August 2023 | Programs, resources & stories for educators

Collage of four images of students in the cultivating pathways to sustainability program and closeups of papers with writing

Moving from wonder to action is perhaps one of the hardest things to do in the classroom. But encouraging learners to be co-participants in creating a healthier, more just planet is a crucial part of building hope and resilience.

If you're looking to make the shift to action, join Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability in 2023-24. Offered with UP for Learning, this program will engage your students in learning about their place and show them how they can make an impact on global issues beginning in their community.

To learn more, join us for a virtual info session tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 3PM.

Colorful cards illustrated with various UN Sustainable Development Goals are spread out on a carpet

VIRTUAL WORKSHOP

Join Us Pre-Conference With NAAEE

Oct. 13, explore the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for community transformation and youth-adult partnership. In this NAAEE Pre-Conference workshop, you'll gain tools for your practice and activities for your classroom.

See Details

RECIPES

Inspiration for Hands-On Cooking with Kids

Try the kid-friendly recipes we cooked up during our annual Cultivating Joy & Wonder workshop: zucchini fritters and eggplant tapenade over flatbread.

Try the Recipes

A woman harvests vegtables from a garden while holding a young child

CASE STUDY

Connecting Early Learners to Food Systems

Early childhood educator Laura Butler gets kids involved in learning about all aspects of how food gets to the plate.

Read Now

Rolling green hills in front of Camels Hump mountain in vermont with the shelburne farms farm barn turret in foreground

BLOG

Shelburne Farms, Net Zero by 2028

Shelburne Farms has set a goal to achieve net zero status by 2028, capturing more greenhouse gasses than we produce onsite. Here's how the climate action team is planning for that goal and will measure our progress.

Read Now

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

Fall is the perfect time to visit the Shelburne Farms Children's Farmyard with your class or group! Request a self-guided visit and join in hands-on activities to connect your students to food and fiber.

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A Forest for Every Classroom, Fall 2023–Summer 2024

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Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability, Fall 2023–Spring 2024

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Learning Locally, Transforming Globally: The UN SDGs in My Community, Oct. 13, NAAEE Pre-Conference Workshop

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2023 Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network Annual Gathering, Oct. 30

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All 2023 professional learning programs

What We're Following

If your Vermont school or community garden experienced flood damage, see these flood recovery resources compiled by Vermont FEED.

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In June, Vermont became the sixth state to implement permanent Universal School Meals. A recent panel explored the common threads between these successful campaigns. Watch the webinar via Vermont FEED.

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Young environmental activists prevail in first-of-its-kind climate change trial in Montana. Via AP News.

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An elementary school in New Jersey is creating a culture of caring through student-led service learning. Watch the video via Edutopia.

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Looking to make new classroom connections to climate change? Join Climate Generation for a climate fiction workshop. Details.

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future.

The Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools offers professional learning programs and resources for PreK-12 educators. All of our offerings prepare educators to facilitate learning experiences for students using a lens of sustainability. We believe in the power and potential of students to address the world's most pressing issues. We see schooling as a pathway to create healthy and just communities, successful lives, and a more livable world for all. In partnership with students and communities, educators are changemakers.