The Sustainability Teachers' Academies

The Walton Sustainability Teachers Academy from the Lifelong Learning Team at the Rob Walton College of Global Futures has new updates and news to share! If you’re interested in learning more about programs that you, as an educator, your schools and your students can get involved in to receive knowledge in sustainability, these programs may be right for you. We offer four total educational opportunities, two of which include our notable Create for Change fellowship and Canopy for Kids Opportunity. If you have questions, contact our team!

Meet Connor!

Connor is the newest member of our LifeLong Learning Team, joining us as Program Coordinator.

Welcome to the LLL team!👏

Big news!🎉The Sustainability Teachers Academy team is honored to be a 2025 President’s Award recipient for the Storm Smart Schools Learning Lab.

Storm Smart Schools partners with Phoenix-area schools and community organizations to support climate resilience through green infrastructure and hands-on learning. These projects help reduce flooding, provide shade, and create outdoor learning spaces for students and teachers.

We’re grateful to be recognized for this work and proud of what the STA team and our collaborators have built together.

Read more here: https://news.asu.edu/20251212-university-news-asu-employees-earn-recognition-their-work-realworld-solutions

Introducing Loretta!

Loretta Lyken is a community educator and sustainability program coordinator with a background in school garden education, food systems, and project-based learning. She has spent the past several years building and leading hands-on garden and food education programs across Phoenix, partnering with schools, nonprofits, and local organizations to connect students to nature, food, and environmental stewardship. Her work centers on bridging classroom learning with real-world sustainability practices to create meaningful, place-based educational experiences.

Welcome to the Lifelong Learning Team, Loretta!👏

Hey educators 👋 — ready to bring sustainability to life in your classroom?
The Mill Food Recycler Educators Guide (developed with WWF + ASU) has lessons, activities, and discussion ideas to get students thinking about food, waste, and the planet. 🌱
Take a look: https://www.mill.com/lp/schools

Hey educators 👋 — ready to bring sustainability to life in your classroom?

The Mill Food Recycler Educators Guide (developed with WWF + ASU) has lessons, activities, and discussion ideas to get students thinking about food, waste, and the planet. 🌱
Take a look: https://www.mill.com/blog/educators-guide-wwf-asu

- The College of Global Futures Lifelong Learning Team welcomes our newest member, Róisín Liew, onboard! She will be assisting in a number of projects regarding futures development and sustainable education, some including FWPW, Plastic-Free Campus, Canopy for Kids, and more! We’re so excited to have you, Róisín!

It’s with great excitement, though also sadness, to have some new updates on our Lifelong Learning Team at the College of Global Futures! Our latest Program Assistant, Danielle Nguyen, will be leaving our team the work to pursue further academic and career endeavors. We have greatly appreciated all of your undertakings, accomplishments, and energy into Rise, FWPW, and social media projects, Dani. You will be sorely missed, but we know you will do incredible things out there! Thank you, Dani!

Announcing the 2025-2026 Canopy for Kids Schools! 🏫

School teams from each site will receive educator professional training, hands-on water harvesting skills, and shade tree planting with the Walton Sustainability Teachers Academy, Watershed Management Group, EcoRise, and the City of Phoenix’s Office of Heat Response and Mitigation team.

Want to learn more?

🔗 Explore the Canopy for Kids website: https://lnkd.in/gEmi4scX

🔗 And check out this great article by Allison Wolf, PMP: https://lnkd.in/g4mEfuJ9

Join our upcoming Teacher Webinar on Thursday, October 16th at 1 PM EST / 10 AM PST featuring the Mill Educators Guide, designed to help teachers introduce Mill into their classrooms and students to rethink food waste and explore circular solutions. 🌱 Register here: https://wwfus.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xXaZE9vUQCylDdrd3tEK1A