Organized by Institute for Global Learning in partnership with the Klingenstein Center and hosted at Teachers College, Columbia University, this summit will provide school leaders and educators the opportunity to build community, to share and collaborate, and to learn from scholars and leaders in the field of climate education.
As the impact of climate change continues to be felt across the world, students and educators are increasingly looking for ways in which they can respond. While research on youth climate anxiety highlights the challenge it presents for young people, it simultaneously identifies the power of climate action as an antidote.
Climate Education helps students and faculty “understand and address the impact of the climate crisis, empowering them with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to act as agents of change” (UNESCO).
Educators in a variety of positions, from across grade levels and disciplines, will share how they intentionally embed student action in their learning design, and participants in this summit will learn from these case studies as well as emerging research in the field of climate education. Schools will leave with new ideas and resources on how to engage students in myriad ways from civic and political engagement to partnering with local artists, immersive learning experiences, and school-wide sustainability programs. Participants will also be able to connect and collaborate with each other as they consider future opportunities for their schools.
Specifically, our diverse range of summit sessions address programs and initiatives that focus on developing student leadership and learning around climate issues, including immersive learning, climate action projects, and partnerships. These efforts integrate climate education into curriculum, foster systems thinking, and provide support for faculty while addressing student climate anxiety and promoting whole-school sustainability.
More information and registration coming soon!
General Schedule
Thursday, January 21, 2027
1:00-4:00 PM Pre-Summit Workshop (optional)
Friday, January 22, 2027
8:00 AM Arrivals and morning refreshments
9:00 AM Welcome and Featured Speaker
9:45 AM – 4:00 PM Breakout Presentations, Networking Session and Featured Speaker
4:00 – 5:30 PM Happy Hour Reception
Saturday, January 23, 2027
8:00 AM Arrivals and morning refreshments
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Breakout Presentations, Student Leaders in Climate Action Panel and Featured Speaker
12:00 PM Optional Lunch
1:00 – 5:00 PM Post-Summit Workshop & Campus Tour (optional)
Last Year’s Breakout Presentations
A Whole-School Approach to Integrating Climate Change Education across the Curriculum
Presented by John Hannah, Retired Teacher; Learning Landscape & Sustainability Consultant, John Bulger, Senior Geography Teacher and Sustainability Coordinator and Jackie Birch, Grade 2 Teacher, Learning Landscape Coordinator, Hillfield Strathallan College (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
Changing School Culture on Climate Education
Presented by Seth O’Bryan, Middle School Principal, Harley School (Rochester, NY, USA)
Creative Sparks: Using the Arts to Ignite Whole-School Climate Action
Presented by Sara Wahl, Teacher, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate (Kitchener, ON, Canada)
Designing Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Climate Engagement: Two Schools Share their Journey
Presented by Joanne Aronson, Department Chair Math, Science, and Technology, Miami Country Day School (Miami, Florida, USA); Tamara Smith, Director of Service, Stewardship and Sustainability, TFS- Canada’s International School (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Educational Approaches to Foster Nature Connection in a K-8 School
Presented by Erin McNamara, Director of Experiential & Nature-Based Learning, Old Trail School (Bath, OH, USA)
Embodied, Immersive Climate Education: A Toolkit for Educators
Presented by Marisha Plotnik, Educator/Researcher, The Nature Institute (Ghent, New York, USA)
Empowering the Next Generation of Climate Leaders: Two Programs Highlight Collaboration for Climate Action
Presented by John Hsu, Climate Leaders Fellowship Director, Rustic Pathways Foundation (Mentor, Ohio, USA); Ana Romero, Head of Sustainability, Wellington College International (UK)
From Challenge to Change: Empowering Grade 9s for Climate Action
