Adirondack Practicum
The last weeks of the semester are spent in a culminating, Adirondack Practicum. Students are mentored in the development of these individual, experiential capstones as part of the course Cultivating Place (ODST SPTP 147). The objectives of the Adirondack Practicum include the following:
- To allow students to explore and expand upon themes and ideas that have been covered by the Adirondack Semester and that are of particular interest to them
- To have first hand experience with people and organizations whose work is deeply connected with the Adirondacks and nature
- To provide the space and time for students to reflect upon the semester as a whole
- To draw connections between their course work and experiences and to begin to envision transferring these lessons to life outside of Arcadia
Ample time will be provided for students to visit placements and finalize projects. The three week experience begins after Thanksgiving break and continues to mid-December, culminating with a presentation. Students will be provided with home stays or other appropriate housing at or near
their project locations. Examples of past projects include working with North Country Public Radio, the Adirondack Center for Writing, The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, and the Adirondack Mountain Club's Professional Trail Crew.