This immersive interdisciplinary Wintersession Travel Course based on the island of Hawai’i gave students the opportunity to explore the historical and current connections between art, conservation, and local and Indigenous environmental practices.
Estimated dates—final dates to be announced.
Course Dates: Jan 8, 2023 — Jan 24, 2023
Minimum 2.5 GPA required. Open to first year students with approval from the Dean of EFS.
Estimated cost—final cost to be announced.
Includes accommodation, all meals, field trips, local transportation, museum entrances, health and travel insurance. Airfare not included.
Students practiced the Hawaiian concept of “kilo” or place-based learning through careful and close observation and examination. The course was co-taught by Dr. Lucy Spelman and artist Professor Andrea Dezsö in partnership with a local (Holualoa) arts and environmental education organization, the Donkey Mill Art Center. Daily activities included lectures and demonstrations, walks-in-nature, and art-making-in-nature. Students learned traditional approaches to nature-based crafts, water use, and farming from local experts. They visited various locations to observe Hawaii’s “land division system” and explored several unique natural areas. They also studied the island’s unique biodiversity, biogeography and ecology; learned about the forces that have driven many species to extinction and created opportunities for others (such as climate change, deforestation, invasive species, and pollution); and, considered solutions—both actual and potential. Guided by a “Hawaiian sense of place,” students made regular entries in their field notebooks and documented their experiences through a combination of writing and art-making. For their major project, students created an original work of art or design for “Art Exchange Day” at the Center.
The application for Wintersession Travel Courses 2025 will is now closed.
View details
The application for Wintersession Travel Courses 2025 will is now closed.
View detailsThe entire application process will be completed using an online application portal. You will be able to upload, request and submit all required documents there. Apply to a Wintersession Travel Course
If you are a RISD or Brown University student with a GPA of 2.5 and up, you are eligible to apply. Permission of the instructor is required and is based upon application and selection.
RISD reserves the right to cancel a course due to under-enrollment or for reasons related to health and safety.
Requesting to withdraw from a RISD global learning program, including Wintersession Travel Courses, prior to the start of the course is highly discouraged and requires a formal process outlined in the RISD course withdrawal policy.
Have questions? The RISD Global team is available to meet for a 1:1 advising session. We can give you more information about your study options, help you figure out which program makes sense for you, and assist you with the application process.
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