Dartmouth Update: Organic Farm and a Casual Long Weekend

Week 1 of the program kept up a brisk pace from Monday morning right up through Friday afternoon when we took our foot off the gas and settled into a casual weekend routine. Saturday morning we visited the Dartmouth Organic Farm to learn about some of the food production systems and research taking place there. We learned about a prototype for a “green latrine” designed by a doctor to address developing world sanitation issues; research on a green roof – microbiological fuel cell integration; and the ever popular and important practice of beekeeping.

This morning each member of our program staff held two consecutive small group breakout sessions on topics including community asset mapping; food systems; up-cycling; ground source heat pumps; and other interesting concepts in the sustainability field.

Our evenings this weekend have been focuses on global citizenship with some highly interactive workshops on group decision-making and cross cultural competency.

With most of the “heavy” academic work in the rearview mirror we’ll be turning our attention next week to some content review and then diving into our 3-day social venture start up “bootcamp,” but not before a bit of fun in the great outdoors with a morning hike along the Appalachian Trail tomorrow.