Climate change and other environmental issues are important at Mennonite Church USA colleges and universities. They value students willing to work for the common good and welcome you to their campuses. They also offer unique opportunities you won’t find just anywhere.

Jump to: Bluffton         EMU        Goshen        Hesston         Merry Lea

 

Bethel College

Bethel University was of the first colleges or universities in the United States to establish an environmental science program – in 1971, after the first national Earth Day. Today, the school:

• Has an environmental science major that is interdisciplinary, and lends itself to combining with another major or minor.
• Values environmental citizenship: 
  • Has an environmental mission statement and a Student Environmental Action Club
  • Campus sustainability efforts include an Energy Management System, an campus recycling program, trayless dining, reduced water usage, upgraded lighting
• Opportunities for field study and recreation:
  • Sand Creek Trail
  • two off-campus restoration projects
  • Dyck Arboretum of the Plains 

Bluffton University

• A sense of greater purpose develops students of exceptional character and expansive vision. 
• Study and recreation at the Bluffton University Nature Preserve, home to 160 acres of woodland and grassland trails, a riverine ecosystem and a small lake. The preserve also includes the Moyer Nature Center–a place for field study in botany and environmental sciences, recreational leadership, and public education about the natural environment and sustainability. Thanks to the M’Della Moon Endowed Chair in Botany and Environmental Science, a new faculty member will further develop the preserve as a learning laboratory and enhance learning across the natural sciences beginning in 2023.
• Cross-cultural experiences offer the chance to learn about the environment in other parts of the country and the impact of climate change in these locales. Learning about the social and environmental effects of the coal mining industry while visiting Appalachia is one example.

Eastern Mennonite University

• Offers a major in environmental science and minors in environmental justice and environmental studies.
• Environmental sustainability is also an emphasis in EMU’s new core curriculum that all students take.
  
• Has a Creation Care Council focused on practical, every day decisions made across campus. Campus initiatives include:
  • Has a climate Action Plan 
  • Campus gardens, edible landscaping, composting
  • Recycling
  • Solar power
  • Energy-efficient buildings and LEED-certified dorms
  • Bike friendly campus
  • Cycling club
  • Earthkeepers club
  • Sustainable Food Initiative

Goshen College

• Offers majors in:
  • environmental and marine science
  • sustainability and food systems
  • sustainability management
• Owns Merry Lea, a 1200-acre nature preserve available for class study, field work and hiking. Students taking the Sustainability Leadership Semester and some May Terms  live on site.
  
• Is a leader in campus sustainability. Study at a school that has a climate action plan, solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, smart lighting and native prairies.
• Global education in an off-campus context is part of every student’s education. Students spend Study Service Terms in developing countries or intercultural domestic locations. They return with a new understanding of how climate change is affecting other parts of the world and a vision for how they want to live as a result.
• Planning on a work-study job? Join GC’s physical plant team. Work with and learn from supervisors dedicated to energy conservation and caring for state of the art energy systems.

Hesston College

Hesston is a Christ-centered community for all. With focus on peace, justice, equity and inclusion, we bring our whole heart to the classroom, dorm room and dining hall. Hesston College is Kansas’s only private liberal arts college offering associate degrees with over 40 programs to choose from. In addition, Hesston offers bachelor’s degree programs in nursing, aviation, business management and engineering. We strive to help every student become their best self. No matter who you are or where you are from, you’re home here.

At Hesston College, we believe preserving the environment is a responsibility that Christians should take seriously. As children of God, we are called upon to care for all of His creation and to glorify Him in all we do. Located 30 miles north of Wichita, Hesston College is a liberal arts college of Mennonite Church USA.

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College

• Offers a Master of Arts in Environmental Education degree that can be completed in one year.
• Live and study on a 1200-acre nature preserve, known for its wetlands, restored prairies, oak savanna, the Merry Lea Sustainable Farm and an on-site nature preschool program.
• Teaching practicums offer experience with Pre-K through 12 groups and public programs for all ages.
• Includes a three-week travel course that provides intercultural teaching experience in a different set of ecosystems.