban organic farm.  We will also work with a related organization called Costal Haven Families. 

• We will also engage with Shared Adventures – A non-profit organization dedicated to improving quality of life for those with disabilities, believing that recreation, fun, challenge, and access to the outdoors are essential to health and fulfillment.

• Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park:   We will also spend a day at Henry Cowell Redwoods SP and its grove of old-growth redwood trees, within its 4,650 acres of forest and open space, which helped inspire the efforts to preserve California’s redwoods.

Format:   This is a five-week program in Summer Session 1.  The first two weeks of the program will utilize remote instruction.   Weeks 3 and 4 will be the in-person, on-site experience in Santa Cruz, CA.  Week 5 will conclude in remote format when final assignments and exams will be due.

Travel and Lodging:   Students can either meet at UC San Diego and travel together by van to Santa Cruz or meet directly in at UC Santa Cruz.  At the conclusion of the two-week Santa Cruz program, students can either travel by van back to UC San Diego or depart directly from UC Santa Cruz.  During the program, the group will lodge and dine together on the campus of UC Santa Cruz and commute together between the campus and the partner locations.

Note:  Only students enrolled in this Global Seminar are allowed to participate in program activities.  No family, friends, or guests can attend the program. All activities are required and must be completed to pass the MMW and ENVR courses.  

Contact the MMW Program, UCSD Study Abroad Office, or Prof. Herbst for details.