The Online Summer Institute on Climate Change Education 2026
Program Description:
Join educators from across the country for an immersive, online professional development experience. This 30 hour course is spread over ten days and designed to deepen your understanding of climate change and strengthen your ability to integrate climate education into your classroom - no matter your subject area and grade. Whether you teach science, English, math, social studies, or the arts, this Institute is designed to help you seamlessly incorporate climate change education into your subject area.
The Summer Institute brings together faculty, doctoral students, experts and leaders to create a collaborative learning community that explores innovative ways of bringing climate education into classrooms.
Through live sessions, expert panels, asynchronous activities, and peer collaboration, participants will deepen their understanding of climate change, build confidence as educators, co-create innovative teaching materials, and join a supportive network of colleagues committed to climate literacy.
Grounded in an interdisciplinary approach, the Institute emphasizes pedagogy and practice, helping teachers think about how to bring their unique perspective and discipline to climate change education.
CTLE credits and a digital badge available to attendees. Organized by the Center for Sustainable Futures, which explores new ways to transform education through original research and the exchange of ideas to empower all people to solve global and local environmental challenges.
Dates & Registration
Dates: July 20-24 and 27-31, 2026
Format: 30 hours of participation through a combination of live online Zoom sessions, asynchronous video modules, and independent activities.
Times for live sessions: 12:00pm - 1:30pm EST (9am - 10:30am PST) each day
Application: Deadline to apply is Friday, June 26, 2026.
Cost: Free for accepted K-12 teachers.
Fees covered by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) through the Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) Science and Technology Center (STC) Award #2019625.
For more information or questions: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Faculty
Oren Pizmony-Levy is an Associate Professor of International and Comparative Education and Founding Director of the Center for Sustainable Futures at Teachers College, Columbia University. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology and Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from Indiana University–Bloomington. His research examines the emergence, diffusion, and impact of global education movements, with a focus on environmental sustainability education, and international large-scale assessments (e.g., TIMSS and PISA). At the Center, he leads two international projects — one on teachers' engagement with sustainability education (OECD's TALIS) and another on climate change communication and education.
Christina Torres is a Professional Development Lead at the Center for Sustainable Futures and an Adjunct Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She holds a Ph.D. in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Her research examines how young people engage with climate change across educational, civic, and activist contexts, with a focus on the intersection of science education, youth climate activism, and climate change education. Her work also explores teachers’ professional development in climate change education, examining how educators and youth develop the knowledge, identities, and practices needed to participate in climate action.
Ann E. Rivet is Associate Professor of Science Education and Associate Director of the Center for Sustainable Futures at Teachers College, Columbia University, and previously served as a program officer at the National Science Foundation (2016–2019). Her research explores how students develop deep understandings of Earth and environmental science concepts, focusing on scientific reasoning, instructional design, and assessment at the middle and secondary school levels, with particular attention to crosscutting scientific concepts and phenomena-based approaches to learning large-scale Earth systems. She is actively involved in supporting the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) at both policy and practitioner levels.
Learning Objectives
As the need and demand grows for the integration of climate change education in schools, Online Summer Institute on Climate Change Education 2026 will help catalyze the preparation of high school teachers to develop and lead lessons aligned with standards- and place-based learning.
The goals of the Online Summer Institute on Climate Change Education 2026 are:
- Deepen teachers’ understanding of climate change.
- Empower teachers to engage students across diverse subjects.
- Co-create innovative place-based teaching materials
- Build a supportive learning community of educators from across the city.
Who Should Attend
This Institute is ideal for K–12 educators across all subject areas and grades - science, English, math, social studies, and the arts - who want to integrate climate change into their teaching in meaningful, standards-aligned ways. Curriculum coordinators and school leaders building a culture of climate literacy are also welcome. No prior expertise in climate science is required, just a commitment to empowering students to engage with one of the defining challenges of our time.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this institute will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that showcase your commitment to professional growth and can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios.
View our sample program badge and certificate below:
Important Notice: This is a non-credit program. Completion does not provide academic credit toward any degree program at Teachers College or other institutions. No transcript credit will be awarded.