We created an online collaboration facility bringing together university faculty and industry pros to tackle skill set development for the clean economy.

The Goal

Provide a convenient online consultation solution to align instructional approaches with industry workforce needs in key sustainability spaces.

What We Did

Businesses everywhere face the challenge of integrating sustainability practices into their operations. To address this challenge and at the same time find new revenue streams, they require human capital with the right skill sets to take them into the regenerative economy.

Working together with the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS) Subcommittee on Blended and Online Learning, we constructed a social learning portal to bring together AESS member faculty and GreenLeaders DC consultants for in-depth online discussions on aligning sustainability education, teaching, and practice in business, finance, and entrepreneurship.

We conducted six online workshops where participants received in-depth answers to questions in an informal, collegial context. All workshops were broadcast publicly. The workshop recordings continue to serve as an exclusive educational resource available to an unlimited number of outside viewers. Plus, the workshop portal is available for future use as more workshops are developed.

We reached over 300 universities and gained maximum attendance for each workshop. AESS members interacted directly with practitioners and learned first-hand the sustainability challenges facing businesses, and how instruction plays a role in meeting those challenges. Participants identified strategies and practices to better align teaching and practice, leading to better jobs for graduates, enhanced sustainability performance for business, and better economic prospects for the sustainability space.