Secondary Science

What You’ll Learn

You’ll learn how to motivate high school students to think critically, observe the world around them, and to affect change – skills that will become increasingly important with the social and environmental impacts of the changing climate. 

Environmental science draws on biology, chemistry, ecology, and statistics, offering a full understanding of the environment. Your science coursework will build your core scientific knowledge through classwork and hands-on practical experience in the lab and field, while your education courses and student teaching experience will prepare you to reach all your students. 

Research and project-based learning in lab courses will encourage you to think like a scientist and prepare you for careers in both science and education. 

Outside the Classroom, In the Community

Vermont State emphasizes the real-world application of coursework throughout your program, and you may participate in ongoing research with faculty exploring such topics as water quality, forest and ecosystem health, and microbiology in the environment. As part of your education focus, you may construct your own project to bring science to the classroom in innovative ways. Examples include a campus energy audit or helping to build a campus rain garden for stormwater management. In addition, students are encouraged to participate in campus sustainability groups and initiatives that aim to create change within the campus community.