Sustainability Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via Coursera

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Details

Go to class

Provider

Coursera
Pricing

Free Certificate
Languages

English
Certificate

Certificate Available
Effort

4 hours
Sessions

Self-Paced
Level

Beginner
Subtitles

English

Found in

Overview

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Sustainability Education is reshaping how we teach—and how we act—in a rapidly changing world. In this MOOC, you’ll explore the emerging field of Sustainability Education (SE) and learn how it connects to Sustainability, Climate Education, and Environmental Science. Designed for educators, students, and lifelong learners, the course shows how environmental change intersects with justice, poverty, and inequality—and why those connections matter for audiences across the lifespan. You’ll trace pivotal moments in global environmental history from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, examining the scientific discoveries, political debates, and social movements that shaped today’s understanding of climate and environmental change. From there, you’ll dive into the foundations of environmental justice in the twenty‑first century, focusing on how race, class, and other social factors influence climate policy and environmental decision‑making in the United States. Finally, you’ll build practical policy literacy by exploring how federal and state laws, regulations, and political processes drive real‑world environmental outcomes. Join a global community of learners and gain the context, language, and tools to teach—and lead—more effectively.

Syllabus

Course Orientation

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.

Module 1: What is the Climate Crisis? What have we been doing about it?

This module explores the reciprocal relationship between the environment and human history, emphasizing the ways natural landscapes, resources, and ecological systems have shaped the development of societies while also examining how human actions have transformed the environment over time. It introduces key indicators that reveal the adverse impacts humans have had on environmental and climatic conditions in the United States since 1619, highlighting patterns of degradation linked to settlement, industrialization, and policy decisions. Building on this foundation, the module traces major developments in United States environmental history from the nineteenth through the twentieth centuries, including shifts in public perception, scientific understanding, and governmental responses to environmental concerns. Finally, it analyzes the evolution of environmental movements and assesses the major legislation enacted in the twentieth century to protect and conserve natural resources, illustrating how advocacy and policy have shaped the modern environmental landscape.

Module 2: What is Environmental and Sustainability education? Climate Education?

This module examines the dynamic relationship between the environment and human history, exploring how natural landscapes, resources, and ecological systems have influenced societal development while also considering the profound ways human activity has reshaped the environment. It introduces learners to key indicators that reveal how humans have adversely affected environmental and climatic conditions in the United States since 1619, highlighting patterns linked to settlement, industrialization, and policy decisions. Building on this foundation, the module traces major developments in United States environmental history from the nineteenth through the twentieth centuries, emphasizing shifts in public awareness, scientific understanding, and governmental responses. Finally, it analyzes the evolution of environmental movements during the twentieth century and assesses the landmark legislation enacted to protect and conserve natural resources, illustrating how advocacy and policy have shaped the modern environmental landscape.

Module 3: What is Environmental Justice?

This module explores how certain groups of people have been systematically burdened with environmental hazards and the disproportionate aftermath of climate related disasters, revealing long standing patterns of unequal exposure and vulnerability. It examines how racial, economic, and cultural backgrounds shape communities’ access to clean, safe, and productive environments, highlighting the ways social inequities influence environmental outcomes. Building on this foundation, the module investigates the historical role of colonialism, capitalism, and institutionalized racism in producing and perpetuating today’s climate crisis, tracing how these structural forces have shaped environmental decision making and resource distribution over time. Finally, it identifies the origins of the environmental justice movement and traces its development, illustrating how community activism, policy advocacy, and evolving understandings of justice have contributed to the movement’s growth and impact across the twenty first century.

Module 4: What can you do to help and where do we go from here?

This module examines how Climate Education policy and state level standards have evolved in regions that have enacted environmental or sustainability education legislation, highlighting the ways policy frameworks shape learning opportunities. It analyzes how the natural environment itself functions as a powerful teaching tool, enabling learners to deepen their understanding of sustainability and the climate crisis through direct engagement with ecological systems and lived environmental change. Building on this foundation, the module explores how formal K–12 teaching methods can be leveraged to integrate sustainability concepts into curriculum and instruction, demonstrating how schools can play a central role in preparing students to navigate and respond to climate related challenges. Finally, it examines the vital contributions of community partners, illustrating how collaborations among schools, organizations, and local stakeholders can foster environmental awareness and inspire collective action.