By Bryan Lake, Logan Pender, and Carine Verschueren The Sustainability Education Certificate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a graduate-level program designed for educators, researchers, and professionals seeking to better understand and respond to today’s environmental and social challenges. Offered fully online through EPOL, the certificate explores sustainability not only as an environmental issue, […]
Category: Sustainability Education
Celebrating Aigul Rakisheva’s Doctoral Journey in EPOL
Below, recent doctoral graduate Aigul Rakisheva reflects on her time and achievement at the College of Education. What is your dissertation about, and what motivated you to pursue this topic? Aigul: My dissertation examines how sustainability education (SE) training influences pre-service teachers’ readiness to teach about sustainability and broader socio-ecological issues. A particularly meaningful part […]
Beyond Profit: Learning from Regenerative Worldviews in Colombia’s Arenal River Basin
By Alejandra Vida Ramirez This year, I am excited to join the Sustainable Futures Lab at the University of Illinois as a Fulbright Scholar from EAFIT University in Colombia. During my time here, I have been engaging in conversations central to the lab’s work: How do we move beyond sustainability toward regeneration? and how do […]
Preparing for Illinois’ New Climate Change Education Mandate: A Workshop for Teachers
Carine Verschueren As schools across Illinois begin responding to the state’s new climate change education mandate, many educators are asking an important question: What does meaningful climate change education actually look like in practice? On March 7, 2026, teachers will have the opportunity to explore this question during Climate Change Education: A Practical Workshop for K–12 Teachers in […]
Expanding the Sustainable Futures Lab: Launching an online Graduate Certificate in Sustainability Education
January 9, 2026 Carine Verschueren & Sam Lindgren The Sustainable Futures Lab at the College of Education was created by Dr. Samantha Lindgren as a collaborative space to explore how education can respond to the intertwined challenges of climate change, environmental injustice, and social transformation. While our work began with research, it has increasingly expanded […]