MEd for Experienced Educators, Educating for Sustainability

Lead an extensive shift towards sustainability.

Educators are agents for change, and change is needed now. What is required to achieve sustainability is a paradigm shift, one that can be encouraged through progressive education. The goal of educating for sustainability is to teach people how to meet their needs without compromising the environment and future generations. Regardless of your position as an educator or class that you teach, the fundamentals of sustainability can be weaved into your curriculum. Help lead a revolutionary shift in thinking and empower an entire generation to choose a healthier, more sustainable future.

This degree is offered by AU New England.

Program Overview

Make sustainability a theme in your classroom or become a curriculum specialist or sustainability coordinator. Whether you teach kindergarten or high-school English, work in a farm-to-school program or an environmental education center, this program can give you the skills and credentials to be a leader in sustainability education.

Through a mix of field, classroom and online experiences, you have a chance to connect with educators from around the country and the globe who are making sustainability the core focus of their teaching and professional lives.

This MEd concentration focuses on the interdependence of environment, economy and equity (the three Es of Educating for Sustainability) and how we can incorporate sustainability at any grade level and in every subject area. It is the first MEd program in the U.S. linking education and sustainability. As educators, we have the opportunity to model sustainable practices, to open our students’ minds to the possibilities of a sustainable future and to help guide them to be responsible citizens for change in their communities.

Degree Requirements

Online Courses:

• Real World Sustainability
• History and Practice of EfS

Practicum Courses:

• Child Study
• Curriculum
• Equity and Change

Summer Classes at Antioch New England in Keene, NH:

• Principles of Sustainability
• Childhood and Nature
• Critical Skills Level 1 Institute
• Sustainable Leadership

6 elective credits (choices may include):

• Compassionate Action in the World
• Principles and Practices of Mindful Leadership
• Building Inclusive Learning Communities
• Next Generation Teaching and Learning
• Teacher Facilitation in a Problem-Based Learning Classroom

For course descriptions, please see the current course catalog.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Educating for Sustainability program have the capacity to:

• Help move their schools toward sustainability.
• Use U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development Guidelines.
• Develop holistic integrated curriculum.
• Understand advocacy and leading a project towards sustainability.
• Incorporate EFS themes into teaching and classroom practice.
• Foster improvement in sustainability practices in schools or organizations.
• Integrate EFS curricula into existing learning standards.
• Connect professionally to the national and international EFS arena.
• Help others understand sustainability across a variety of contexts.