Education for Sustainability Certificate of Graduate Study

Program Overview

In partnership with the Shelburne Farms, we are excited to offer two Certificates of Graduate Study in Education for Sustainability (EFS). 

Coursework is designed for practicing preK-12, post-secondary, and informal educators as well as those working in museum education, outdoor education, parks and recreation activities, and other fields where natural and built environments are part of the curriculum.

Grounded in action research, transformative education, and youth leadership, the program prepares educators to empower learners in making positive changes in their communities to improve the quality of life for current and for future generations. 

Along with asynchronous and synchronous sessions online, coursework includes on-site experiential learning gatherings at Shelburne Farms, an education nonprofit and 1,400-acre working farm in Vermont.

Meet Three Teachers Transformed by our Education for Sustainability Graduate Certificate Program

EFS Graduate Certificate Pathways

Educators can choose to enroll in coursework leading to the 9-credit Micro Certificate of Graduate Study (mCGS-EFS) or the 18-credit Certificate of Graduate Student (CGS-EFS). Both pathways combine UVM’s commitment of high-quality teacher education with Shelburne Farms’ international reputation for EFS professional development for teachers. 

Optionally, EFS coursework can be applied toward our forthcoming M.Ed. in Advanced Specialties in Educational Practice. 

View coursework for each certificate pathway on the Curriculum section/tab of this webpage.

Vermont Teacher of the Year Teacher Aziza Malik (right) explored the connection of the Burlington School District to our local Indigenous population.

Core Faculty

• Ali Brooks, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Matt Chandler, College of Education and Social Services (CESS)
• Simon Jorgenson, College of Education and Social Services (CESS)
• Walter Poleman, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR)
• Regina Toolin, College of Education and Social Services (CESS)
• Jen Cirillo, Director of Professional Learning, Shelburne Farms
• Aimee Arandia Østensen, Professional Learning Facilitator
• Emily Schaller, Professional Learning Facilitator

Contact Us

Please complete the inquiry form or email us at efs@uvm.edu. We look forward to connecting with you.

Curriculum

Core Requirements for CGS and mCGS

Foundations in Education for Sustainability (EDCI 5043)

Learn to apply EFS as a unifying framework for curriculum, campus, community, and collaboration. Grow your understanding of sustainability and uncover promising practices for inquiry, systems thinking, and collective action. 

• Online sessions in July
• In-person retreat in July at Shelburne Farms
• All coursework due in August
• 3 graduate credits

Transformative Leadership in Education for Sustainability (EDCI 5045)

In a peer learning community, explore systems thinking, leadership skills, and changemaking in order to transform learning. Learn with and from the Land, practice leadership skills, and take action on an opportunity for transformation.

• Year-long program with virtual sessions throughout the year, plus four in-person retreats
• Kick-off in-person retreat in July at Shelburne Farms
• 6 graduate credits

Additional Requirements for 18-Credit Certificate

Education for Sustainability Inquiry and Action (EDCI 5046)

Reflect on identity, values, and place and how they inform our designs for learning. Create place-based projects that incorporate opportunities for student voice, and practice leadership skills for personal transformation and collaborative changemaking.

• Online sessions in July and August
• In-person retreat in July at Shelburne Farms
• All coursework due in August
• 3 graduate credits

Electives

Choose two of the following UVM courses (3 graduate credits each) to deepen your knowledge of sustainability in a field of personal interest, with topics like food systems, agroecology, and community design.

• CDAE 6210 Econ of Sustainable Food Syst
• CDAE 6260 Community Economic Development
• CDAE 6760 Communicating Science
• FS 6450 Food Systems Science and Policy
• FS 6400 Food Systems, Society and Policy
• PSS 6110 Introduction to Agroecology (online)
• PSS 6120 The Ecological Foundations of Agroecology (online)
• PSS 6130 Participatory Action Research (PAR) & Transdisciplinary Approaches to Agroecology (online)
• PSS 6140 Agroecology, Food Sovereignty, and Social Movements (online)