Greening the Antarctic Leadership Venture: Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future
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University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Department of Earth and Environmental Projects Science 5-2010 Greening the Antarctic Leadership Venture: Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future Kathleen Atkins [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones Atkins, Kathleen, "Greening the Antarctic Leadership Venture: Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future" (2010). Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Projects. 23. https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/23 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/23 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Greening the Antarctic Leadership Venture: Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future Abstract In 2008, the Wharton Leadership Venture Program and the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership cooperated to bring an environmental theme to the Antarctic Leadership Venture. This week‐long experiential leadership education trek takes place on King George Island. Wharton MBAs camp out, trekking in an ecologically rich maritime Antarctic environment, primarily working on leadership skills and team dynamics. Following the first eary ’s experiment, the author volunteered to organize environmental curriculum ahead of the 2009 trek, as a representative of IGEL within the Venture Office. This paper details lessons learned from both 2008 and 2009, and proposes strategies for keeping the Antarctic trek rich with environmental education opportunities moving forward. The paper identifies other candidate Ventures for curriculum development both environmentally and in the broader theme of sustainability. The author recommends that the Venture Office continue to actively engage students on environmental issues ahead of the Antarctic Venture, and continue to welcome trail guests as appropriate. The author recommends that IGEL reevaluate and redefine the oler of the IGEL Fellow: to make them responsible for curriculum support ahead of the trek, and perhaps for elements on the trail as well. The author identifies the Atacama, Patagonia, Adirondacks, and Mount Kilimanjaro treks as Ventures with the right foundations to reevaluate for sustainable curriculum development. The author considers what the next steps for both the Antarctic and other potential sustainability‐themed Ventures might look like, and urges that they be taken. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/mes_capstones/23 GREENING THE WHARTON ANTARCTIC LEADERSHIP VENTURE Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future Kathleen A. Atkins, M.E.S. May 2010 Primary Reader: Dr. Eric Orts Secondary Reader: Dr. Robert Giegengack ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This project would not have been possible without the support of both the Wharton Leadership Venture Office and the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership. Without the Ventures there is no Antarctic trek. Without IGEL there are no students outside the MBA participating in the leadership ventures. Without the two together there is less likelihood of such a dedicated questioning and evaluation of the fundamental questions posed in this paper. Without the autonomy granted to me by both organizations, I would be less of a leader, and the paper less sound. Without the generous funding of both, I would not have been able to travel to Antarctica – twice. I would like to thank the Venture Fellows on the 2009‐2010 trek – Judy Wu, Mimi Shih, Gareth Keane, and Bert O’Neal, for taking a leap of faith and working with me. Special thanks go to Bert, for organizing leadership principles around the Team as Ecosystem concept. To the many Wharton students I’ve met along the way: Each of you is more startlingly interesting than the next. You have broadened my horizons, and have given me great hope for the future. Special thanks to my 2008 tent team: Team Shockyou. To Eric Orts and Preston Cline: For making the best of missing that flight in Santiago, and every day since. May we continue to cross paths and make things happen again in the future. To Bob Giegengack, Sally Willig, and my friends at Vertical: My guides to being a guide, a storyteller, an observer, a teacher. As I prepared to go out on the trail in 2009, I asked myself: What would Gieg say? What would Sally do? What would Gabriel do? In iii spirit, you assigned me a lot of extra reading and reminded me to relax ‐ to embrace the things I cannot control as opportunities. To my friends: For putting up with my griping, hand‐wringing, slide shows, and impromptu lectures. I thank you for playing devil’s advocate, and outright arguing with me. Without your rigorous cross‐examinations and encouraging words, I’m not sure I would have made it from porch to project to island to paper with such confidence and integrity. To my family: For everything, forever, thank you. iv ABSTRACT Greening the Wharton Antarctic Venture Preparing Leaders for a Sustainable Future Kathleen A. Atkins, M.E.S. Dr. Eric Orts Dr. Robert Giegengack In 2008, the Wharton Leadership Venture Program and the Initiative for Global Environmental Leadership cooperated to bring an environmental theme to the Antarctic Leadership Venture. This week‐long experiential leadership education trek takes place on King George Island. Wharton MBAs camp out, trekking in an ecologically rich maritime Antarctic environment, primarily working on leadership skills and team dynamics. Following the first year’s experiment, the author volunteered to organize environmental curriculum ahead of the 2009 trek, as a representative of IGEL within the Venture Office. This paper details lessons learned from both 2008 and 2009, and proposes strategies for keeping the Antarctic trek rich with environmental education opportunities moving forward. The paper identifies other candidate Ventures for curriculum development both environmentally and in the broader theme of sustainability. The author recommends that the Venture Office continue to actively engage students on environmental issues ahead of the Antarctic Venture, and continue to welcome trail guests as appropriate. The author recommends that IGEL reevaluate v and redefine the role of the IGEL Fellow: to make them responsible for curriculum support ahead of the trek, and perhaps for elements on the trail as well. The author identifies the Atacama, Patagonia, Adirondacks, and Mount Kilimanjaro treks as Ventures with the right foundations to reevaluate for sustainable curriculum development. The author considers what the next steps for both the Antarctic and other potential sustainability‐themed Ventures might look like, and urges that they be taken. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................................................................... 1 LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. 2 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................... 2 PREFACE .............................................................................................................................. 3 KING GEORGE ISLAND: SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS, ANTARCTICA .................................... 4 THE LEADERSHIP VENTURE ................................................................................................. 9 WHY GREEN THE VENTURE? ............................................................................................. 12 LEADERSHIP VENTURE CURRICULUM: FUNDAMENTALS ................................................. 18 VENTURE CURRICULUM: ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENT .......................................... 26 RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................... 36 The Antarctic Venture ................................................................................................... 36 Beyond Antarctica: Building Competencies, Building Relationships ............................ 42 Scaling Up: Holding Steady ........................................................................................... 44 Scaling Up: Next Steps .................................................................................................. 47 CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................................... 51 APPENDIX I: BIOGRAPHIES ................................................................................................ 53 Wharton ........................................................................................................................ 53 Vertical .......................................................................................................................... 56 APPENDIX II: 2008 ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES .................................................... 63 Pre‐Expedition ............................................................................................................... 63 On King George Island ................................................................................................... 63 APPENDIX III: 2009 ENVIRONMENTAL OPPORTUNITIES ................................................... 67 Pre‐Expedition ............................................................................................................... 67 On King George Island ..................................................................................................