Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools

June 2025 | Programs, resources & stories for educators

There's still time to join our community of learners this summer! Space is available in these upcoming programs.

Immersion in Education for Sustainability, July 22–24 plus online sessions in July and August
EFS Graduate Certificates, multi-year, begins Summer 2025
Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability, year-long, begins Aug. 14
Farm to School Leadership Academy, year-long, begins Sept.

See all professional learning offerings

A slideshow of images depicting groups of children and adults in indoor and outdoor learning spaces

YEAR-LONG PROGRAM, BEGINS AUG. 14

Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability with Kickoff Educator Retreat

Empower youth to make real change in 2025–26. Begin with an energizing retreat for educators Aug. 14 at Shelburne Farms. Then, over the school year, you and your students will develop and implement community action projects to advance the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Offered in partnership with UP for Learning.

Details and application, due Aug. 1

Three adults smile while holding pieces of string connected to a larger web part of a team building activity

YEAR-LONG PROGRAM

Farm to School Leadership Academy

For leaders committed to transforming food systems in schools. By focusing on education, resilience, and care, explore how transformational leadership, systems change, and community support can help strengthen and sustain your farm to school work. Offered in partnership with the National Farm to School Network. Funded in part through a grant from the US Department of Agriculture.

Details and application, due June 23

Two people admire a large mural depicting three interlocked hands

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Leaving a Mark

Through the Burlington City & Lake Semester program, high school juniors and seniors collaborate with an artist-in-residence as they explore what it means for a community to thrive. This year, learning culminated in a mural meant to welcome, inspire, and communicate a sense of collective care. A program of Shelburne Farms and the Burlington School District.

Read the story

What We're Following

"Because of our garden, I know how to grow food, how to cook it, and how good fresh food can taste. Every school should have that opportunity and experience." Hear enthusiastic farm to school stories from students at Champlain Elementary in Burlington, Vt., shared during Farm to School & Early Childhood Awareness Day at the Vermont State House.

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Brian Winslow, a K-4 STEAM teacher from the Southwick School in Northfield, New Hampshire, talks about their dynamic program that includes a greenhouse aquaponics, an apiary, and school-wide composting. Via the Northeast Farm to School Collaborative Podcast, Episode Six.

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Minnesota teens are fighting climate anxiety with shovels, reports the New York Times. With the Green Crew, students get their hands dirty with projects like tree planting, trail restoration, and invasive species removal.

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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.