With the passing of Earth Day, and the realization among earth’s citizens that an environmentally-friendly lifestyle is, indeed, the only way to save the planet in peril, Penn State Brandywine unveiled a new academic minor that one professor says is a move “on a path to create scientifically-literate citizenry that respects and appreciates the environment.”

What is this new “green minor?” It’s called the Environmental Inquiry (ENVI) minor, and it is an 18-credit, intercollegiate minor designed to fit with all University majors. Students must have previously completed nine general education credits while at Penn State in order to pursue the minor.

Associate Professor of Earth & Mineral Sciences Laura Guertin, the science aficionado behind the quote above, will serve as the campus coordinator for the minor. She pointed out that many of the courses satisfy the requirements for the minor beyond just the sciences, such as anthropology, English, philosophy, and American Studies. And there’s more of that to come. Guertin encouraged faculty teaching a course that features an added “environmental theme or twist,” to petition for that course to count toward completion of the minor, too.

Read more at the Penn State Brandywine Website.