American Democacy Project

Stewardship of Public Lands

This program provides interdisciplinary experiential learning and professional development for faculty, staff, and administrators by exploring conflict resolution in public lands. It leads to strategic intentionality in prioritizing sustainability and constructive discourse on campuses.

Glacier National Park

Exploring conflict resolution in public lands.

Who should participate?

  • Administrators 
  • Faculty  
  • Staff  

How you’ll benefit.

  • Develop strategies for integrating sustainability into the curriculum and co-curriculum 
  • Plan for experiential student trips to national parks 
  • Explore regional collaborations with cohort members 
  • Share resources and teaching strategies surrounding controversies within and about public lands 
Impact

80+ 

institutions integrated information about public lands or public resources onto their campuses. 

170+ 

participants developed resources to share their work with students. 

15

years of participants creating their own unique programs to explore national parks with undergraduates. 

Program resources

Released in 2010, this monograph details the work of the AASCU institutions as they explore the various issues surrounding the controversies over public lands.

Read the full report.

A faculty member’s story of how she implemented lessons learned from the initiative.

Read more.
Member Spotlight
Mammoth Cave

Mammoth to Mammoth documentary

Three faculty members at Western Kentucky University created this film while they participated in the American Democracy Project’s Stewardship of Public Lands Seminar, a one-week professional development course in Yellowstone National Park. As they studied the history, science and politics of some of the major controversies in the Yellowstone ecosystem (snowmobiling, grizzly bears, and bison), they developed a team-taught course to deploy at their local national park, Mammoth Cave. 

Buy video.

Opportunity to join us in 2024.

Applications to join the summer 2024 trip will open in June 2023. 

Let us know if you have any questions about this program.

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