Research for climate-smart schools
The Sustainable Education Research Initiative (SustainableED) is a national hub for research at the intersection of education policy and climate change. Schools are both vulnerable to environmental degradation and uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. We advance rigorous, policy-relevant research to help education systems become more resilient to our changing climate, reduce their ecological footprint, and contribute to a more sustainable future. Through interdisciplinary research, cross-sector collaboration, and actionable insights, SustainableED supports evidence-based efforts to create climate-smart schools and a healthier planet.
SustainableED Launch Webinar
SustainableED Events
First Annual SustainableED Conference: Research at the Intersection of Education and the Environment
SustainableED is excited to host a one-day conference on research that examines the relationship between education systems, the environment, and our changing climate. This even will take place on May 1st, 2026 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Call for Abstracts
We are soliciting abstracts for brief presentations of original research that we will group thematically into lightning round sessions. You can submit your work for consideration here.
Review of submissions will begin January 20th and continue until all slots are filled.
SustainableED 2025-26 Virtual Seminar Series
These events are free, open to the public, and hosted on Zoom. Lead researchers at the intersection of education and climate change will present overviews of a range of interdisciplinary topics.
- 12/1/25, 1:00-1:45 pm EST – Jorge Cuartas: Climate Change and Foundations of Lifelong Development (Watch the recording)
- 2/9/26, 1:00-1:45 pm EST – Jaimie Davis: Impact of School Garden Programs on Health and Academic Outcomes (Register here)
- 3/11/26, 1:00-1:45 pm EST – Hunter Gehlbach: The Global Challenge of Teacher about Environmentalism, Climate Change, and Planetary Health (Register here)
- 4/15/26, 1:00-1:45 pm EST – Claudia Persico: How Air Pollution Can Harm Student Achievement and What Schools Can Do to Stop It (Register here)
See here for more info.
Research
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Education and Climate Change: Synthesizing the Evidence to Guide Future Research
The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly visible across all aspects of the U.S. PreK-12 education system. Schools are both vulnerable to climate change and uniquely positioned to be part of the solution. We synthesize a broad body of interdisciplinary research and data to illustrate the bi-directional relationship between schools and our changing climate.
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Climate change is an urgent but often overlooked education policy issue
The United States is facing a dual crisis in declining educational outcomes and escalating climate impacts. Student achievement has dropped to its lowest level in a quarter century and the pandemic-era spike in chronic absenteeism has largely persisted. Climate change is also placing mounting pressures on our country in ways that are impossible to ignore.
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Education and climate change | Episode 981 of the Education Gadfly Show.
Michael Petrilli and David Griffith of the Education Gadfly podcast hosted SustainableED Founder and Faculty Director Matthew Kraft for a conversation about how climate change and education policy are interconnected.
People
