We are thrilled to announce the new Cloud Institute for Sustainability Educationwebsite — your refreshed gateway to exploring, engaging with, and advancing Education for Sustainability (EfS).
For 30 years, The Cloud Institute has empowered educators, students, and communities to rethink how we learn, live, and lead in a more sustainable world. Now, our new site reflects that legacy with an enhanced user experience, streamlined navigation, and deeper access to our work.
Read MoreUnder the close supervision of professors from the University of Illinois, middle schoolers were trained how to safely collect and grow bacteria. One youth identified a bacterium that might create new cancer treatments and antibiotics.
They were part of a 14-week educational outreach program to promote scientific careers with hands-on experience.
Read MoreThe Cloud Institute Turns 30! 🎉
2025 marks 30 years of The Cloud Institute inspiring and equipping educators to shape a sustainable future! We’re celebrating with new professional learning experiences, game-changing curriculum collaborations, and the release of my book, Response-able. The work is expanding at an incredible pace - more schools, more communities, and more young people are stepping up to lead the shift toward sustainability. I’m grateful for our brilliant team, our trusted partners, and the momentum we’ve built together. Here’s to the next 30 years!
Read MoreIf you are an International Baccalaureate (IB) teacher with an IB Exchange account, check out the new Commons microlearning modules co-developed with the Cloud Institute.
These microlearning modules are available to educators who want to understand more about the Commons and those who want to undertake the micro-credential Recognizing and Protecting the Commons.
Read MoreWe are excited to announce that The Cloud Institute’s annual Curriculum Design Studio will take place from August 11–15, 2025, at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. As always, participants will also have the option to join virtually. Stay tuned for more details!
Read MoreWe are excited to share this new podcast with Jaimie Cloud! Empathy to Impact is a podcast designed for educators dedicated to global citizenship education.
In this episode, Jaimie and Scott explore the following guiding question: How can we bring sustainability into everyday teaching?
Read MoreThe annual Green Schools Conference (GSC) brings together everyone involved in creating and advocating for green schools, with a focus on those leading their schools and school systems toward whole-school sustainability.
The Cloud Institute will be hosting a hands-on workshop at the Green Schools post-conference on March 5, 2025. The experience will begin with a guided tour of the award-winning Arbor Ridge K-8 School, showcasing innovative approaches to fostering a schoolwide culture of sustainability.
Read MoreThis 7-week course is designed for (formal and non-formal) educators and program leaders who want to integrate sustainability education and systems thinking into their teaching practice. It would also be of value to curriculum leaders and principals interested in understanding what the practical application of sustainability education looks like.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court in Montana agreed with the young activists who asserted the state was not living up to its constitution by not considering climate change when approving fossil fuel projects.
Melissa Hornbein, a senior attorney with the Western Environmental Law Center, which served as co-counsel for the plaintiffs along with Our Children’s Trust, said the decision would force Montana state agencies to assess the greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts of all future fossil fuel projects when deciding whether to approve or renew them.
Read MoreCelebrating Big Ideas
EfS Benchmarks for Individual and Social Learning
Big Ideas are also known as “Enduring Understandings”. They operate at the level of principles that are transferable. They describe the concepts that students will understand, and that will have lasting value in the real world over time.
The EfS Benchmarks for Individual and Social Learning recognizes the processes that include a whole system of dynamic and interconnected elements considered essential to educating for a sustainable future. The Big Ideas collectively frame the other essential elements of EfS and distinguish EfS from other fields of study.
Read MoreCheck out the Climate Change Education Resource Guide for Schools produced by the team at the Center for Sustainability and Climate Education at the Dutchess County BOCES. Find ideas, resources and activities to start the conversation about our climate and the actions that we, our students and colleagues can take as global citizens.
Read MoreThanks to all of you who supported the upgrade of The Fish Game Online and to the team at Funatomic - educational game developers extraordinaire. The new Fish Game is now live! There are many new features to play with, including the ability to choose the number of fisher folk with whom you are fishing in each game; the ability to announce your intentions or not, and the ability to do or not do what you promised. You’ll see that everything you do and don’t do makes a difference. Let us know what you think!!!
Read MoreThe EfS Reservoir is a multi-media repository of exemplars aligned to the EfS Benchmarks. The exemplars include quality curriculum units, courses, assessments, performance criteria, student work samples and eventually stories, interviews, discussions, images, narration and film that will illustrate the contexts and the impact of this work in schools and communities. Register for free to access the collection.
Read MoreWe are committed to the roles that teaching, learning, and thinking play in contributing to the shift toward a sustainable future. Our work with school systems and higher education institutions revolves around the curriculum, instruction, and assessment aspects of Education for Sustainability, as well as the strategic planning and leadership development that is required for lasting change.
Read MoreThe Cloud Institute is dedicated to the vital role of education in creating awareness, fostering commitment, and guiding actions toward a healthy, secure and sustainable future for ourselves and for future generations.
The unique challenges that define our time require fundamentally new ways of thinking. If we intend to transition to a sustainable way of life, educators and young people have a critical role to play. Join us as we explore what’s possible when we educate for sustainability.
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