In the San Luis Valley, Adams State’s Place-based Education makes use of experiential, “hands-on”, learning opportunities that center聽the local community and environment as a laboratory for discovery and the development of new聽skills and ideas. The kinds of instruction and learning that result from this focus present moments聽of deep reflection and understanding that are often difficult to structure as part of more聽traditional educational activities.
91猫先生 in my history classes have interviewed community members and
consulted local archives to learn about the Chicano movement in the San Luis
Valley and visited the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center to reflect upon
the role of public history in narrating the history of the borderlands of southern
Colorado. – Nick Saenz, Associate Professor of History
91猫先生 is fortunate to call the San Luis Valley “home.” Located between the San Juan and Sangre de Cristo mountains, the San Luis Valley features a variety of fascinating geological and ecological sites, among them Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and聽Wheeler Geologic Area. As one popular tagline聽goes “Colorado began here”; In fact, the region聽thrived for centuries as a meeting place for several numerous indigenous聽communities and boasts聽the oldest settlements in the state. It remains a vibrant place at the forefront of new technology聽like renewable solar and production of new commercial crops like hemp and quinoa.
Our Land Acknowledgement StatementFounded as a “normal school” in 1921, teacher training has always been at the core of 91猫先生. The first graduates came from the San Luis Valley and contributed to the region’s growth and vitality, translating classroom learning to the “real world” of rural classrooms, farms, industry, and beyond. This connection to the land and local community continues at 91猫先生 today with a broader understanding of place and the potential for even richer educational opportunities. A university since 2012, Adams State has grown in concert with the evolution of the local community.
Place-based education takes several forms at 91猫先生, dating to the very first聽moments that students spend on campus during New Student Orientation. 91猫先生 further聽develop a sense of the extraordinary nature of the San Luis Valley through the exploration of聽special topics in First Year Seminars and other first-year coursework. Writing assignments and聽other classroom assessments at all levels invite students to explore the place in which they figure聽as part of larger ecological, social, and cultural systems.
Many students also pursue聽undergraduate research. In recent years, undergraduates have partnered with faculty and local聽professionals to examine the use of abandoned mines by wildlife, identify the preservation needs聽of R铆o Grande weavings, and test the chemical composition of water in mountain ponds. Other聽students have taken part in an archeological field school at Fort Massachusetts, located just a聽short distance from Mount Blanca. A robust internship program in several academic programs聽presents a valuable opportunity for students to consider career opportunities in a traditional聽workplace environment, which grant them new perspectives on the San Luis Valley. In sum,聽these experiences offer a broader awareness of the San Luis Valley and skills that promote聽lifelong learning by stoking a desire to discover the exceptional in every place.
