CELF 2021 Summer Institutes
Interactive, Interdisciplinary Virtual Professional Learning for K-12 Educators
Learn more about the 2021 Summer Institutes!
Download the Summer Institutes flyer here.
Education for Sustainability: Reflecting on What Matters — Registration Open
Session 1: July 6-8, 2:00 – 4:30 PM ET OR
Session 2: July 13-15, 11:00 – 1:30 PM ET
This 3-day (7.5 hour) online institute will introduce how to apply education for sustainability as a lens for learning. Participants will explore CELF’s Big Ideas of Sustainability Framework to identify ways to reflect on personal values and implement the big ideas into current teaching practices. Digital tools will be explored to leverage student engagement in the hybrid classroom. Teachers will walk away with a new or re-designed activity infused with the big ideas of sustainability ready to implement in the upcoming school year.
Civic Science: Inquiry to Action — Registration Open
July 27-29 & August 3-5,
2:00 – 4:30 PM ET
This 6-day (15 hour) online institute will introduce CELF’s Inquiry to Action Framework within the context of your hybrid classroom. Participants will learn the skills and knowledge to develop a project to engage student learning through inquiry, place and action. Pathways to topics such as water, biodiversity and air will be explored. Teachers will walk away with an Inquiry to Action project planner ready to implement in the fall.
Administrator Email Outreach
Use this letter template to communicate the value of this PD with your administration as a professional learning experience that will benefit not only you, but your school, district and community. Feel free to customize and use it to request approval to attend the Summer Institutes.
Reflecting on What Matters… What does Sustainability mean now? Moving Forward in Education
There is a sea change happening in K-12 education toward schools that genuinely engage all students in learning that addresses our global future in the areas of equity, social justice, and sustainability. CELF is supporting teachers as they reframe and reflect upon their teaching practices to ensure that our next generation is prepared with the systems-thinking mindset they’ll need to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
Learn More about the CELF Summer Institutes below:
The CELF 2021 Summer Institutes are going virtual again this summer! Each Institute offers standards-aligned, credit-based programming, geared towards a national audience of K-12 educators. This collaborative virtual experience will harness the imagination and energy of our educator community, preparing for the return to the real and/or hybrid classroom with a revitalized spirit in the fall. Reflection is important as we embark upon a new school year ahead. Participants will reflect on what matters most to them and redefine what sustainability means and looks like as a result of the pandemic. The 2021 Summer Institutes will inspire, educate, and reignite our collective commitment to educating for sustainability.
Register with your Team of Colleagues!
Interactive, in-depth, and self-paced, CELF’s online Institutes are designed for individual or school team participation that connect instructional practices to real-world applications and learning experiences.
Takeaways include:
- Developed or redesign a lesson or activity with the integration of the big ideas of sustainability
- Connect to a community of educators from across the country
- Engage your students in civic science and action
- Gain access to CELF’s Digital ToolKit of Resources
Education for Sustainability: Reflecting on What Matters:
The first of CELF’s two session offerings this year is Education for Sustainability: Reflecting on What Matters. This will allow participants the choice to participate in either a morning or afternoon time frame that works best for them. Each session is 3 days / 7.5 hours.
Option 1 – Afternoon sessions: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, July 6-8th, 2:00 – 4:30PM ET
Option 2 – Morning sessions: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, July 13-15th, 11:00 – 1:30PM ET
Civic Science Inquiry to Action:
CELF will also offer a 15 hour (6 days) session on Civic Science Inquiry to Action focused on applying a place and project based learning lesson into your hybrid classroom. Pathways to air and water quality, biodiversity and waste management will be explored.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, July 27-29th AND August 3-5th, 2:00 – 4:30PM ET
Apply for a scholarship
CELF will be offering a limited number of full scholarships. Preference will be given to teachers applying from Title 1 schools and other needs-based applicants. CELF will contact you upon receipt of your application.
New this year… CELF in the Field!
Join CELF educators for field experiences in July! This opportunity will allow participants to meet in-person to engage in nature-based learning. These events are optional for those able to access the site locations.
NY Location: Friday, July 9th at Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB), 12:00 – 2:00PM ET
TX Location: Monday, July 12th at Jesse Jones Park and Nature Center, 9:30AM – 12:30PM CT
Earn PD Credit
Depending on your state, or district, you can earn PD credits for completing the CELF Summer Institute. In-service credits based on district policy.
| New York PD Credits | Texas PD Credits | California PD Credits |
| Education for Sustainability: Continuing Teacher Leadership Education (CTLE) credits = 7.5 hours | Education for Sustainability: Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits = 7.5 hours | Education for Sustainability: LAUSD schools can apply for credits through the district |
| Civic Science Institute: ASPDP = 2 credits for NYC teachers ONLY* Continuing Teacher Leadership Education (CTLE) credits = 15 hours | Civic Science Institute: Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits = 15 hours | Civic Science Institute: LAUSD schools can apply for credits through the district |
*Click here for details about our ASPDP Summer Course.
Straight from the Source: Participant Testimonial from Our 2020 Summer Institutes
In Partnership With:
CELF Summer Institute participants receive a 50% tuition discount on the Education for Sustainability (EfS) Advanced Certificate offered through the Manhattanville College School of Education.
Past Keynotes & Guest Speakers
Susan Kaiser Greenland
Author/Teacher of Mindfulness for Children
Kate Raworth
Economist, Oxford University
Dr. Bertie Simmons
Author/K-12 Changemaker
Karen Banda
Environmental Justice Leader
Tammie Lang Campbell
Founder, Honey Brown Hope Foundation
Shar-Day Campbell
Award-winning Communications Strategist
Lynne Cherry
Author/Founder of Young Voices for the Planet
Jaysa Hunter-Mellers
Youth Climate Activist
Jaime Gonzalez
Houston Healthy Cities
Dr. Maida Galvez
Mount Sinai PEHSU
Luz Guel
Mount Sinai CEC
Tyler Knowlton
Plume Labs
David MacLean
Founder & President, McMac CxPast Participant Testimonials
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
From the beginning, CELF has embraced the value of in-person learning and hands-on support for educators. Over sixteen years of Summer Institutes, professional development workshops, and classroom visits have produced a vast knowledge base and built strong relationships with schools and districts across the country. Along the way, CELF has also innovated with online toolkits, resources and webinars, and that forward thinking is exactly what is called for now.
See background on the in-person transformative CELF Summer Institute: Education for Sustainability