Biography
Silas Binkley joins the Presidents Leadership Class (PLC) staff as the Manager of Operations and Experiential Learning. With a deep appreciation for experiential learning, Silas believes wholeheartedly in the transformative potential of experience-based programming in educating the leaders of tomorrow. He is passionate about the goals of PLC and is thrilled to be in a position to contribute to this important program.
Silas brings more than eight years of professional, higher education experience designing and coordinating programming for students as well as leading them in national and international fieldwork, service-learning opportunities, internships, capstone courses and outdoor educational courses. Silas spent four years as an instructor and capstone project mentor in the MA of Environmental Leadership program at Naropa University, where he also served as a visiting professor in the environmental studies program. He worked for four years as program coordinator and instructor for the U.S.-Mexico based, academically rigorous expeditionary program, Outdoor Semester in the Rockies at Colorado Mountain College. Silas Founded and acted as Sustainability Projects Coordinator for Trade Wind Statues, which specialized in importing hand-carved statues from Indonesia. He served on the Lafayette Energy Sustainability Advisory Committee, where he was instrumental in the development of the Lafayette Green Business Program. The program partners the City of Lafayette with local businesses with the shared goal of maximizing sustainability opportunities in the community.
Silas holds an MA degree in Environmental Management and Sustainable Development and a post-graduate diploma in International Studies. He’s a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) at Prescott College in the field of sustainability education. His work aims to contribute to an emerging educational philosophy termed experiential sustainability education (ESE). His research focuses primarily on how higher education institutions in the U.S. are designing programs that cultivate global citizenship skills and understanding of systems sustainability through experiential learning opportunities.
Silas is a fifth-generation native of Boulder County and lives in Lafayette with his wife and two kids. During his down time, Silas enjoys traveling, spending time with his family, backpacking, fly-fishing, volunteering, and motorcycling.