Hands-on one-week professional development programs, held in Tempe, Arizona, demonstrate how sustainability scientists work collaboratively to develop solutions to the complex problems created by growing cities, and how this project- and solutions-based approach to sustainability can be incorporated into a middle school classroom. 

Today’s students will become tomorrow’s leaders and educating them about sustainability is increasingly important in light of the complex social, economic, and environmental issues the world faces. Arizona State University’s (ASU) National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy aims to bring teams of elementary, middle, and high school teachers from across the nation together to establish an educational task force for sustainability. 

As a program of ASU’s Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Initiatives, the Teachers’ Academy focuses on solutions-based curriculum with an emphasis on urban systems. ASU Sustainability Scientists and Scholars will help coach and lead hands-on sessions on solutions surrounding food, water, energy, and climate. “Teachers are ideally positioned as role models for future generations and have the capacity to reach a younger population that can be inspired to think creatively about solutions,” said Monica Elser, Senior Sustainability Scientist and education manager in ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. “By combining online learning with in-person participation, we’re preparing our educators with the knowledge and practical skills to foster change agents.” 

The Teachers’ Academy is composed of teams of two middle school teachers from school districts across the nation selected to participate in a one-week professional development workshop at ASU’s Tempe campus. The workshop is infused with research and strategies from ASU’s School of Sustainability, the nation’s leader in sustainability education. After the workshops, teachers return to their school districts to lead workshops of their own, sharing what they’ve learned with their peers. Customized online curriculum and tools will continue to be available to teachers year-round.