NYC SUMMER INSTITUTE
Overview
Each summer, The Center for Sustainable Futures at Teachers College, Columbia University, and NYC Public Schools Office of Sustainability partner to present the NYC Summer Institute on Climate Education in NYC Public Schools.
A vital part of LEAP’s education programming, the NYC Summer Institute constitutes 4-5 full days of professional learning, bringing together faculty, doctoral students, expert teachers, and leaders from the NYC Department of Education to create a learning community that will explore, make sense of, and provide tangible support for incorporating climate education across different subject areas.
Each Summer Institute cohort then presents the results of their climate lesson plan pilots in a final showcase event at Teachers College. Cohorts represents all five boroughs, and presentations will provide insights into bringing climate education to students in New York City.
The NYC Summer Institute is free.
Participants receive a stipend, and may earn up to 28 CTLE credits.
Read about the 2025 Summer Institute, 2024 Summer Institute, and 2023 Summer Institute.
Summer Institute Goals
As the need and demand grows for the integration of climate education in schools, LEAP’s Summer Institute will help catalyze the preparation of public school teachers to develop and lead lessons aligned with standards- and place-based learning.
The goals of the NYC Summer Institute are:
- To develop new knowledge and understanding of our climate among teachers.
- To empower teachers to engage their students with climate education across different subject areas, including: English Language Arts (ELA), Math, Social Studies, Arts, and Science.
- To co-design innovative teaching materials about our climate in New York City.
- To establish a learning community of teachers from different schools and neighborhoods.
