How Can Schools Be Sites of Hope for a Sustainable Future?

Teachers are figuring out how they can prepare students to confront climate change and sustainability, two of the most critical issues of their lifetime. And that’s just what Oren Pizmony-Levy, Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education at Teachers College, has been working in partnership with the Office of Energy and Sustainability at New York City Public Schools to develop. He joins Teachers College President Thomas Bailey to talk about the central role schools can play in efforts to care for our environment now and in the future. They discuss the research practice partnership and professional development projects Professor Pizmony-Levy, his students, and colleagues are working on with partners in the New York City public schools. And they talk about how focusing on taking action is important to cultivate agency and hope in sustainability education.

Read the New York Times article featuring the partnership between The Center for Sustainable Futures and the Office of Energy and Sustainability at the New York City Public Schools.

The oldest and largest graduate school of education, Teachers College is inspiring and motivating a new generation of leaders to pursue the solutions that will bring greater equity to the world across education, health and psychology.

To learn more about the Public Good Initiative at Teachers college and the work of our guests, access transcripts of this episode, and more, visit tc.edu/pursuingthepublicgood.

Credits: Pursuing the Public Good is produced by The Office of the President, The Digital Futures Institute, and the Office of Institutional Advancement at Teachers College, Columbia University. This episode was edited by Jen Lee and Billy Collins. Audio recording by Moira McCavana. Producers Joe Riina-Ferrie and Amy Hawley Alvarez. Script writing by Robin Willig. Outreach by Morgan Gilbard and Jackie Teschon.

The views expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.