Register for the SAPBL course here. 

Teachers worldwide are welcome to take the free SAPBL online course, plus coaching support, currently offered in English. The course is currently most appropriate for teachers working with children ages 4 - 14 (PK - 8 in the U.S.) but modifications can be made for high school / secondary education as needed. 

All courses are part of a research project to allow us to learn what works best for teachers, children and schools. 

Course Description

Title: Teaching for Sustainability & Altruism through Project-Based Learning (SAPBL)

This course is designed as a self-paced, asynchronous professional development opportunity for practicing early childhood educators who routinely use the pedagogical approach of Project Based Learning in their classrooms. This course was developed to support educators who are interested in developing projects that promote the twin goals of sustainability and altruism, which includes social-emotional learning and citizenship. 

Participants move through four online modules addressing these learning objectives: 

1. Explore the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and how children can pursue them through projects

2. Understand how to develop children’s SEL and altruism skills through projects targeting the UN SDGs

3. Design a project-based learning unit focused on sustainability and altruism that integrates SEL and academic learning standards 

4. Implement a SAPBL project with coached support 

Course participants complete a variety of different learning tasks throughout the modules in support of creating a project planning outline that includes three (3) learning goals, a driving question or challenging problem, and anticipated student questions (7-10) that will be used to plan for sustained inquiry. Participants have the option of collaborating with a Sustainability Coach to design, develop and implement the project unit in the classroom.

Features: Blackboard LMS; online engagement with like-minded educators; modules include introductory videos created by course authors, recorded presentations, current content, scaffolded learning tasks, reflection prompts, and the opportunity to receive coaching and support from a Sustainability Coach. Designed to support early childhood educators with developing a project based on sustainability and altruism.

Design: This online, asynchronous course will take 10 - 12 hours to complete (readings, videos, learning activities, surveys, etc.). 

Completion Certificate: Participants who successfully complete all of the surveys and learning tasks will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Drexel University School of Education.

Two Tracks: Decentralized and Centralized Courses

• A decentralized online course includes teachers from many schools and locations studying together. 

• A centralized online course includes all teachers from a single school for schoolwide adoption (cohort model). School administrators who wish to implement SAPBL education throughout their school will request a centralized course for their teachers.