Josh Edelmann finished his six years of service with the U.S. Air Force and enrolled as an undergraduate student at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 last fall. He wanted to find a sense of camaraderie with his peers at the university that felt similar to what he experienced during his years in the military.
Edelmann, a political science major in the College of Arts and Sciences,听decided to join , a leadership training program for young people who are passionate about social and environmental justice.
鈥淲hen I was deployed overseas with the Air Force, a friend of mine sent me a link to INVST and suggested I look into it. I read the homepage and it was something I knew absolutely nothing about,鈥� explains Edelmann. 鈥淚 saw INVST as an opportunity to broaden my horizons and become educated on environmental and social justice issues. From my personal experience, these things had never been taught to me or discussed.鈥�
At first, Edelmann听admits, he felt nervous among his new INVST community. He was unsure of what to expect, and it had been six years since he had been in school. But he quickly felt at home with the other students in his INVST cohort.
Each summer, an incoming cohort of INVST students participates in a and travels throughout the southwestern U.S., including parts of Colorado, to learn about climate change, environmental sustainability, energy and power. During that trip, Edelmann says, the students in his cohort really got to know each other.
鈥淎fter the first day or two my nervousness subsided,鈥� Edelmann says. 鈥淚t was nice to go from one tight group of people in the military to another here at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载,鈥� he reflects. 鈥淣ow, that tight group is INVST for me.鈥�
Edelmann also believes that the INVST Climate Justice Summer program helped prepare him academically for the year ahead. 鈥淭he conversations I had on the summer trip helped prepare me for the lectures I have in my classes. The summer trip really helped me develop my critical thinking skills. It helped me think outside the box and pushed me to learn new things,鈥� he says.
During INVST鈥檚 Climate Justice Summer program, students meet with many different people, including community organizations, coal miners, farmers on the western slopes of Colorado, and representatives from the Oil and Gas Association. For Edelmann, hearing directly from so many different people about environmental, climate and energy issues was revelatory.
鈥淲e got to hear all of these different perspectives, and they really impacted me on a personal level. All the people we spoke with, they each live different lives and they are all affected by the policy decisions that other people make. I could really see how a coal mine or a fracking operation upstream could really damage a farmer鈥檚 farm downstream. Or how the construction of a coal mine in a rural town can disturb the population and the farm animals. Experiencing all of these perspectives has made me more able to use critical thinking skills in my classes at CU,鈥� he states.
Edelmann credits his years overseas in the Air Force with planting the seed that led him to be curious about human rights and environmental justice. 鈥淢y travels in the Air Force really opened my eyes to the injustices that people face in society, and I wanted to know more about that. I wanted to learn more about the inequalities and human rights issues I saw abroad, and this led me down the path to where I am now,鈥� he says.
Edelmann, a North Carolina native, enlisted with the U.S. Air Force in November of 2009, right after he graduated from high school. He trained in San Antonio, TX and then served in Japan for 2 years before being deployed to Qatar where he provided basic law enforcement and base security. He then worked in Cheyenne, WY protecting nuclear weapons sites. In April 2014, Edelmann was transferred to Aurora, CO where he trained to work as a military dog handler. Edelmann was paired up with his dog Chico, and together their main goal was working on detection of drugs or explosives. Edelmann and Chico were deployed back to Quatar for a year, where they served providing law enforcement and working to detect bombs and explosive odors. When Edelmann鈥檚 commitment with the Air Force ended in 2016, he was living near Denver and decided to enroll at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载.
When asked whether he would recommend the INVST Community Studies program to other students with military experience, Edelmann says: 鈥淎bsolutely!鈥�
鈥淒uring my time with INVST, I鈥檝e learned about developing facilitation skills. I didn鈥檛 even realize when I was in the military that this could be taught. I have been learning about nonviolent communication and thinking about how this could be applied in a military setting. I was a supervisor in the military and it would have been so helpful for me to have known how to use nonviolent communication, and for my supervisor, and for his. That鈥檚 just one example, but it鈥檚 such a great tool to know,鈥� Edelmann explains.
The way Edelmann sees it, his time at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 is a time to experience new things, to get out of his comfort zone, and to learn about ways of seeing the world that he鈥檚 never considered before.
鈥淚n INVST, everyone鈥檚 here to learn. There鈥檚 definitely space in the program to challenge what鈥檚 being taught, and you might have a different perspective from somebody but you can voice that,鈥� he explains.
鈥淭he way I see it,鈥� Edelmann says, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e at 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 to learn. So why stay in your bubble? 听Why do something you鈥檙e familiar with when you鈥檙e here to grow?鈥�
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, a program of , is now accepting applications.
INVST鈥檚 two-year program combines classes with skills training and community-based action in a unique, small-group setting. In the INVST Community Leadership Program, undergrads can find their community at CU, in small classes; meet others who are committed to making a positive difference; and learn practical skills through internships with local non-profits. Plus, INVST offers two opportunities, a Climate Justice Summer and an Economic Justice Summer, which expose learners first-hand to two of the most complex challenges facing us -- immigration and climate change.