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Rob and Melani Walton
Sustainability Teachers' Academies

Lead the way to a sustainable future.

As educators, you inspire your students to change the world. Now, give them the tools they need to make a difference. The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Teachers’ Academies provides educators with the knowledge and resources you need to bring the science of sustainability into any K-12 classroom. Our approach leverages the expertise of education professionals like you from across the nation to cultivate a community of sustainability change makers. Together, we work to develop innovative strategies addressing the economic, social and environmental challenges we face.

Our professional development opportunities incorporate contemporary research by sustainability professionals, scientists, and scholars from Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability. Our goal is to translate this research into effective practices that you can use to evaluate and address the complex problems faced by your school and community. We promote researcher-practitioner partnerships, learning communities, and project-based learning to position teachers, students and others as change agents to bring about a more sustainable future.

Rob and Melani Walton National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy (June 12-23, 2022)

The Rob and Melani Walton National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy provides intensive, in-person and virtual professional development opportunities for K-12 teachers. Teachers of any subject and grade should apply. Participants receive a thorough introduction to sustainability science and develop tools for bringing sustainability to life in their schools and communities.Through ample networking opportunities, teachers become part of a dedicated community of sustainability activists, scientists, entrepreneurs, and other educators.

The National Academy views sustainability through an interdisciplinary lens that can be incorporated into any K-12 curriculum. From the triple-bottom-line of sustainable economies to the dangerous effects of climate change, sustainability studies systemic and interconnected environmental and socio-economic issues through a variety of perspectives. Participants in past workshops have employed sustainability science and practices to engage students through art, literature, social studies, math, science and other subjects.

Application period coming Spring 2023.

If you are interested in developing a site-specific training for your team, contact us about available opportunities.

Summer Academies: Who should apply

The Rob and Melani Walton National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy welcomes applications from K-12 teachers of any subject from all 50 states.

Seeking teachers who are:

  • Passionate about improving the lives of their students.
  • Eager to work with colleagues on collaborative, cross-curricular projects.
  • Willing to lead a school or district in promoting sustainability.
  • Life-long learners.
  • Innovative and open to new ideas

Program Details

An Academy mentor helping one of the summer 2015 National Sustainability Teacher's Academy participants
  • Virtual Academies run Monday through Friday, for two consecutive weeks (June 13-24), and include roughly 20 hours of professional development.
  • Training sessions feature readings, videos and other virtual activities, small group discussions, and presentations by experts in Education for Sustainability.
  • Five Zoom meetings occur during the course and are facilitated by experts in sustainability education and provide teachers with opportunities to collaborate and network.
  • Topics covered include defining sustainability, evaluating schools and communities, analyzing sustainability problems, curricular integration and much more.
  • During the Academy, teachers work together to develop a unique action plan to support sustainability in their school.
  • Each individual receives a stipend of up to $300 for participating in the workshop.

If you have any questions about these or other upcoming programs, please contact .

Important Dates – National Teachers’ Academy

Dates Applications
January 15, 2021 Summer 2022 Academy Applications Available
April 15, 2022 Summer 2022 Academy Application Deadline
April 30, 2022 Participants Announced
June 13-24, 2022 National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy
“The variety of speakers, perspectives, experiences, and participants made for an extremely rich week overall. It was also nice that we were so well taken care of, so we could focus on the work at hand. There was such an overwhelming amount of information and food for thought, it was a luxury to be able to focus on that with nothing else to worry about in terms of basic living at ASU. I also really appreciated gaining access to some activities that I can use practically out-of-the-box, like the lifecycle activity, and Rob’s writing activity. Others, like Stakes on a Plane, are useful starting points for me to develop my own activities. Right now my brain is FULL!”

Project Reporting

Teachers who have participated in the Academy’s in-person or online professional development workshops during the summers of 2019 or 2020 are eligible to receive additional stipends for completing a sustainability project in their schools or districts.

Use this interactive map to discover how teachers across the nation are promoting sustainability in their schools and communities. Each teacher is an alum of the National Sustainability Teachers’ Academy.


Teacher Resources

The Sustainability Teachers’ Academy is committed to creating and providing curricular resources that span a diverse range of topics—including food systems sustainability, quality of life and well-being, decision-making for sustainability, and much more. Our lessons are applicable for grades 6-9 with variations presented that will enable you to tailor the activity for a younger or older audience. Because sustainability is an interdisciplinary topic, these lessons are relevant across all class subjects.


Sustainability Teachers’ Academy Staff:

Molly Cashion
Senior Program Manager, Sustainability Teachers' Academies, College of Global Futures
molly.cashion@asu.edu
480-727-3090
Allison Wolf
Program Coordinator, Sustainability Teachers' Academy, College of Global Futures
Allison.Wolf@asu.edu
Amy Flores
Program Manager, Sustainabiliity Teachers' Academy, College of Global Futures
Amy.L.Flores@asu.edu
Elizabeth Quigley
Student Worker, Program Aide, Sustainability Teachers' Academy, College of Global Futures
ecquigle@asu.edu
The Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Teachers’ Academies program is supported through funding from the .