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A Collective Impact Network

Arizona Convening for Advancing Sustainability Education

On February 19, 2025, stakeholders from across Arizona—educators, community organizers, government agencies, businesses, and nonprofits gathered for a statewide convening on youth sustainability education and engagement. Hosted by ASU’s Global Futures Education Alliance and RCE Greater Phoenix, the event focused on forming a Collective Impact Network to strengthen connections among organizations working toward shared sustainability goals.

Participants discussed shared goals, common measures of success, and action planning to enhance sustainability engagement and education. Through networking exercises and ad-hoc working groups, attendees explored opportunities to create meaningful, long-term change, ensuring that every child in Arizona can engage in sustainability in ways relevant to their lives.

 

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What to Expect

Network and Connect

We’ll build relationships and share insights with each other

Common Vision

Together, we’ll develop a shared vision and understand how our complementary approaches weave together. 

Shared Measures

We’ll identify common ways to measure our success and tell our stories, and use those measures to ensure we reach all people and places.

Working Groups

We’ll collaborate to advance ideas of shared interests. Examples could be setting statewide standards, linking sustainability experiences into pathways, shared media, and addressing gaps.

INFORMATION

What is a Collective Impact Network?

A Collective Impact Network brings organizations together to align efforts, build partnerships, and accelerate progress toward a common goal. This proposed Collective Impact Network would focus on ensuring that every young person in Arizona can engage with global futures topics such as sustainability, resilience, and opportunity.

 

GET INVOLVED

Why Attend?

This is an opportunity to:

  • Be part of a statewide effort to create meaningful change for Arizona’s youth.
  • Contribute your expertise and experience to shaping a collective vision.
  • Build partnerships that strengthen your work.

Envisioning Possibilities - Ad Hoc Posters

Poster 1: Sustainable Futures: Composting, Regeneration, and Edutainment

This group focused on possibilities for zero-waste composting programs in schools, integrating sustainability education from kindergarten onward, and revitalizing small agricultural towns through regenerative agriculture. They emphasized making sustainability economically viable, immediately impactful, and engaging through "edutainment" — blending education and entertainment — while advocating for inclusivity, profit-sharing, and accountability.

Poster 2: Rooted Learning: Place-Based Education for a Sustainable Future

This group explored the creation of a united Sonoran Desert curriculum, combining informal and formal education to foster a sense of place and ecological connection. They discussed empathy-driven sustainability education, composting, the use of durable materials, and art inspired by natural systems, while leveraging local knowledge and traditions to build community-based learning experiences.

Poster 3: Sustainability for All: Non-Partisan Education and Civic Engagement

This group focused on sustainability education for students, teachers, and the public, emphasizing civic engagement, media literacy, and systems thinking. They explored ways to use non-partisan language, advance adult volunteerism, and foster inclusive collaboration. The group discussed reframing sustainability as a collective responsibility rooted in community strength and shared action, using "rural values" as a bridge across political divides.

Poster 4: Youth Voices and Collective Action for Climate Justice

This group explored the importance of integrating youth voices and community collaboration into sustainability efforts. They highlighted the role of youth climate coalitions, diverse communication methods, and storytelling, while advocating for equitable access to sustainability education in K-12 schools. The group stressed the need to combine indigenous knowledge, systems thinking, and lifelong learning to create inclusive and impactful climate justice initiatives.

Poster 5: Curiosity-Driven Learning: Systems Thinking for Sustainable Solutions

This group focused on fostering learner agency and reciprocal education, where everyone has something to teach and learn. They discussed creating a universal language to explain Arizona's environmental, economic, and civic systems, promoting sustainability through cost savings, and developing self-financing initiatives for underfunded schools. Continuous assessment, problem-solving, and systems thinking were key themes in their exploration of sustainable solutions.

Poster 6: Beyond Sustainability: Community-Centered Action for Lasting Change

This group explored ways to engage entire communities — socially, economically, and environmentally — in sustainability efforts. They emphasized equity, accessibility, and collaboration by promoting transparent partnerships, collective grant funding, and strategic planning. The group discussed the importance of using relatable language to connect with diverse audiences and amplify grassroots practices already happening in communities.

Poster 7: Building Capacity, Not Dependency: Community Science and Civic Engagement

This group focused on building community capacity through science communication and civic engagement. They explored co-designing solutions with local stakeholders, collecting and sharing data using tools like GIS maps, and creating podcasts to amplify youth and community stories. The group emphasized the need to build authentic relationships and foster local leadership, ensuring long-term, community-led progress rather than dependency on outside resources.

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