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Learning Objectives

• Identify natural synergies between existing course content and specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure authentic disciplinary alignment. 
• Design learning outcomes that reflect both disciplinary expertise and SDG-related competencies (e.g., systems thinking, anticipatory competency
• Apply principles to embed sustainability into curriculum without increasing administrative or instructional workload. 
• Review rubrics, evaluation frameworks, and SDG mapping tools to assist with curriculum development 
• Review case studies from Canadian and international peer institutions to adapt "best-in-class" assessment models for local contexts. 
• Formulate strategies for community-engaged learning (CEL) that allow students to address local SDG gaps through project-based coursework. 
• Develop a toolkit of ready-to-use resources and activities that foster "wicked problem" solving within the classroom and in the community. 
• Advocate for the integration of SDGs within departmental and institutional frameworks using the evidence-based benefits of sustainability-focused education. 
• Collaborate across disciplines to create a community of practice that supports long-term SDG curriculum maintenance. 

Key Course Features

• Comprehensive Curriculum: Covering everything from how SDGs are embedded across various systems to practical tools and resources for embedding the SDGs in your own classrooms.
• Expert Instruction: This course is lead by experts in the integration of the SDGs in higher education and curriculum development.
• Collaborative Environment: Discuss lecture topics, tools, and resources alongside like-minded peers in a supportive and dynamic learning environment, fostering creativity and innovation.
• Hands on Faculty Design Lab: Begin developing/revising a course or module outcome that is linked to the SDGs with aligned assignments.

Who Should Attend?

This course is designed for course directors, program leads, curriculum developers, upper year secondary school teachers, and post-secondary teaching faculty and teaching assistants.

Please note that you do not need to have a background in the Sustainable Development Goals to successfully complete this course.

Sandra Peniston, PhD(c)

Sandra M. Peniston, RN(EC), MN/NP, PhD(c), is an Associate Professor in the Teaching Stream within the School of Nursing, Faculty of Health at �첥��Ƶ. Her work advances health equity, participatory scholarship, and innovative curriculum design grounded in experiential, decolonial, and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)–aligned pedagogy. Since joining York in 2012, she has led interdisciplinary global health teaching initiatives, developed internationally focused curriculum, and received multiple Faculty Recognition Awards for teaching excellence. 

Sandra has contributed significantly to undergraduate curriculum renewal, including major and minor program modifications and co-leading the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Beyond nursing, she co-leads the internationally recognized SDGs in the Classroom Curricular Innovation Hub, a $300,000 Academic Innovation Fund initiative that supports educators in embedding the SDGs across disciplines. Her institutional leadership also includes co-leading the Education/Curriculum Working Group within York’s Sustainability Strategy 2030 and supporting York’s recognition as a Center for Sustainability Across the Curriculum. 

Her doctoral research focuses on CO-HEART, a co-produced hypertension primary health care intervention in Northern Ghana grounded in participatory and decolonial approaches. Through her teaching, research, and global partnerships, Sandra advances socially accountable education that prepares students to address complex local and global health inequities. 

Nitima Bhatia, PhD(C)

Nitima Bhatia is a PhD student in the Faculty of Education at �첥��Ƶ, Toronto, specializing in sustainability education and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education. Her research examines how Canadian universities interpret, enact, and operationalize SDG‑related policies.

With a multidisciplinary academic background in Environmental Studies, Engineering, and Sustainability Education, Nitima brings over a decade of experience in environmental research, project coordination, and community‑based education.

At �첥��Ƶ, Nitima has contributed to several SDG‑focused initiatives, including the SDGs‑in‑the‑Classroom Curricular Innovation Hub, where she supported faculty engagement, resource development, and community of practice activities. Her work emphasizes collaborative learning, knowledge mobilization, and the integration of sustainability principles into curriculum and institutional practice.

Nitima is passionate about advancing sustainability in education, strengthening university–community partnerships, and supporting transformative pedagogies that empower learners to engage with global challenges.

