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Welcome to UBC Geography’s Human Geography and Environment and Sustainability Field Course.

Purpose of the course: Through this course, you will be able to take your academic knowledge outside of the classroom and apply it to an issue relevant to a community organization or group in our partner city: Williams Lake, BC.  The ultimate goal of this course is to have you engage critically with your research topic by learning through doing, and to produce a thorough and relevant project for the benefit of your community partner.

Course resources: This website is your one-stop-shop for course resources. Familiarize yourself with the material on this website, and if you are unsure of something, begin a discussion in the forum.  This website is live and interactive – be sure to check regularly for new material, updates and interactive discussion.

How to succeed in this course: Four months of work is a short amount of time to conceive of, develop and implement a research project.  Here are some tips to help you have the best experience possible:

• Be aware of course material: be sure you are familiar with the material and links on this website, and check back regularly for updates
• Begin immersing yourself: it is a good idea to begin following news and information outlets relevant to your project via your preferred social media platform.  Some suggestions are: the Williams Lake Tribune, The City of Williams Lake, social media accounts for your specific partner. This will allow you to begin to put together a picture of issues that are relevant to the community.
• Share your information: Actively liaise with other groups to share information via the online forum.
• Get to know each other: Open up strong lines of communication with your classmates, in particular your own group members.
• Watch the time!: Do not let your project get sidelined by other school work.  You want to hit the ground in Williams Lake with a solid of idea of what to expect based on strong communication with your partner, ample remote background information and data collection, and a well developed and tested research plan.  Aim to have a preliminary report ready for critical evaluation by peers and the instructor several weeks before you actually get into the field.
• Have fun: The more you enjoy this experience, the better your final project will be, guaranteed.  Williams Lake is a great community, and our partners are very excited to work with us. Share the excitement and jump right in!