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| On October 23, 1980, a group of visionaries sought to create an educational institution that addressed the need for sustainable stewardship of the world's natural resources. Rising with the environmental awakening, The School for Field Studies was founded with a small, but dedicated core of support, an experienced staff of three, and the mission to provide students with an experiential field-based program.
Some of the pioneer programs included studying black rhinos in Kenya, marine biology research in the Cayman Islands, ornithology research in Belize, and natural resource inventory in Alaska. The following summer of ‘81, 75 students participated in the first SFS satellite programs. The programs were met with such success that the population of students doubled in the summer of '82. New programs such as arctic botany in Austria & Switzerland, kayak-based studies of seals in Glacier Bay, rainforest biology in the Amazon and endangered species research in Chile and Greece were soon added to the list.
Pursuing more options for students and long-term research opportunities, SFS began offering both semester and summer programs in 1985. The first semester programs were held in Kenya and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In that same year, the decision was also made to establish local bases in order to integrate SFS into the surrounding communities. Rather than continuing to add more programs and locations every year, SFS sought to establish a mutual sense of commitment with local communities in solving environmental problems.
In response to the growing interest in sustainable development; during the summer of '89, SFS began shifting the focus from a primary ecological approach to a more comprehensive resource management focus. Attaching the human role in environmental issues was a vital step for SFS in its approach to research and problem-solving. In '93, SFS shifted from a course-based to a case studies-based approach to learning which involved looking at an actual environmental issue and coming up with a solution for the partner organization/community involved. This approach supported the original mission to provide an education that is action-oriented, experience-based, manifested in practice, and concerned with voluntary actions and ethical decisions.Read more about SFS history on our 25th Anniversary page
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