Vermont Law and Graduate school, previously named Vermont Law School, has announced the Vermont School for the Environment.
The law school changed its name in July and shared its plans to emphasize its strengths in environmental law and policy and justice reform.
Vermont Law has now announced the new environmentally-focused school as the next step in those plans. The school will concentrate on researching solutions to urgent environmental issues, building on the program’s efforts in domestic and international environments, clean energy, agriculture, and animal protection law and public policy.
“The entirety of the Vermont School for the Environment’s interdisciplinary graduate curriculum puts climate change and racial and economic justice at the center of the learning experience — a lens critical to understanding the issues and developing the solutions to address the world’s most pressing problems,” stated a press release from the school.
They hope that the new courses offered will prepare students through the practical skills, training and experiences set up through the school.
An anonymous $8 million donation has been supporting the school with its changes, starting with the name change and additional graduate programs. As part of their graduate program, the school added three new degrees for the Fall semester: a Master of Climate and Environmental Policy, an Executive Master of Environmental Policy, and a Master of Animal Protection Policy.
In addition to the graduate programs, the school also offers four clinics: the Farmed Animal Advocacy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, Energy Clinic and Environmental Justice Clinic.
“Vermont School for the Environment is the runway for tomorrow’s environmental leaders to launch their careers,” said Jennifer Rushlow, dean of the Vermont School for the Environment in the press release. “We equip our students with a full toolbox of knowledge and skills for making change. In this time of climate crisis and its disproportionate impacts on people of color and low-income communities around the world, training leaders in environmental protection and community resilience is critical to our future.”
