Announcing our Programs for Educators in 2024

“Learning to live with climate change is therefore a process of bearing worlds, as we simultaneously become more attuned to our enmeshment with the more-than-human [world], mourn those relationships as they are ruptured, act with them to cultivate the most promising futures possible, and are ourselves changed throughout the process.”

—Blanche Verlie, Bearing worlds: learning to live-with climate change (2019)

With all that is unfolding in the world right now, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with feelings of powerlessness and disconnection. Personally, I cannot wait for summer, because being in community with others who are committed to teaching and learning that makes a difference is the highlight of my year.

What Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools uniquely offers is professional learning that connects people from around the world who share a passion for Education for Sustainability. Looked at collectively, this community of educators reinforces that we can do something, together.

In 2023, the Institute for Sustainable Schools offered 65 different programs, reaching 1,500 educators across the globe. (You can hear from a few of them in the video below.) Our staff facilitates learning and supports each educator as they discover the way Education for Sustainability will work in their community.

Study after study confirms what we educators already know: that education is an important part of addressing pressing issues and inspiring positive change. Join us in shaping a more sustainable future with professional learning this year.

Returning are several programs focused on inspiring climate action and instilling a love for and understanding of place.

Education for Sustainability (EFS) is learning that links knowledge, inquiry, and action to make positive change. Take all of our courses through the EFS Graduate Certificate, offered with the University of Vermont. Or, try out one of the certificate's core courses. (If you’re new to this work, we recommend starting with Foundations in EFS.)

Project Seasons for Young Learners: Cultivating Joy & Wonder, happening July 15–19, is an immersive week-long summer workshop that will inspire your early childhood curriculum with fresh ideas.

Farm to school is a strategy for connecting classrooms, cafeterias, and communities to shape a healthier, more just future for youth and the planet. We’ll welcome school, district, and early childhood teams from our region for the Northeast Farm to School Institute, and teams from around the country for the Farm to School Institute Adaptation Program, both kicking off in late June. (Applications for this year's programs are now closed—but you can put us on your calendar for 2025! Express your interest in the Northeast or Adaptation offering, and we'll reach out when applications reopen in early 2025.)