Urban Environmental Education
Urban Environmental Education
Cornell University online course
October 24 – November 20, 2022
Interactive
Course participants collaborate with each other, and interact with instructors and webinar presenters.
Practical
We use research-based ideas and other knowledge to improve environmental educational programs.
Popular
Hundreds of participants from over 50 countries have taken this popular course. Join our growing community!
Registration is open until
Friday, October 28, 2022
Information for participants in China:
中国学员请关注公众号 (CornellCEL) 获取课程中文详情。
ABOUT THE COURSE
Urban environmental education (UEE) includes any learning practices that foster individual and community well-being and environmental quality in cities. Similar to how cities are innovation hubs, urban environmental education generates novel educational approaches that advance the field of environmental education more broadly. Urban environmental educators and their programs can benefit by adapting ideas from inspirational examples of other urban environmental education programs, and from recent research in this field. In this course, you will learn about UEE, including: (1) urban contexts; (2) theoretical background, (3) educational settings, (4) participants, and (5) educational approaches in urban environmental education. The course is offered by the Cornell University’s Civic Ecology Lab, and based on cutting-edge ideas from the “Urban Environmental Education Review” book.
Invite your colleagues
Please invite your colleagues, friends, and anyone else to join this course. It's fun to learn along with your friends and colleagues! We accept new participants until October 28, 2022.
Course Instructors
Alex Kudryavtsev
Main instructor,
Cornell Research Associate
Marianne Krasny
Co-instructor,
Cornell Professor
Fish Yu
Co-instructor,
Cornell Graduate Student
Course Email
Feel free to ask Kim Snyder, our course assistant, any questions about this course.
When you contact us, please type "Urban EE" in the subject line of your email.
Course Dates
October 24 – November 20, 2019. The course includes 4 weeks of instruction (lectures, readings, webinars and discussions). You’ll have to create an activity plan or lesson plan, and submit it by no later than November 25, 2022 . The course requires 4-5 hours of work per week and offers a Cornell certificate upon completion of assignments (20 learning hours total).
Participants
Participants with any level of experience and from any countries are welcome. The course is designed for current educators, aspiring environmental educators, university students, urban leaders, and other professionals interested in environmental education, community and youth development, nonformal education, environmental justice, environmental governance and planning, and sustainable cities.
Goal
We aim to help participants improve their knowledge of urban environmental education, and their educational programs.
Educational Approach
In this course, three ideas inform our teaching philosophy. (1) Learning is social: we learn effectively within the social context, by exchanging our perspectives, and by constructing knowledge collectively. This course provides rich opportunities for networking and peer-to-peer learning. We encourage networking among course participants, learning from each other, and communication with course instructors. (2) Learning objectives reflect various levels of learning according to Bloom’s taxonomy, including: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating information about urban environmental education. We include materials and assignments that help you reflect on your own learning goals, generate new ideas, and critically explore research-based and practice-based ideas. In addition, the course offers a variety of learning materials to choose from and to meet your needs and interests. This course gives participants much freedom in choosing their assignments, which will prepare them to fulfill the final assignment. (3) Participants will benefit from the course by progressively working on their course projects, by applying what they learn from the course to their practice in current or future urban environmental education programs.
Learning Outcomes
In this course, participants will choose their learning goals:
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Explore theories, terminology, practices, issues and opportunities that define urban environmental education.
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Describe your own program’s settings, goals, and participants.
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Outline how you can apply urban environmental education research and practice ideas to your own educational program.
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Compare and contrast various educational approaches and settings in urban environmental education.
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Learn to critique and evaluate urban environmental education programs and related research.
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Produce new or original materials or activities related to urban environmental education.
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Expand your network of urban environmental educators.
Registration fee
Course fee is $60, which includes free access to selected chapters from Urban Environmental Education Review textbook, other readings, educational videos, several outstanding webinars, and great networking opportunities. As part of our commitment to making our online courses available to anyone anywhere, and to creating a rich global online learning community, those without the ability to pay can sign up for a reduced fee. Alternatively, you can pay $120 to become a sponsor for a student who is unable to pay.
Course materials and activities include:
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Selected chapters from the “Urban Environmental Education Review” book.
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Urban Environmental Education Review videos based on book chapters.
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Instructional video lectures.
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Multiple research articles.
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Networking opportunities through discussion boards and social media.
Technology
We use the edX Edge learning management system. Participants can also use optional social media groups (Facebook, WhatsApp, WeChat) for networking and ideas exchange.
Assessment
Contribute to all weekly discussions, participate in at least one webinar (it’s okay to watch a recorded webinar if time is inconvenient for you), and submit the 1–page activity plan to receive a Cornell Certificate.
Optional book
This course is based on the book titled "Urban Environmental Education Review." Several chapters will be available in this course for free. If you want to obtain the entire book, please visit publishers websites. The book is available in there languages: English, Greek, and Chinese.
Russ, A., Krasny, M. (Eds.) (2017). Urban environmental education review. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Russ, A., Krasny, M. (Επιμέλεια). (2021). Περιβαλλοντική εκπαίδευση στις πόλεις. Καλαϊτζιδάκη, Μ. (Επιστημονική επιμέλεια), Καϊάφας, Μ. (Μεταφραση). Athens, Greece: Gutenberg.
Russ, A., Krasny M.E. 著 (2022). 城市环境教育概论. 王西敏 邱文晖 译. 生态学名著译丛. Beijing, China: Higher Education Press.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is the course email? CivicEcology@cornell.edu (Please write “UEE course” in the subject line.)
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Why do you have three types of enrollment for different fees? We are committed to creating equal access to the course materials and to instructor feedback regardless of where a student lives or his/her ability to pay. Students can pay a reduced fee or not pay if they they do not have systems to transfer funds to the U.S. (e.g., Afghanistan, Iran, Somaliland) or because the basic $60 fee is beyond their reach (e.g., you are experience economic hardship). Most course participants pay $60, which enables us to develop and run online courses. We are grateful for your support!
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If I pay $120, can I link with the student I sponsor? No, we would like to keep who pays and who doesn’t pay anonymous. However, you will be able to connect with students from many different countries through the course social media.
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Can I sponsor more than one student? Yes, we would be grateful for your support of other students, especially in developing countries, who otherwise cannot afford paying for this course.
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How long is the course? This is an 4-week course with one additional weeks to complete the course project. For the course project, you will write a 1-page course project in which you will outline an urban EE activity or lesson plan. After completing course assignments, you will receive an Cornell Certificate.
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Can I submit the course project in my native language? We strongly encourage you to submit all assignments in English so that instructors and other students can give you feedback. Participants in China can submit lesson plans in Chinese because we have TAs who speak Chinese.
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How will I receive course certificates? You will receive your course certificate via email no more than two months after the end of the course.
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What social media are used in this course? We use an optional Facebook, WhatsApp, and WeChat group – where students and instructors share ideas and resources. Only course participants can be part of these groups, please do not invite people outside this course.
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Can I share course materials with my colleagues and friends? You are not allowed to share, copy, distribute, or forward any materials from this course. They are only for your own learning.
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Can I use this course for teaching my own students in a college or university? Please contact the Civic Ecology Lab.