Try Something

Pick up a violin. Or, better yet: make one. Each academic year, students have the opportunity to experi ment with their passions and try something completely new during a seven-week, off-campus winter term called Field Work Term (FWT). In each of their four FWTs, students bring their studies to the world, confronting the challenges of implementation firsthand and refining their questions to further shape their on-campus experiences.

Copy to share:

14 Students, 1 Biologist, Lots and Lots of Fish

Bennington College biology faculty member Betsy Sherman took 14 students to the Cayman Islands for Field Work Term, in conjunction with her class Field Course in Coral Reef Biology. Students became certified scuba divers and gained first-hand experience studying coral reef fish biodiversity, collecting collecting valuable data to be used for research studies and governmental policy.



All photos and video by Betsy Sherman.

Copy to share:

FWT Photo Contest

The following photos are the 2012 winners of the Field Work Term and Career Development Office's annual FWT photo contest. Students submit photos from their internships, and the community votes on their favorites in each of four categories.

Copy to share:

print
share

Skip Navigation LinksFWT Planning

FWT Essays

Essays are due February 22. Essays must be submitted through WorkLink; instructions for doing so can be found in the Document Library. The essay questions are different from last year, so be sure to get the questions for 2013. If you will need a one-week extension for your essay, you must request one before February 22 by emailing fwt@bennington.edu or calling 802-440-4321 (x4321 on campus).

FWT Evaluations

Evaluations from employers are due on February 22. We must receive an evaluation for every FWT job that you registered, even if you did not complete all of your hours there. All supervisors have been sent instructions for completing the evaluation through WorkLink. Please check with your supervisor before you leave your job to make sure that he/she has submitted this evaluation.

Supplemental Hours

If you have worked unregistered supplemental hours (up to 70 maximum), be sure to keep track of your hours on a timesheet, which must be signed by you and a supervisor at the site. You must turn in this signed timesheet to the FWT/CDO no later than February 22 in order to have these hours counted.

Photo Contest

The submission deadline is March 8. The submission form, as well as more details about the contest, is available in the Document Library. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite pictures during the week of March 11.

Evaluate Your FWT site

Instructions for evaluating your site are available in the Document Library of WorkLink. This information is very helpful to students who may be interested in working at a particular site in the future. The only way we can provide student reviews of sites is for you to let us know about the place where you worked.

FWT Success

We know that you do amazing things over FWT. Now is your chance to share these successes with the rest of the Bennington College community. In early March, we will be hosting a display of student work from FWT. This can be a poster, photos, video, samples of work you participated in, music, or artifacts. More information can be found in the Document Library of WorkLink.

Summer Opportunities

The FWT and Career Development Office is receiving summer opportunities now! They are posted on WorkLink and many of them have early deadlines. Check them out and set up a search agent for yourself (instructions in the Document Library) to get updates on new opportunities that meet your needs and interests.