Advancing Environmental Education Practice
4-week global online course (January 5–30, 2026), Cornell University certificate reflecting 25 professional development hours.
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For environmental and sustainability educators in schools, nonprofits, nature centers, parks, zoos, aquariums, community organizations, government agencies, universities, and other settings.
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Learn with Professor Marianne Krasny, a Cornell University professor and leading scholar in environmental education.
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Earn a Cornell University certificate in Advanced Environmental Education.
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Asynchronous learning with optional live webinars and interactive workshops.
Why take this course?
Environmental and sustainability educators are often asked, “What difference does your program make?” This course helps you answer that question clearly and confidently. By the end of the course, you will:
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Clarify the outcomes you want to see in learners, organizations, communities, and society.
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Understand how change happens through environmental education using theory of change and backward planning.
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Strengthen an existing program or design a new one using research-based frameworks.
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Connect with a global community of educators who care about impactful, outcomes-based practice.
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Document 25 hours of professional development with a Cornell University certificate that can support promotion, performance review, and career advancement.
What you will do
Throughout the course, you will work on one real program from your own context (school, organization, community, or agency):
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Define and refine outcomes for individuals, organizations, communities, and ecosystems.
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Create or update a theory of change and visual outcome map for your program.
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Use backward planning to align activities, learning experiences, and evaluation strategies with your outcomes.
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Reflect and receive feedback on your program from Professor Krasny or peers in online discussions and workshops.
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Complete a short final project that summarizes your program’s theory of change, desired outcomes, or outlines next steps.
Course experience
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Format – Asynchronous modules on our online platform (videos, readings, and discussion prompts) plus optional live webinars and workshops.
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Optional webinars and workshops: Tuesdays, 9:00–10:00 a.m. New York time, with invited speakers. Wednesdays, 9:00–10:00 a.m. New York time, facilitated by Professor Krasny and tailored to topics drawn from participant registration responses. All live meetings are recorded for those who cannot attend.
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Workload – About 5 hours per week over 4 weeks, plus 5 hours to finalize the project (approximately 25 hours total).
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Learning approach – We emphasize social learning, reflection, and practical application. You will learn from course materials, from Professor Krasny’s book chapters, and from the experiences of fellow participants around the world.
Is this course for me?
This course is designed for:
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School teachers and university educators who want to design or revise environmental and sustainability courses, units, or co-curricular programs.
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Nonprofit, nature center, and community educators who lead programs in communities, parks, zoos, aquariums, gardens, and similar settings.
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Government, NGO, and organizational staff responsible for environmental, climate, or sustainability initiatives who want clearer logic models and outcomes.
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Graduate students and early-career professionals interested in outcomes-focused environmental education practice.
You do not need a research background. We will use research-informed concepts in a practical, applied way.
Meet your instructor and team
Professor Marianne Krasny (Cornell University, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment) is the lead instructor. She is a widely cited scholar in environmental education and civic ecology and the author of several books, including on environmental education outcomes that will be shared in this course.
The course is offered by the Cornell Civic Ecology Lab, with support from researchers, graduate students, and teaching assistants who help facilitate discussions, workshops, and participant support.
Credential and tuition
Participants who complete the course requirements (weekly work plus final project) will receive a Cornell University certificate in Advanced Environmental Education (PDF) documenting 25 professional development hours.
We use tiered pricing to keep the course accessible to educators worldwide while covering course development and facilitation costs. A limited number of competitive, need-based scholarships will be available.
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$90 – Participants residing in the United States, Canada, European countries, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Mainland China, Taiwan, Australia, and New Zealand.
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$20 – Participants residing in all other countries.
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Competitive scholarship – Apply by December 30, 2025 (awards announced on January 3, 2026). Complete this document before registering for the course.
Questions?
Most logistics will be explained on the registration page and in our pre-course email.
If you still have questions, please contact our course administrator at CivicEcology@cornell.edu and include “AEEP” in the subject line.
We look forward to learning with you and to supporting your efforts to design environmental education programs that create meaningful outcomes for people, communities, and the environment.