Vermont is Waiting For You
Spend a semester studying lecture-free, project-based sustainable engineering at the Greenway Center for Equity and Sustainability in Montpelier, Vermont.
Want to graduate on time and have an adventure?
Interested in…
- Building a better future for your community and future generations?
- Sustainable engineering?
- Technology?
- Learning through hands-on projects that apply directly to real world problems?
- Collaborating with other curious students and fun faculty?
- Networking with industry experts in green energy and green technology?
If you answered YES, the Sustainability Semester at the Greenway Center for Equity and Sustainability (GCES) in Montpelier, Vermont is the place to be.
Entrepreneurship and innovation are at the heart of GCES, a collaborative program between Elizabethtown College (Etown) in Pennsylvania and the Greenway Institute in Vermont.
Here in Montpelier, our beautiful state capitol, GCES will help you build your engineering and leadership skills while also completing traditional course requirements. Through hands-on projects that address real-world problems, you will learn how engineering can build a sustainable future.
If you want close relationships with faculty, a tight knit and supportive community, lots of opportunities to build and apply your learning, and opportunities to network with industry experts and employers in the field, the Sustainability Semester is for you.
Experience the power of team-based learning and strong mentoring as you tackle engineering challenges
Learn engineering by doing engineering in our hands-on, project-based program
Thrive in a mission driven setting focused on equity and sustainability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GCES?
The Greenway Center for Equity and Sustainability (GCES) is a partnership between Greenway Institute and Elizabethtown College (Etown). The Center builds on Greenway’s industry connections, experience with green energy and green technologies, and commitment to hands-on, mission-driven learning. GCES operates as a remote site for Etown’s nationally recognized Department of Engineering and Physics, an ABET and MSCHE accredited engineering program.
Learning at Greenway is organized around projects that mirror real-world applications of the essential engineering skills and knowledge students need to thrive in green energy and green technology. We pair coursework with weekly Career Treks to business and industry, through which students build their professional networks, learn about career opportunities, and make connections between the classroom and professional practice. Working collaboratively in a small, close knit community we are able to give each student the opportunity to develop the confidence, competence, and connections they need to succeed in engineering.
What makes Vermont a great place to study away?
Vermont is a small, beautiful state with a rapidly emerging green energy sector. As a student, you will be immersed in our beautiful landscapes, from rolling mountains to abundant rivers and lakes. Vermont’s historic and close connections to agriculture and tourism make us uniquely sensitive to issues of sustainability and resilience, as well as the impact of engineering and human activity on the health of our communities and the environment.
The GCES campus is nestled in our state capital city, providing unique opportunities to observe how policy is designed and the ways it shapes business, sustainability, and equity of opportunity. Many of our state’s businesses were early leaders in adopting business models, such as B Corporations, whose demonstrated commitment to social and environmental performance gives our students a unique opportunity to explore business and governance models that align with their commitments to equity and sustainability. Come learn, play, live, and imagine a sustainable future with us!
How are GCES and Elizabethtown College connected?
GCES is a partnership between Greenway Institute and Elizabethtown College (Etown), which offers an ABET and MSCHE accredited engineering program. Our Vermont campus operates as a remote site for Etown in Pennsylvania. Students enroll and receive credit from Etown. Courses at GCES are aligned with Elizabethtown offerings to ensure that students can move seamlessly between both organizations without losing credits while progressing in Etown’s engineering program. Accordingly, GCES follows the Etown calendar.
Greenway Institute hosts and staffs the GCES program, bringing its unique emphasis on hands-on, sustainability focused learning. Greenway also leverages its connections with business and industry to bring relevance and professional connections to students’ learning.
What courses are available at GCES?
