Introducing Shelburne Farms and UVM’s New Education for Sustainability Graduate Programs

Shelburne Farms believes in the transformative power of education to shape a healthier, more sustainable future. Now, we’re excited to announce that the Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools and the University of Vermont have partnered to accelerate this work, with two innovative Education for Sustainability (EFS) graduate certificates for practicing educators.
 
“With a shared history of leadership in education for sustainability, UVM and the Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools are perfect partners,” says Shelburne Farms Executive Vice President and Program Director Megan Camp. “It is more critical than ever to offer these transformative experiences for educators and their schools. Programs like these can help make positive change in communities around the world, and create a more just and sustainable future for all.”

These new certificate programs combine Shelburne Farms’ international reputation for EFS professional learning with UVM’s research capacity, land-grant mission, and track record of high-quality teacher education. Shelburne Farms and UVM have a long history of collaboration, and in 2014, co-founded the Greater Burlington Regional Center of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development. The local network is among 155 RCEs worldwide, a designation awarded by the United Nations University for the area’s groundbreaking EFS programs. The new certificates are another example of the ongoing innovation within the RCE.

Shelburne Farms faculty, including director of professional learning Jen Cirillo, professional learning facilitator Aimee Arandia Østensen, and special projects coordinator Emily Hoyler, will bring decades of EFS instruction experience to the programs. Elements of these unique Shelburne Farms experiences will prepare educators, and thereby their students, to transform schools and communities: Foundations in EFS; Immersion in EFS; EFS Leadership Academy; and Transformative Leadership in EFS.

Our first educator program dates back to 1971, and every year, more than 1,500 teachers participate in professional learning experiences. The Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools is a hub for educator programs and resources, all of which empower students to strive for, and thrive in, a more sustainable future.

Enrollment opens in summer 2022 for the 18-credit Certificate of Graduate Study (CGS-EFS) and the 12-credit Micro Certificate of Graduate Study (mCGS-EFS).

 

Read more about these new programs.