Curriculum Development Workshops
Santa Clara University offers a summer series of online professional development workshops for faculty and staff, open to both SCU and other higher education institutions.
Our Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshops support the development of courses that are sustainability-focused or incorporate sustainability as a component. Please review which workshops best meet your needs and use the common application form to apply to one or more workshop.
Comparing the Workshops: At a Glance
The Sustainability Across the Curriculum workshop is an introductory workshop for newcomers to this material or those in need of a refresher. The other two workshops are intermediate-level workshops for people who have some experience with the material and/or who especially want to develop their conceptual understanding of environmental justice/integral ecology or their pedagogy.
Applicants are welcome to apply for more than one workshop in the same summer.
2026 Workshops |
Dates |
Participants |
Content |
|
Sustainability Across the Curriculum |
June 22-26, 2026 |
Designed for faculty, instructional staff, and campus sustainability staff |
How to design a module or course on sustainability in any discipline. Parallel track on how to design a Sustainability across the Curriculum program at your institution. |
|
Environmental Justice and Integral Ecology |
July 6-10, 2026 |
Designed for faculty, instructional staff, and campus sustainability staff |
Deeper focus on how to teach about environmental justice and integral ecology in any discipline. Parallel track on how to design an Environmental Justice across the Curriculum program at your institution. |
|
Pedagogy for Sustainability and Justice |
July 20-24, 2026 |
Designed for faculty, instructional staff, and campus sustainability staff |
Deeper focus on how to design project-based and experiential learning, community-based learning and community-engaged research projects, and using the campus as a living lab for applied learning about sustainability and justice. Parallel track on how to design a pedagogy-focused professional development program at your institution. |
See full Workshop Descriptions
How the Workshops are Taught
Each workshop involves around eight hours of work over one week. Workshops are taught using a hybrid method: live videoconference meetings establish expectations and relationships among participants and provide open office hours with instructors, and self-paced online instruction allows participants to work at their own pace. At the end of each module, participants apply what they have learned to design an aspect of a course or training program, contributing these assignments to small-group online discussions among members of the learning community. Throughout, participants receive feedback on their plans from their cohort and the instructors. All participants who finish a course will receive a certificate; SCU participants are also eligible for a stipend. The workshops offer access to repositories of curricular examples, pedagogy, case studies, and other materials.
Reviews
Past participants in the workshops from across North America have rated them highly. Over the past three years, 95% of participants or higher have agreed that:
- The purpose and goals of the workshop were met
- The workshop provided me with knowledge and resources that will be useful in my work
- I valued interacting with the other workshop participants
- I would recommend this workshop to a colleague
Example comments from participants:
“I felt the workshop was very well thought out and systematically organized. The plethora of resources was also amazing and I know they will be useful as I share this with faculty at my institution. Thank you so much!”
“I came into this week not sure how I could do this kind of work, and already after one week I have a clear idea and strategy on how to make our Math Department a lot greener and sustainability/social justice conscious.”
“Course content was relevant, manageable, and took into consideration the time limitations and feasibility of what could be done in a semi-immersive week. I like that we can continue to use/refer back to the resources. I also like that the modules reflect national trends.”
“Excellent resources, well curated, love that it is an online and self-paced format. I have a 5 month old at home and I was able to do this when he was napping. The module also pushed me to expand what I was thinking about for sustainability."
“It was helpful for our institution's committee to go through this together and come away with a shared framework and common language to inform our future work.”
“Our institution’s task force really needed something to co-orient our conversations toward. This workshop was a perfect fit in that regard. Excited to get started.”
“I came away feeling gratified in what I do, motivated by others in the field, re-invigorated with a sense of urgency, and grateful for the professionalism and passion of the presenters. Also, doing this with a colleague led to many helpful and productive conversations in person with her on our campus this week. Thank you!”
“I didn't know what to expect from this, but have been really pleased with the experience! For the price, this was such a treasure trove of resources that was thoughtfully and carefully presented, and your individual attention further stressed that this is a fully supported journey of inquiry and not just a ‘click and go’ module.”
“Thinking about my undergraduate sustainability program broadly in terms of sustainability competencies and associated pedagogies was incredibly helpful. Connecting to others was rewarding, and allowed me to be thoughtful about and make improvements to my program.”
“Behind the creation of this workshop there is the expertise of so many academics, experts, and institutions, and it really shows. Great job!
“The best workshop I've taken: intelligently designed, extremely useful, and well-organized toward important mutual goals.”
Instructors
Chad Raphael is a Faculty Associate for Sustainability across the Curriculum at SCU’s Center for Sustainability, a Co-Coordinator of the Environmental Justice and the Common Good Initiative, and a Professor and former Department Chair of Communication at Santa Clara University.
Christopher Bacon is a Faculty Associate for Academic Programs at SCU’s Center for Sustainability, and a Professor and Department Chair in Environmental Studies and Sciences.
Lindsey Kalbrenner is the Director of SCU’s Center for Sustainability and teaches courses in SCU’s Department of Management and Entrepreneurship.