Tracy Bhoola

Tracy Bhoola is an SDGs Project Coordinator for the SDGs Curricular Innovation Hub and has over two decades of experience teaching in college and university classrooms. She holds an M.Ed. Honours in Adult Education and has dedicated her career to integrating global goals and challenges into higher education curricula. Tracy believes in fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and knowledge mobilization within diverse learning environments and her passion for sustainable development education has enabled her to guide initiatives that infuse the UN SDGs into classrooms. Tracy has presented at local, national, and international conferences and published textbook chapters and journal articles. She played a pivotal role with Nitima Bhatia in developing and implementing the SDGs-in-the-Classroom Toolkit, an interdisciplinary digital resource designed to empower educators. The Toolkit was recognized internationally as a finalist for the Green Gown Awards in the Next Generation Learning and Skills category.

Dr. Daita Serghi

Senior Education Manager, The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Drawing from a scientific background and over 20 years of experience in higher education and sustainability as an educator, researcher, and staff member, Daita has a profound interest in education programs that foster improved human connections, communication, and learning on a broad scale. In her current role as Senior Education Manager, she is responsible for developing, innovating and advancing AASHE’s education vision and strategy, overseeing professional learning initiatives encompassing the call for proposals and schedule at the annual conference, courses, workshops, webinars, the mentorship program, communities of practice and more. Prior to joining AASHE, Daita was the first Interim Sustainability Coordinator for the University of Hawai‘i System, and also taught courses and integrated sustainability in the curriculum at the University of Hawai‘i. Daita is a LEED Green Associate and an ISSP Certified Sustainability Professional, and holds a BS degree in Molecular Biology and Biosciences from the University of Bucharest, Romania, and MA, MPhil, and PhD degrees in Biological Sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York.

Dr. Mark Terry

Mark Terry, PhD, is a faculty member of the Department of Communications and Media Studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at �첥��Ƶ. He is also the Executive Director of the United Nations’ Youth Climate Report program, winner of an SDG Action Award in 2021. Dr. Terry is also the Director of the City of Vaughan’s Social and Environmental Sustainability Program, a 10-year certificate program from 2020 to 2030 designed to support businesses in the city to become 100 per cent compliant with all 17 Sustainable Development Goals in their business practices.

In addition to sustainability education, Dr. Terry’s research interests include environmental communication, geomedia, global policy, and glaciology. His published research includes: The Geo-Doc: Geomedia, Documentary Film, and Social Change (2021); The Emerging Role of Geomedia in the Environmental Humanities (2022); and Speaking Youth to Power: Influencing Climate Policy at the United Nations (2023).

Dr. Christine Daly

Co-Chair of SDSN Canada; Co-Chair, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada; Associate Director, Sustainability Engagement, University of Calgary

Award-winning innovator, problem solver, educator and mentor of environmental management for today and future generations. Pragmatic, big picture-thinking, senior environmental scientist capable of representing organizational interests as a subject matter expert in wetlands, biodiversity, and Indigenous-led research and monitoring, with a focus on conservation, reclamation and mine closure. Collaborator and supporter of diverse perspectives in energy and natural resource development decision-making, including Indigenous Knowledge (IK), and Indigenous voice and rights, to achieve sustainable ecosystems and cultures.

Nicole Arsenault

Director of Sustainability, Office of Sustainability, �첥��Ƶ

Nicole is a senior sustainability and climate leader in higher education, specializing in institution‑wide strategy, environmental engagement, and climate‑resilient transformation. She takes a systems‑focused approach—turning complex environmental challenges into clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and scalable solutions. Her work integrates climate action, nature‑based approaches, and circularity into the core functions of the institution. She builds strong partnerships, activates campus communities, and aligns diverse groups across the organization to drive meaningful environmental and climate progress. Recognized as a trusted advisor and collaborative leader, Nicole navigates organizational complexity with clarity and purpose. She brings people together around shared goals, cultivate momentum, and support long‑term institutional transformation that benefits both people and the planet.

