NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio at 603.283.2107

July 16, 2010 for Immediate Release

New Concentration in Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability Launched by Antioch University New England

Environmental studies master's degree students can now prepare for careers as activists

Summary: Antioch University New England's Master of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability prepares students, in just five semesters, for careers as environmental activists. The program is tailored to recent graduates and working professionals from all backgrounds who have a strong interest in working as public interest advocates and grassroots organizers. Students can choose to take courses two days per week or one day per week plus weekends. An interactive, collaborative learning environment, practical experience, hands-on internships and a collaborative service project are key program components. Applications are now being accepted for start in the fall.

(Keene, NH) - Students can prepare for careers as environmental activists with Antioch University New England's Master of Science in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability. The unique, five-term program trains students to become professional public interest advocates and grassroots organizers working for ecological sustainability, social justice and democratic control of corporations. As concentration director Steve Chase says, "New Hampshire activist Granny D probably said it best: 'Democracy is not something we would have; it is something we do.' " Combining scholarship with activism, the program is tailored for recent graduates and working professionals of all backgrounds who are concerned about the environment and social justice.

"Our students become advocates who participate in the social justice and resource conservation and management decisions that directly affect their lives and the lives of others," says Abigail Abrash Walton, Environmental Studies Department faculty member and assistant to the president for Sustainability/Social Justice. "We train them to have the analytical skills to assess a situation and develop a strategy for identifying and achieving concrete outcomes as well as the skills to implement that strategy effectively."

Students are immersed in an interactive, collaborative learning environment. Besides ecological literacy and sustainability science, the curriculum centers on political analysis and strategy, nonprofit management, social entrepreneurship and action skills, and personal transformation. By incorporating coursework with practical application through internships and hands-on consulting projects, students develop strong leadership, advocacy and management skills, learn to organize vibrant campaigns and rally public support, and build effective organizations and coalitions.

The two-year program allows students the flexibility to continue with professional and personal commitments. Courses are held two days per week or one day per week plus weekends.

About Antioch University New England (AUNE)
This is Antioch University New England's forty-sixth year as an institution of higher education. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, AUNE offers rigorous, practice-oriented, values-based master's, doctoral and certificate programs to more than one thousand students. Degrees in education, leadership and management, environmental studies and psychology reflect a dedication to activism, social justice, community service and sustainability. Antioch University New England is the oldest and largest of Antioch University's graduate campuses. For more information about Antioch University New England, visit our web site at: www.antiochne.edu.

About Antioch University
Antioch University, a visionary academic community composed of five campuses in four states, is uniquely capable of bringing its students' brightest ideals and highest ambitions to life. Each campus has its own distinct academic programs, community life and regional or national identity. Antioch University is founded on principles of rigorous liberal arts education, innovative experiential learning and socially engaged citizenship. The multiple campuses of the University nurture in their students the knowledge, skills and habits of reflection to excel as lifelong learners, democratic leaders and global citizens who live lives of meaning and purpose. For more information about Antioch University's campuses, its university-wide PhD program, or the Antioch Education Abroad program, www.antioch.edu

Last Updated: 8/17/10