global River Citizenship
Career Creds™ with UWL & API
POWERED BY APICONNECT
Experience + Course + Reflection
Take the next steps to earn your River Citizenship Credential!
Step 1: Complete a qualifying course
Step 2: Complete a qualifying experience.
Step 3: Complete a critical reflection of the skills you’ve developed.
Once you’re done, you’ll receive the River Citizenship Credential! With it, you can easily communicate your skills in sustaining, restoring, and increasing awareness of the value of freshwater ecosystems!
Flex your skills in freshwater science with a global perspective
Review the details below to see where you are in the process and how you can complete the next steps!
DETAILS
courses
In order to earn the credential, you must successfully pass one of the approved courses listed below.
- BIO 341 – Limnology
- BIO 405 – Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants
- BIO 414 – Freshwater Invertebrate Zoology
- BIO 422 – Ichthyology
- BIO 464 – Stream and Watershed Ecology
- BIO 476 – Ecosystem Ecology
- CHM 412 – Aquatic and Soil Chemistry
- CHM 413 – Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
- ECO 346 – Environmental and Ecological Economics
- ENV 101 – Introduction to Environmental Studies
- ENV 301 – Environmental Sustainability
- ESC 101 – Earth Environments
- GEO 200 – Conservation of Global Environments
- GEO 211 – Global Climate Change
- GEO 321 – Sustainable Development and Conservation
- GEO 427 – Sustainable Water Resource Management
- GEO 430 – River Systems
- HIS 317 – American Environmental History
- MIC 434 – Aquatic Microbial Ecology
- PHL 341 – Environmental Ethics
- REC 306 – Environmental Ethics, Outdoor Recreations, and Natural Resources
- REC 330 – Recreation Resource Management
- REC 345 – Ecotourism
- REC 405 – Sustainable Tourism Development
experiences
Learning by doing is an important part of gaining new skills. Demonstrate you have the credentialed skills through activities and experiences on campus, in the community, and throughout the world.
Experiences can be credentialed if they:
- Require you to practice, develop, or apply skills *
- Exhibit more than 5 hours of qualifying experiential engagement (activities can be combined to reach 5 hours)
This diverse list of experiences valid to earn the credential are just the beginning. Do you have an experience where you developed or practiced these skills that is not listed below? Submit your experience for validation using the form.
Approved Experiences:
- Participate in a study abroad, intern abroad, or global virtual experience
- Attend the Prairie Springs Lecture Series, UWL USGS Seminar Series, or other qualifying environmental/aquatics themed presentations
- Complete librarianship activities with river centric special & digital collections
- Volunteer in the community
- Complete an internship or work experience (domestic or global)
- Conduct research in the environmental or aquatic sciences, including but not limited to: URC projects, DDF projects, or other undergraduate research efforts
- Participate in the UWL Research and Creativity Symposium
If you have completed one of the qualifying experiences above and are interested in earning the Global River Citizenship Career Cred, fill out the form below!
* Examples: sustainable development, environmental issues (policies, ethics, consulting, data analysis), climate change policy, climate resilience, freshwater science, river studies, wildlife conservation
REFLECTION
The valuable skills you earn by participating in a qualifying course and experience are needed around the world. As part of earning the credential, you’ll need to complete a critical reflection that examines how these skills fit into global contexts and enable you to work with multicultural, multinational teams on a variety of environmental and sustainability issues.
Vannesa
My experience with the lab was really amazing. My group members were amazing! Our group consisted of people from 4 different countries… We connected and bonded so fast that it felt we’d met before… Even now that the lab is over, we still keep checking on each other. I entered the program without knowing people there, but left with new worldwide friends and connections. 
Lauren
The API Community Engagement Lab was a unique experience that opened my eyes to a variety of global issues and how they are perceived through different cultures… We developed a composting system that, once implemented, would be replicated in other universities across the country and, eventually, around the world. Personally, I saw the most growth in myself as I learned to be an actively involved teammate and be confident in sharing my ideas!
Kelsey
“I learned so much about myself and gained a much deeper appreciation for other cultures. It opened my eyes to a whole world I didn’t know about. Definitely worthwhile. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
I’m in! What’s next?
- Take a qualifying course
- Participate in an approved experiential activity
- Complete the reflection
That’s it!
If you’ve completed both a qualifying course and an experiential activity, you can now begin your reflection. To start, simply fill out the form on this page to register your interest.
Once you complete the Reflection, you will be awarded the credential and an hour of professional career coaching!
I’m ready to reflect!
Complete the form to opt into the UWL Global River Citizen Career Creds Program and begin your final step toward gaining this credential: reflection.
The Global River Citizenship credential offers a new way to differentiate your resume upon graduation.
Earning one can help you demonstrate in-demand skills that employers seek in a variety of industries relating to water resources, ecology, sustainability, and more!
SKILLS LEARNED
This credential verifies a variety of skills, such as:
- Sustainable development
- Environmental issues & data analysis
- Green infrastructure
- Climate resilience
- …and more!
These in-demand skills are valued by a variety of industries and employers, encompassing almost half a million job postings in the last year.
Top companies seeking these skills: Guidehouse, Deloitte, WSP Global, and CDM Smith.
Top jobs requiring these skills: environmental scientists and planners, project management specialists, business operations specialists, and civil engineers.
Demand for these skills remains strong over time and has grown 77% over the past five years.
Why API
API offers best-in-class programming, with student well-being a high priority.
Our mission is to create better global citizens through international experiential learning. API programs are developed to be transformative, career-boosting experiences that include:
- Community involvement through optional volunteer programs with API Gives Back
- Cultural awareness through relevant coursework and time spent in multicultural student groups
- High-touch student support throughout the program
About API
Academic Programs International (API) was founded in 1997 and is dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable experiential learning programs. Their extensive pre-departure preparation, coupled with strong support services on-site, facilitates academic, cultural and linguistic learning. Within the supportive environment of the API programs, API participants are encouraged to explore their host communities and become increasingly independent and confident in their own abilities. They strive to make international educational experiences accessible to as many participants as possible, and, as such, works to provide multiple program components at a low program cost.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
API is committed to providing enriching international experiences to its participants. We believe in the importance of promoting acceptance, dignity, and respect among people of all backgrounds. No matter who you are or where you come from, API will support you during your journey abroad.