Sandra Peniston, PhD(c)

Dr. Robin Sutherland-Harris

Teaching Development Associate, Teaching Commons, York University

Robin is committed to enhancing student learning by supporting the development of pedagogical literacy and teaching and learning excellence in higher education instructors, whether they be graduate student TAs or full professors. She is a a self-motivated worker who thrives in highly collaborative team-based environments that prioritize responsive, adaptive, and flexible approaches to the application of research-informed and evidence-based pedagogical scholarship.

• 5 years of experience supervising and mentoring graduate students.
• 8 years of experience teaching at postsecondary level.
• 8 years of interdisciplinary educational development experience.
• 15 years of experience with research methods and research data management.

Michael Long, PhD(c)

Michael’s work is within the environmental humanities and environmental communication fields, drawing on ethics, law, politics, film, and culture. He is a Professor at George Brown Polytechnic (GBP) and Humber Polytechnic. In the community, he works as a Pre-Screener at Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival, and serves on the Board of Directors at POV Magazine. Michael is a Tri-Agency funded researcher, who has published book chapters, journal articles, popular media articles and interviews, open educational resources, and academic blogs, as well co-created a podcast and curated film programs. Michael is the recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the President’s Award for Academic Leadership from GBP, and Outstanding Post-Secondary Educator Award from the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication. He previously studied at �첥��Ƶ and Osgoode Hall Law School where he completed the Master of Environmental Studies and Master of Laws, respectively. He currently studies as a Ph.D. Student in the Joint Graduate Program in Communication and Culture, at Toronto Metropolitan University and �첥��Ƶ.

Dr. Shital Desai

Design practitioner and academic professional in Interaction design, developing inclusive design solutions, services and technologies for people (including children, older adults and people with cognitive impairment), planet (systems) and futures.

Experience in developing partnerships with industry, research organisations, funding bodies and communities to identify future research directions, Knowledge Transfer (KT) and developing solutions using the Human Centred approach, resulting in several grants, awards and commercialised products.

Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills with the ability to understand, interpret, and communicate complex qualitative and quantitative data as evidenced by over 50 national and international research presentations and over 10 years of didactic teaching and mentoring experience

Dr. Houston Peschl

Houston Peschl is an award-winning educator, curriculum innovator, and sustainability leader at the Haskayne School of Business. With over a decade of executive experience as Director of Operations and Sustainability at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, he led 750 employees across three facilities, developed ESG reporting frameworks, and helped raise over $100 million for an IPO. His transition into academia has been marked by a deep commitment to student-centered learning, entrepreneurial thinking, and sustainability education.

Houston has designed and taught courses across undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, and PhD levels, including the pioneering Design Your Life course—Haskayne’s first pass/fail, gamified course, now offered to high school students through dual credit. His curriculum design and teaching have earned numerous accolades, including the D2L Innovation Award, multiple SU Teaching Awards, and recognition from the Triple E Awards for global impact in entrepreneurship education.

A national voice on pedagogical innovation, Houston’s research explores decolonizing curriculum and dismantling the “banking model” of education. Drawing on the First Nations Lifelong Learning Model, he is committed to reimagining post-secondary education as a space for critical reflection, self-actualization, and ethical action in the face of global crises.

Beyond the classroom, he has consulted for the Alberta Government on ESG policy for SMEs and presented at international conferences on educational transformation. Houston is a Teaching Fellow, a member of UCalgary’s Teaching Academy, and a passionate advocate for redesigning education to empower the next generation of ethical, innovative changemakers.

Dr. Kshamta Hunter

Dr. Hunter’s research explores intersections of sustainability learning and leadership, using Transformative Learning and social innovation frameworks. She is interested in designing responsive and relevant integrative curriculum and pedagogical approaches for the 21st century, through understanding the development of competencies for innovation toward sustainability. She is a sessional instructor in the Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy and Manager of Transformative Learning & Student Engagement with the UBC Sustainability Hub, where she is able to shape a lot of her research ideas into practice. She is the co-chair of publications for the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies and member of the editorial advisory board for the Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies.

