On this page you will find the prompts for our three discussion papers.

• Discussion paper #1: first draft due Sunday, March 3 by 10PM on Canvas. Final draft due Sunday, March 10 by 10PM on Canvas.

In what ways did the young migrants to Vermont in the 1960s and 1970s succeed in creating beloved communities? In what ways did they fail? How can the Vision for Vermont community learn from their successes and failures?

• Discussion paper #2: final draft. Due Monday, May 13 at 10:00PM on Canvas.

Decades ago, residents of the Nordic economies began a process of social change which yielded priorities, policies, and outcomes that, as of this decade, are markedly different than those in the United States. Vision for Vermont (VfV) was founded, in part, to help Vermonters emulate that process of social change.

As our class comes to a close, you have a chance to advise the VfV folks working group as they continue to pursue their laudable, lofty goals. What do you think are critical next steps for VfV as they try to accelerate social change in Vermont (and beyond)? Be very specific. For example, what should the VfV folks do over the next year (perhaps emulating early steps of Nordic residents)? Whom should they reach out to? How (if at all) should they bring people together? Justify your responses based on what you have learned in this class, inclusive of but not restricted to what you have learned from your interviews.  

• Discussion paper #3: final draft. Due Tuesday, May 21 at noon on Canvas. (Note that this is a hard deadline: senior grades are due by noon the next day.)

The Environmental Studies learning goals include: “ES majors integrate ideas and approaches that span disciplinary lines and pursue open-ended, collaborative, and placed-based learning that is simultaneously scholarly, pragmatic, and community-oriented.”

In this final discussion paper, share your experiences with “open-ended, collaborative, and placed-based learning” as an ES major, inclusive of but not restricted to your ES401 experience. Since you began the major, what aspect of this form of learning has been most helpful to you? How do you think your experiences with this form of learning will inform decisions you make in your first few years after Middlebury? What advise do you offer to ES faculty in order to improve how we use this form of learning?

For this final discussion paper, no formal citations are necessary. All told, this paper is a chance for you to reflect on your learning at Middlebury and share advice on behalf of future generations of students.