Recent publications have offered a convergence on a suite of competencies associated with sustainability education. Largely including thinking- and problem-solving skills, the key competencies have been applied primarily in the context of academic degree programs. Whilst these key sustainability competencies may help prepare students for vocations once they leave the university, they are often disconnected from the hands-on, experiential learning that happens in co-curricular or other campus sustainability programs, such as “campus as a living lab” initiatives. In this interactive session we will explore key sustainability competencies and consider how we might extend their use beyond academic programs to co-curricular activities. How do “systems,” “future,” “values,” or “strategic” thinking manifest in hands-on campus activities, and in the work of sustainability coordinators and staff What are the different ways that we can connect the academic side of universities with sustainability operations to provide students with a unique and valuable experience? What are the opportunities for integrated problem solving afforded by co-curricular programs? How can all the sustainability research being done on university campuses be harnessed to benefit both the university and its students? How can we ensure that our activities are high impact? The session will begin with an overview of The Key Competencies in Sustainability Framework and ways they are currently embedded or used across academic programs. We will then collectively share examples of co-curricular and hands-on campus programs, and participants will identify areas in these where the key competencies are, or could be, practiced. We will also discuss whether academic-focussed competencies are sufficient, or whether there might be others that are developed when learners engage in co-curricular programming. Last, participants will have the chance to work with one another to develop an idea or proposal for a high-impact campus program with the competencies embedded or integral to it. Workshop outcomes will be an understanding of the key sustainability competencies, networking opportunities and exchange of lived experiences applied to competencies, and creative and innovative ideas for further work at our home campuses. Workshop facilitators are subject matter experts, and experienced campus leaders and academics affiliated with AASHE and excited to engage with you!

Key Details

Registration Fees* 

* To check if your organization is a current AASHE member, please search the AASHE Membership Directory.

A limited number of scholarships are available to individuals who need financial assistance to participate. Please apply two weeks before the program begins (e.g., 7/3/2025) to be considered for a scholarship for this workshop.

Registration Policies:

• Registration deadline is Thursday, July 17, 12:00 p.m. ET.
• Payment is accepted in the form of Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.
  If you need to pay by check or ACH, please contact us at least 5 weeks prior to the event start date. Registration using these forms of payment must be received 4 weeks prior to the event start date and full payment must be received by AASHE within 2 weeks of event start date.
• Cancellation Policy: A 20% processing fee applies to any cancellation prior to July 7, 2025. No refunds will be given after July 7, 2025.
• No substitutions are allowed.
• Registered participants will receive access to the recording after the live event.
• Review all Terms & Conditions.

Register today

Facilitators

Teresa Balser, Professor, University of Calgary
Professor Teri Balser is a passionate scholar and senior university leader. Formerly provost and vice-president (Academic) at the University of Calgary, she has also been interim president and provost at Dalhousie University. An internationally known educator, she has received numerous awards and recognition for her work in soil and environmental science. Throughout her career she has sought to connect and empower people across public, academic, and private sectors in working together toward a sustainable future. She brings that lens, coupled with the perspective of university leadership, to bear on how we can contribute toward a response to the climate emergency and move into a new future.

Joseli Macedo, Professor, University of Calgary
Joseli Macedo is an educator, leader, architect, urbanist, and designer. She has a wide range of experience and accomplishment leading interdisciplinary programs in Canada, Australia, Brazil, India, and the United States. Joseli has taught and conducted research in the areas of sustainable cities, urban design, and international development for 30 years, and has published on city design and urban form, land policy and land tenure, housing policy, urban planning history, and pedagogy.

Krista Hiser, Senior Lead and Advisor, Global Council for Science and the Environment
Krista Hiser currently serves as the Senior Lead and Advisor for Sustainability Education at the Global Council for Science and the Environment. Formerly the director of the University of Hawaiʻi System Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum, she teaches writing and literature at Kapi’olani Community College, with an emphasis on sustainability, climate education, and community resilience. She received her doctoral degree in Educational Administration from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.

Any questions about the workshop?
Please contact Daita Serghi, education@aashe.org