Dr. Jeffrey Harris

Jeffrey Harris is an Associate Professor (Teaching Stream) and the Director of Common Engineering & BSc Science. He teaching focuses on the common engineering curriculum and upper-year technical courses in mechanical engineering. He is an innovator in engineering education practice, implementing teach teaching models, experiential education, active learning and flipped classrooms. He is an early adopter of new educational technology. Jeff is an active member of the Canadian Engineering Education Association.

Jeff's research interests are in the area of engineering education, primarily focusing on interpretive research using qualitative and mixed-methods approaches. His current research explores identity formation, student experiences, diversity equity and inclusion, and STEM outreach.

As the Director of Common Engineering & BSc Science, Jeff is responsible for the curriculum and learning experience of the common engineering core and general science program. This includes taking a multi-dimensional approach to create learning conditions that enable academic success for first-year engineering students.

Tracy Bhoola

Nitima Bhatia, PhD(C)

Dr. Lee Beavington

Lee Beavington is a third-generation settler-scholar with European ancestry. He is a biologist, interdisciplinary instructor, and learning strategist. Lee is the coordinator of , serves on the  team, and was an  in 2024. His research explores place-based education, environmental ethics, art/science collaboration, and climate justice. Decolonization is a primary focus in his work, and he recently launched . He has also made a .

Lee has worked at KPU since 2002, and is a recipient of the  and . As an educator, he believes in a decolonial and  that is learner-centered, reflective, and honours the whole student. He is a TEDx speaker, award-winning author, and has taught and worked in five faculties at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, including being a faculty leader for the Amazon Field School. He also served as co-curator for the award-winning exhibition, , at the Museum of Vancouver. 

His research is often interdisciplinary, integrating ecological education, nature as co-teacher, and arts-based learning across the curriculum. He has over 100 publications in such diverse places as Art/Research International, Canadian Journal of Environmental Education, Cultural Studies of Science Education, Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies, Ecopsychology, Animals and Science Education, Wild Berries of British Columbia, Langscape, Clarkesworld Magazine, and Writers of the Future. Find Lee reflecting in the forest, mesmerized by ferns, and always following the river. 

Lee also works as a  in  at KPU, and teaches the ,  (IDEA), and . He has taught graduate courses at SFU for in-service teachers on experiential, nature-based education and inquiry-based learning.

Dr. Lee Beavington

Tracy Bhoola

Nitima Bhatia, PhD(C)

Dr. Danielle Robinson

Danielle is an Associate Professor at �첥��Ƶ who is affiliated with the programs in Dance, Theatre, and Communication and Culture. She has taught capstone courses for more than a decade, which led her to co-found (with Franz Newland) the York Capstone Network in 2018 and C4: The Cross Campus Capstone Classroom in 2019, both of which are supported by grants and fellowships from the �첥��Ƶ Faculty Association and Academic Innovation Fund. She is thrilled to be leading such an incredible team of passionate, hardworking, and innovative capstone advocates. 

Dr. Andrea Kalmin

Andrea has been teaching in the post-secondary education sector for over 20 years, having spent the last 15 years as part of the �첥��Ƶ community. As an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Social Science, she has had the honour and privilege of mentoring students through a multitude of educational challenges. An award winning teacher, she has committed herself to facilitating transformative teaching and learning experiences for York’s undergraduate students.

Dr. Carolyn Steele

Dr. Carolyn Steele is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Humanities at �첥��Ƶ. Dr. Steele’s research specializes in the NFB’s educational production unit Studio G, interactive and immersive art forms, the digital humanities, and modes of experiential education, especially community-based. Her interactive digital productions have received accolades nationally and internationally. She created the Humanities capstone course (Doing Culture HUMA 3207/4207 6.0), in which students gain real-world experiences in the cultural sector through course placements and community-focused projects, as well as Digital Humanities Sandbox (HUMA 4908 6.0) Digital Culture in the Humanities (HUMA 3140 6.0).

For several years, Dr. Steele has partnered with �첥��Ƶ’s Media Creation Lab and Canadian virtual artist Bryn Oh in the development of a high-impact humanities course exploring immersive art forms in virtual and augmented reality (VR, AR), and Second Life.