Our Theory of Learning

The CERES School of Nature and Climate is the evolution of CERES’ education programs into a focused response to the climate and ecological crisis we are facing.

Our education offerings at CERES, in the community, at schools and online, are designed with intention and impact to ensure our learning experiences are:

  • Regenerative
  • Inclusive
  • Life-changing, and
  • Leading.

These values are embedded in all program areas and vital for developing the level of leadership and resilience that will be needed in the coming decade.

Experience in education and a commitment to empowering the next generation

CERES has been delivering sustainability education to children and adults for almost four decades. We have been teaching school students and the wider community about climate change and environmental challenges before many people understood the science or even believed they could be impacted by these issues in their lifetimes.

It is our role to help give learners the knowledge and skills to make changes to their lives, communities and the systems that govern us. This is especially the case in regards to young people, who within the climate justice movement, have been leading on climate action. We do this through connecting to peoples’ hearts, sharing knowledge to empower their heads, and teaching applied skills they can implement with their hands.

Our Audiences and Learning Teams

To help us achieve our goals we have set up our school to cater to four broad audiences, and have expert learning teams in place to facilitate your learning, no matter what stage of the learning journey you are on.

1. Early Childhood (2-5yo children) and parents

Children aged 2-5 and their parents benefit from opportunities to play in nature, be curious and explore. are at the heart of this program. Highly qualified and experienced members of our Teacher Programs team deliver our rich, engaging early childhood learning programs.

2. Primary and secondary school students

Primary and secondary school students can undertake programs through excursions to CERES Community Environment Park in Brunswick East, via incursions to schools, and through online learning. This audience is catered to by our School Programs team.

3. Teachers and educators

Teachers and educators, can engage with CERES on whole-school sustainability programs, including the ResourceSmart Schools program, and professional learning for teachers /educators working in schools and in early learning centres. Learning for this audience is is supported by our Teacher Programs team.

4. Adult (all-ages) learners

Learners aged 16 and over can undertake a huge range of workshops, courses, retreats and accredited training that support young people and adults to develop skills that will enrich their lives, and may also provide opportunities to enhance employability, change careers and/or simply learn for the pleasure of learning. Our experienced Adult Learning Programs team supports this audience.

Our Learning Themes

This animated drawing by permaculture illustrator, Brenna Quinlan, displays an engaging visual of the primary themes of our educational offerings.

You can also view each of the smaller animated themes and the workshops and courses linked to these themes by clicking on the images below:

Climate Change
Culture and Community
Food Systems
Nature Connection
https://school.ceres.org.au/workshops-and-courses/regenerative-living-programs/
Systems Change

Our Learning Areas

Our learning areas and experiences have been designed to address current and emerging learner needs, interest areas, and community connection practices needed to connect to each other and heal the Earth. Our learning tree below summarises our approach to learning from deep-rooted values and a core vision branching out to learning areas and experiences that are able to be reviewed, refined, and pruned to allow for new growth to meet the needs of learners and the Earth.

Our Learning Tree

Enhancing Learning

Our Digital Badges for Lifelong Learning

We believe that when you learn with us, you are not just learning about a topic, you are learning so much more. You learn to build your knowledge beyond the topic, develop personal capabilities to engage with others, achieve stronger modes of actions and grow further in service to the earth.

CERES’ School of Nature and Climate digital badges will recognise skills beyond the course topics, offering you the opportunity to present these badges meaningfully to prospective employers and other audiences.

The MacArthur Foundation defines digital badges as:

an assessment and credentialing mechanism that is housed and managed online. Badges are designed to make visible and validate learning in both formal and informal settings, and hold the potential to help transform where and how learning is valued.

This short video, ‘What is a Badge?‘ by the MacArthur Foundation provides an overview of digital badges and how they apply to today’s learning.

CERES School of Nature and Climate digital badges:

CERES Digital Badges

Our digital badges are issued through Badgr. You can create a free account in Badgr to create a backpack to hold and display any digital badges you obtain. You can view all our digital badges through our Badgr page.

Our Online Learning Platform

Our online learning platform, Thinkific, is home to our current online courses. These courses offer on-demand (learn at your own pace) learning, or we offer learning with a schedule in groups. Access Thinkific here.