Course schedules at GCES have some flexibility to meet different students’ needs. In general, available courses align with Elizabethtown College’s sophomore engineering program requirements (e.g. Statics, Circuits, Physics II, Calculus II, Science & Values, Computer Science) All courses are organized around robust hands-on projects that enable students to apply the concepts they are learning to real world and community applications. Potential courses include:
Fall 2023
- EGR210: Circuit Analysis
- EGR260: Statics
- EGR355: Sustainable Resource Engineering and Design
- EGR395: Industry Speakers and Special Topics Seminar
- MA222: Calculus III
- PHY202: Physics II
Spring 2024
- EGR 201: Community Based Project
- EGR 355: Sustainable Resource Engineering and Design
- EGR 360: Dynamics
- EGR 368: Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology
- EGR 395: Industry Speakers and Special Topics
- EGR 467: Thermodynamics
- MA 222: Calculus III
- PH 265: Science and Values
When are applications due?
Applications for the upcoming 2024 Spring Sustainability Semester received before 9am, Monday, October 30th, 2023 will be given priority. Applications received after 9am Monday, October 30th will be considered as space allows. To apply, click here: www.etown.edu/offices/registration-records/calendar.aspx
How do the application process and timeline work?
An interview with a GCES representative will be scheduled with select applicants. The purpose of the interview is to understand you and your interests, and to make sure the courses we offer will meet your needs. Once accepted, you will register for courses via the Etown registrar.
What is it like to live and study at GCES?
We are intentional about inviting a small number of students to the program so that we can create and support a thriving tight knit community. Our Spring 2024 cohort will play an active role in continuing to launch and scale our Sustainability Semester. Students will receive individualized attention and support, and will have close relationships with faculty on campus.
At present, students work cooperatively, with the support of faculty and staff, to plan a mix of home cooked meals with the occasional dinner in town. Students stay in a dormitory in Montpelier, Vermont at the top of a hill overlooking the city and the Vermont legislature. Unless requested otherwise, each student will have a private room.
Will I stay on track to graduate in four years from my college?
Students will take the same courses as their peers at the main Etown campus, although courses in Vermont will be delivered in a different, hands-on and sustainability focused format. Program faculty in Vermont and Pennsylvania work together closely to ensure students master the same core content and skills.
Etown students who successfully complete courses at GCES will be on track to graduate as if studying on the main campus. Visiting students will receive credits for the coursework at Etown College, which has an ABET and MSCHE accredited engineering program. Please contact your home institution and Etown with specific questions regarding transfer credits.
What if I am a student who is not currently studying at Etown
Upon acceptance, you will be enrolled as a visiting student at Etown and will receive credits for the coursework at Etown College. Please contact your home institution and Etown for specific questions on transfer credits. Your home institution will need to approve these credits so they count towards your degree.
Do I need a car at GCES?
A car is not needed, but you are welcome to bring one and explore Vermont outside of Montpelier. GCES is within a half mile walking distance to downtown Montpelier. Montpelier is a small city (rated #2 on the Best 10 small towns in the Northeastern USA in US Today) with walkable downtown.
Does GCES provide student services such as counseling, tutoring, and academic accommodations?
We will work with each student to ensure that services are provided as needed on a one-to-one basis. GCES is supported by both local services and Etown College’s main campus programs.
What if I have more questions?
We aim to make a semester at GCES accessible and successful for all qualified students and are happy to answer your questions. Please feel free to reach out to GCES@greenwayinstitute.org or (802) 359-7404.
Dr. Koh joined GCES in 2023 as a founding faculty member, and is leading the development, piloting, and teaching of project-based engineering modules and programs. Koh came to GCES from Smith College, where their research focused on Sustainable Materials. They state, “My work is dedicated to the development of sustainable materials derived from an abundant, renewable, and low-cost source: plants.” Koh’s graduate work on wind turbine materials and design was part of an interdisciplinary program that examined the engineering, environmental, wildlife, and political aspects of wind energy development at University of Massachusetts Amherst. In their dissertation, they used a combined experimental and computational approach to describe best practices for modeling laminated wood and flax, with the goal of expanding the use of renewable materials in the composites industry. Koh is fascinated by the ways social and political factors drive technologies. In their teaching, they strive to illuminate those connections where they see them, and encourage students to seek connections between what they are learning in the engineering classroom and what they know from elsewhere.