Faculty Profile: Jerry Anderson
Jerry Anderson teaches such consciousness-raising courses as African American History and Politics, Politics of Gender, and Environmental Ethics and Politics, with the common lesson being "how to think critically and how to live your life politically."
He practices what he teaches, and often brings groups of students to his 150-acre homestead in Eden, Vt., where he shows them what it's like to "live close to the earth" as an organic gardener and steward of the land. Jerry says that he has literally found his Eden at Johnson State College, where the community culture fosters close contact with students that often leads to lasting friendships. In fact, he and wife Sharon sold part of their property to one former student and her husband and together the neighbors maintain the small lake they share.
Over three decades, Jerry has accepted assignments from the College to teach and explore for a year in China, to lead a service learning project in Costa Rica, and to teach a semester abroad in London. But he says there's no place like home, and no better state than Vermont where politics is concerned. "Vermont is a model of involvement and access to politics," he says. "On any given day, the governor or a supreme court justice could be in one of our classes."
