EPOL 421

Credit: 3 OR 4 hours.

Serves as an introduction to the field of Sustainability Education as an opportunity to promote social and environmental justice and "sustainability" in a globalized world. The course will cover a foundational understanding of the history, theoretical underpinnings, pedagogical approaches, and the practice of sustainability education, and related fields such as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Environmental Education (EE), in terms of how they are conceptualized and implemented around the world. State and federal documents will be examined, as will global policy documents including UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development: A Roadmap, to better understand the purpose, design, and content of these fields and their impact on people, place, and planet. Meant to prompt curiosity and critical questioning about learning and instruction in formal and informal spaces. We will explore current definitions of sustainability, the role education plays in advancing a sustainable future, and how connections to place can promote stronger systems of education and justice. The course is organized thematically around topics such as the Rationale for Sustainability Education, Theories and Practices of Sustainability Education, Current Global and Local Policy Frameworks, and issues in Sustainability Education and Climate and Social Justice.

3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.