Presented by Jeff Adams, HC-X Educator and Allison Campbell-Rogers, HC-X Educator, Havergal College (Toronto, ON, Canada)
From Climate Anxiety to Action: Empowering Students Through Immersive Expeditions
Presented by Emma Heeney, Student Experiences Coordinator and Student Exchanges, Advisor, Lakefield College (Lakefield, ON, Canada) and Teghan Acres, Senior Programs Designer, Insight Global Education (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
From Lava Fields to Learning Labs: Outdoor Climate Education Case Studies from Iceland
Presented by Arnbjorn Olafsson, Managing Director, GeoCamp Iceland and Sigrun Svafa Olafsdottir, Project Manager for Education at Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark, GeoCamp Iceland & Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark (Reykjanesbaer, Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland)
Learning from Environmental Stewardship and Māori Perspectives in New Zealand
Presented by Mark Bruce-Miller, CEO, Experiential Education New Zealand (Motueka, Tasman, New Zealand) and Lindsey Lohwater, Director of the Taft STEM Research fellowship, Sustainability Coordinator and teacher of Biology., St Mark’s School, MA (Southborough, MA, USA)
Lessons from Terrapalooza: Benefits and Strategies for All-School Climate Celebrations
Presented by Avi McClelland-Cohen, Upper School Teacher and Nora Murphy, Upper School Librarian, Polytechnic School (Pasadena, CA, USA)
Narratives of Environmental Connection: Building Environmental Education Using Student Stories of Change
Presented by Aninne Schneider, Former Head of Environmental Education, Robert College (Istanbul, Turkey)
Normalizing Green Culture in Your High School
Presented by Alie Elliott, Sustainability Programs Director; Science Teacher, Trinity College School (Port Hope, ON, Canada)
Partnerships and Collaborations for Sustainable Learning
Presented by Julia Hunt, Assistant Head, Strategic Initiatives and Joshua Armstrong, Director of Teaching and Learning, Pickering College (Newmarket, ON, Canada)
Reducing Food Waste & Green House Gases through Community Partnerships and Service
Presented by Kiera Toffelmire, Vice-President, Learning & Engagement, Second Harvest (Toronto, ON, Canada) and Michèle Andrews, Co-Founder & Executive Director, DoorNumberOne.org (North Augusta, ON, Canada)
SIFTing Through Climate Misinformation
Presented by Pamela Malinowski, 8th-grade science teacher and Kate Pritchard, Library Director, University School of Nashville (Nashville, TN, USA)
Student Climate Action Impact Projects through Research Mentorship
Session Moderator: Dr. Andrew Simon, Polygence Scholar-in-Residence and Senior Lecturer at Dartmouth College (NH, USA) and student panelists
Student-Led Sustainability Initiatives: Successful Ideas and Takeaways for Engaging Students
Presented by Liz Cutler, Retired Sustainability Director, Princeton Day School (NJ);; Whole-School Sustainability Consultant (Menlo Park, CA, USA)
Unpacking Data Around Climate Education and Sustainability Leadership in Schools
Presented by Danny Schiff, Operations and Data Specialist, IGL
2026-27 Institute for Global Learning Assessment Labs
Understanding the impact of experiential and place-based learning
Our Global Learning Assessment Lab is an intentional gathering of educators to unpack both emerging research on and practices in how we assess and understand the impact of our programs with students. We will learn with expert researchers about existing assessments and collaborate to better design tools and resources to help our schools both understand and articulate what students are learning through intercultural and immersive programs offered by our schools. The two-day program will feature a half-day workshop with a specialized scholar along with a panel of practitioners offering practical insights. Our Global Learning Assessment Lab in the United States will be hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, a global leader in education research, and will focus on experiential and place-based learning.
- Workshop with specialized scholar
- Panel practitioners
- Collaborative inquiry and design on tools and resources
- Small cohort of experienced educators
Dates and Times: October 15-16, 2026
Location: Philadelphia, PA, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Audience: Experienced program directors, academic leaders
Registration is for member schools, and others are invited to express their interest via email to info@globallearning.org