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.
This year we are excited to collaborate with DoorNumberOne, a Canadian non-profit organization focused on catalyzing bold climate and nature action in and through schools.
Thank you to our sponsor, Polygence.
Polygence is an online research program for high schoolers where students get to research any topic of their choice, guided by an expert mentor in the field.
To learn more, click here!
Cost & Registration
Member school and Teacher’s College student discount registration is $350 USD per person; non-member school registration is $395 USD per person. Registration includes Friday and Saturday morning refreshments, lunch and happy hour reception.
General Schedule
Thursday, October 23, 2025
1:00-4:00 PM Pre-Summit Workshop: Strategic Planning for Whole-School Sustainability with Liz Cutler (optional)
Friday, October 24, 2025
7:50 AM Shuttle bus transportation from TownePlace Suites Oakville
8:00 AM Arrivals and morning refreshments
9:00 AM Welcome and Featured Speaker, Rick Hill, Indigenous Innovation Specialist, Mohawk College
9:45 AM – 4:00 PM Breakout Presentations, Networking Session and Featured Speaker, Ellen Field, Associate Professor specializing in climate change education, Lakehead University
4:00 – 5:30 PM Happy Hour Reception
5:00 PM Shuttle bus transportation to TownePlace Suites Oakville
Saturday, October 25, 2025
7:50 AM Shuttle bus transportation from TownePlace Suites Oakville
8:00 AM Arrivals and morning refreshments
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Breakout Presentations, Student Leaders in Climate Action Panel and Featured Speaker, Michelle Li, Founder, clever carbon
12:00 PM Optional Lunch
1:00 PM Shuttle bus transportation to TownePlace Suites Oakville
1:00 – 5:00 PM Post-Summit Workshop & Campus Tour (optional)
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Michelle Li, Founder, clever carbon
Michelle Li is a Toronto-based, globally renowned climate champion, thought leader, and founder. Her vision is best captured in her own words: “A carbon-literate society will accelerate action and create better solutions at the speed and scale required for a thriving planet.”
With a career that began in Silicon Valley at major tech companies like Salesforce and DocuSign, Michelle brings unique expertise and perspectives to sustainability. Michelle founded clever carbon to advance carbon footprint literacy through hip and fun educational resources. Michelle also founded Women and Climate, a non-profit that fosters a supportive and inspiring global community for women to engage in climate conversations and take meaningful action – all over the world. She also serves as the organizer of the Carbon Newbie Summit, a conference engaging businesses and organizations in carbon literacy and action. A sought-after advisor, Michelle has collaborated with TEDx, SXSW, COP28, while also contributing content to the United Nations.
Rick Hill, Indigenous Innovation Specialist, Mohawk College
Rick Hill is a citizen of the Beaver Clan of the Tuscarora Nation of the Haudenosaunee at Grand River. Rick is the Indigenous Innovation Specialist at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and serves as a Cultural Advisor to First Nations Technical Institute in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Rick has had a long career as a museum curator and academic including leadership roles at the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution in the United States and the Deyohahá:ge: Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic in Ohsweken, Ontario. He served as an assistant professor of Native American Studies at the State University of New York and is currently working with a group of historians on a book on the history and legacy of the Mohawk Institute, the oldest Indian residential school in Canada. In 2023 he was appointed to the Order of Canada, one of the highest honors in Canada, for his work preserving Indigenous intellectual, social, political and artistic traditions.
Ellen Field, Associate Professor specializing in climate change education, Lakehead University
Dr. Ellen Field teaches courses in the climate change education masters degree as well as in the environmental education undergraduate degree at Lakehead University in Ontario, Canada. Ellen’s research focuses on policy and practice of climate change education, including leading studies related to youth climate anxiety and accelerating climate education in teacher education. Ellen has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and reports including the resiliency building section of UNESCO’s Greening the Curriculum Guidance. She also serves as the Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and the Co-Chair of the Canada Regional Hub of the Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Education (MECCE) Project.
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
Pre-Summit Workshop
Strategic Planning for Whole-School Sustainability
Thursday, October 23, 2025 // Appleby College, Greater Toronto Area, Canada
Learn some crucial principles for creating, developing, and maintaining a lasting sustainability initiative. Leave this workshop with knowledge and an action plan for next steps at any level.
Facilitated by Liz Cutler, Retired Director of Sustainability, Princeton Day School (NJ) and current Sustainability Education Consultant.
DATE: Thursday October 23, 2025
TIME: 1:00 – 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Appleby College, 540 Lakeshore Rd W, Oakville, ON L6K 3P1, Canada
COST: $75 USD per person
Register Here
Post-Summit Workshop and Campus Tour
Engage in Sustainability Innovation at Hillfield Strathallan College
Saturday, October 25, 2025 // Hillfield Strathallan College, Greater Toronto Area, Canada
DATE: Saturday, October 25, 2025
TIME: 1:00 – 5:00 PM
LOCATION: Hillfield Strathallan College, 299 Fennell Ave W, Hamilton, ON L9C 1G3, Canada
COST: $95 USD per person; transportation included
Register Here
Hotel Information
After looking at sustainability commitments of the hotels in this region, we chose to recommend TownePlace Suites in Oakville. Shuttle bus transportation will be available from this hotel to Appleby College on Friday and Saturday. A link to make a reservation will be available soon.
Appleby College is located at 540 Lakeshore Rd W, Oakville, ON. Participants may choose to say in the city of Toronto and take public transportation or rideshare to the school. For routes and schedules, visit GO Transit or call 1-888-438-6646.
TownePlace Suites Toronto Oakville
754 Bronte Rd, Oakville, ON L6L 6R8, Canada
154.00 CAD – 184.00 CAD per night
Last Day to Book : Monday, September 22, 2025!
