One of Loomis Chaffee’s transformative offerings is the Global and Environmental Studies Certificate (GESC), which the Alvord Center runs. This certificate offers an immersive and impactful journey for students passionate about their community, either on the Island or in the broader world, igniting a spark of inspiration and motivation.
“[GESC] is something students will work towards for their four years at Loomis. It is an accumulation of your involvement in the community that inspires students’ final portfolio,” The Associate Director of the Alvord Center, Richard Karrat, shared.
Students interested in attaining a GESC certificate can enroll in the program during their sophomore or junior year. A GESC certificate requires picking between choices of designated coursework that builds up to an International Education Program (or something equally applicable) and subsequently attending seven seminars. Students who pursue their certificate showcase these accomplishments in a final online portfolio that displays their work and capstone project.
The capstone project is the last step in earning the GESC certificate, culminating the effort and globally focused learning students have completed at Loomis. It requires 20 hours of work focused on global or environmental topics, usually inspired by the classes students have taken or the IEP.
“I chose to use wild clay from the Loomis campus to make pots. I love ceramics, and my goal with the project is to be more conscious of the resources we use to create items. I am crafting a variety of plant pots, Greek forms, and Korean moon jars, which will be exhibited in the gallery in blurbs to explain the significance of each art piece,” said Amy He, ’25.
Senior Victoria Amador ’25 mentioned that she is working on a final project in the archives about Osbert B. Loomis’ journal.
“He went to Europe in 1871 on an artist tour, so I thought it would be cool as a global initiative to see where the Loomis family went. So far, I transcribed 20 pages of his journal, which is the bulk of my project. To connect my project to the Loomis community, I will make a system for the Alvord Center trips so the students can journal independently,” said Victoria.
Although the GESC program is a meaningful way to impact the local and greater community, many students and teachers emphasize that students should only enroll if they have a fundamental interest in environmental sustainability and global affairs.
“This program is great if you are interested in global and environmental issues. Students should not take this program merely for college because it is a huge commitment; we want students to be inspired to act and help the world around them, whether that be on a local, regional, national, or global level,” underscored Mr. Karrat.