This program is embedded as part of the spring course titled Comparative Sustainability Education Policy in the US and Ecuador. Students will receive one grade for the full course in spring semester, and travel is REQUIRED as part of this program:

• PUBPOL 3480/5480: Comparative Sustainability Education Policy in the US and Ecuador (4 credits)
  (Spring 2025, Wednesdays 8:00am - 9:55am, Required Travel: Spring Break 2025)

Course Description: This 4-credit collaborative online international learning (COIL) and community-based global learning (CBGL) program invites Cornell students to explore the complexities of education policy and practice in the United States and Ecuador with students and faculty from Universidad San Francisco de Quito as well as with teachers, administrators, and policy makers in both contexts. As part of the Jeb E. Brooks School’s Global Policy Exchange Lab Cornell students will work collaboratively with USFQ students to explore comparative education policy questions related to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education. Together, we’ll examine two of the seven outcome targets: elimination of all discrimination in education and education for sustainable development and global citizenship. 

Throughout the semester, students will work in teams of Cornell and USFQ students to address questions such as:

• How is sustainability education integrated into the Ecuadorian education system? What might US education policy makers learn from how Ecuadorian students learn about the rights of the environment?
• How do US and Ecuadorian education policy support the full inclusion of marginalized students within K-12 public education? 
• How are indigenous communities in the US and Ecuador exercising sovereignty to maintain cultural and linguistic heritage through schools?
• What are the challenges in providing access to higher education for all in Ecuador and the US? What can be learned from each other's innovative policy solutions?

This course meets the Social Policy concentration requirement in the Brooks MPA program. It will also count for Brooks, Arts & Sciences, or CALS credit.

The course counts toward the 120 credits that Cornell undergraduate students must earn for graduation. Depending on a student's college, the courses may also fulfill other requirements for electives, distribution requirements, or majors.

Course Expectations

You'll be expected to:

• Attend class daily.
• Complete all assignments in a timely manner.
• Read assigned materials in advance of each class period.
• Participate in class discussions, case studies, seminars, and field trips.
• Work collaboratively with community partners in the field in Upstate NY and Ecuador.