Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools

October 2026 | Programs, resources & stories for educators

Save the dates to join us for a program in 2027!

Education for Sustainability (EFS) Certificates, begins Summer 2027
Northeast Farm to School Institute, begins June 29–July 1, 2027
Foundations in EFS, July 5–9, 2027
Cultivating Joy & Wonder, July 12–16, 2027
Immersion in EFS, July 20–22, 2027
EFS Leadership Academy, begins July 27–29, 2027
A Forest for Every Classroom, begins August 2027
Farm to School Leadership Academy, begins Fall 2027

See more dates and details for upcoming programs on our calendar.

BLOG

Bringing a School Garden Back to Life

October is National Farm to School Month, a time to celebrate all things food education, farms, and school gardens!

Community input, clear communication, and gratitude helped the garden thrive at Hunt Middle School in Burlington, Vermont. Sixth-grade educator Maisie Anrod shares what she's learned.

Read the story

RESOURCE

Celebrating Our Roots Toolkit

Every student carries a story about food: an ode to a favorite dish, a treasured family recipe, or a memory of a celebratory meal. This toolkit, created for grades 3–6 by educators, offers 21 lessons for helping students explore identity, culture, and belonging through food.

Available as part of our professional learning resource library. Explore dozens of lessons, posters, recipes and more by topic and grade.

Download the free toolkit

RECIPE

Cook Up a Pizza Party

Cooking pizzas with kids offers them a better understanding of where their food comes from and builds community by giving everyone opportunities to contribute. See our education team's go-to recipes for dough, sauce, and cheese.

Get the recipes

What We're Following

Find ways to celebrate National Farm to School Month in Vermont and beyond.

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"Farm to school has changed my life and shaped my high school experience." What two students told legislators about farm to school.

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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.