Veronica Johnson is the Academics and Engagement Program Manager of SCU’s Center for Sustainability, the former Sustainability Coordinator at Southwestern University, and studying for the EdD in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Collectively, the instructors have over 75 years combined experience in teaching, leading undergraduate research projects, and designing campus-based and community-based learning about sustainability. Under Lindsey’s leadership of initiatives across campus operations, education, and campus and community outreach, SCU has earned top rankings for sustainability from AASHE and the Princeton Review.
Costs and Stipends
Registration fees are $200 per workshop for non-SCU participants. Reduced rates are available for larger cohorts from the same institution. Applicants who do not have a professional development budget can apply for a full scholarship.
SCU participants are welcome to apply for as many workshops as they like but are compensated for the number of courses they revise. SCU participants are eligible for a $500 stipend for revising or adding a module to one course, $750 for revising or adding a module to two courses, and $1000 for revising or adding a module to three or more courses. SCU participants are eligible for a $750 stipend for developing a brand-new course focused entirely on sustainability. Revised curricula must be submitted to sustainability@scu.edu by September 15.
Application Deadlines
Applications for all workshops open in February and are considered on a rolling basis. Those who apply by Tuesday, April 7, 2026, will receive top priority. Applications close Monday, May 4, 2026. Expect a response to your application within one week of submission, starting in April.
Contact
Please contact sustainability@scu.edu with any questions.
Workshop Descriptions
Participants: This workshop is for instructors in any discipline who are planning to include a module on sustainability in an existing course or to develop a new course focused entirely on sustainability. A parallel track for staff and faculty members who are leading campus sustainability efforts addresses how to design and implement a Sustainability across the Curriculum program at your institution.
Agenda: The workshop will help participants draw inspiration from multiple visions of sustainability, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Laudato Si’ University Pathways, and academic associations in multiple fields. Modules introduce how to use the campus for experiential and project-based learning about sustainability, as well as options for community-based learning. Exercises will help faculty to begin drafting their learning goals, focal questions for students, and activities. An optional module introduces teaching about environmental justice. All participants will leave with resources on designing sustainability curricula and assignments in all fields.
Dates: The workshop begins with a live orientation on Zoom on June 22, 9:30 - 10:30 am (Pacific Time). Thereafter, participants can complete the material at their own pace between June 22 – June 26.
Cost: Registration fees are $200 per workshop for non-SCU participants. Reduced rates are available for larger cohorts from the same institution. Applicants who do not have a professional development budget can apply for a full scholarship.
Participants: This workshop is for instructors in any discipline who want to develop or deepen their teaching about environmental justice and integral ecology. A parallel track for staff and faculty members who are leading campus curriculum reform efforts addresses how to design and implement an Environmental Justice across the Curriculum program at your institution. While some material in the workshop is especially designed for colleagues at Jesuit and Catholic schools, participants from all institutions are welcome.
Agenda: The workshop will equip participants with a deep understanding of environmental justice and integral ecology, and how they can be integrated into any discipline. Modules introduce the central concepts, and support participants to design learning goals and assignments in their disciplines on multiple issues (such as food justice, water justice, law and advocacy, health, urban planning, community economic development, and more). The workshop also helps instructors to relate academic learning to students’ vocations and community engagement for environmental justice and integral ecology.
Dates: The workshop begins with a live orientation on Zoom on July 6, 9:30 - 10:30 am (Pacific Time). Thereafter, participants can complete the material at their own pace between July 6 – July 10.
Cost: Registration fees are $200 per workshop for non-SCU participants. Reduced rates are available for larger cohorts from the same institution. Applicants who do not have a professional development budget can apply for a full scholarship.
Participants: This workshop is for instructors in any discipline who want to refine or discover new methods of teaching about sustainability and justice. A parallel track for staff and faculty members who are leading campus curriculum reform efforts addresses how to train instructors on your campus in pedagogy for justice and sustainability.
Agenda: The workshop prepares participants to design project-based and experiential learning; create community-based learning and community-engaged research projects; use the campus as a living lab for applied learning about sustainability and justice; and apply Ignatian pedagogy to teach students about sustainability, environmental justice, and integral ecology. Modules support participants to design lesson plans, projects, and other assignments for high-impact, transformative learning experiences, and contributing to sustainability and justice on campus and in communities.
Dates: The workshop begins with a live orientation on Zoom on July 20, 9:30 - 10:30 am (Pacific Time). Thereafter, participants can complete the material at their own pace between July 20 – July 24.
Cost: Registration fees are $200 per workshop for non-SCU participants. Reduced rates are available for larger cohorts from the same institution. Applicants who do not have a professional development budget can apply for a full scholarship.
Partners
Our workshops are affiliated with several organizations.
SCU’s Center for Sustainability empowers SCU students, faculty, and staff to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world.
SCU’s Environmental Justice & the Common Good Initiative supports community-driven research and learning for environmental and social justice at SCU and across higher education.
SCU is a national Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum affiliated with the Association for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
