A core curriculum for sustainability leadership

Abstract

In response to the scale, complexity, and urgency of the sustainability challenges societies face, there has been both rapid growth in the broad field of sustainability science and technology, as well as sustainability education globally. Yet, demand for sustainability education still far outstrips supply, and the gap between current reality and achieving the goal of intergenerational well-being is widening. There is a need for greater understanding, innovation, and alignment in sustainability education to ensure programs are effective in cultivating agents of change with capabilities pertinent to and commensurate with the nature of the challenge. Through a highly consultative, multi-year process, we used systems design, combining a systems perspective with the iterative design and inquiry process from design thinking, as well as grounded theory to develop a model of a “New Leader”, and an associated curriculum and pedagogy to cultivate these change agents. The resulting Change Leadership for Sustainability Program at Stanford University offers a set of perspectives, frameworks, and tools and a pedagogical approach that prepares students to study and lead change effectively in any social-environmental system, no matter the sector or topic of interest, with an explicit normative goal of intergenerational well-being. After testing and evaluating the Program’s curriculum and pedagogy over the past five years through both master’s and executive programs, we have found that the development of specific competencies is an essential element of sustainability education, yet it is also crucial to focus on cultivating the identity, perspectives, and agency of these New Leaders in order to prepare them for maximum impact.