This program is embedded as part of a spring course. Students will receive one grade for the full course in the spring semester, and travel is REQUIRED as part of this program:

• PUBPOL 3480/5480 or LATA 3480: Comparative Sustainability Education Policy in the US and Ecuador (4 credits)
  (Spring 2026, Wednesdays 8:00am - 9:55am, Required Travel: Spring Break)

Course Description: Through this 4-credit collaborative online international learning (COIL) and community-based global learning (CBGL) program, Cornell students will explore the complexities of education policy in the United States and Ecuador with students and faculty from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), the National University of Singapore (NUS), 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 and NUS 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, USFQ, and NUS 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 others’ innovative policy solutions?

This course meets the Social Policy concentration requirement in the Brooks MPA program. It will also count for Brooks or Arts & Sciences (as the course is cross-listed in LATA).

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 weekly.
• Complete all assignments in a timely manner.
• Read assigned materials in advance of each class period.
• Participate in several online sessions with our USFQ and NUS partners held in the evenings.
• Travel to Ecuador during Spring break and fully participate in our fieldwork there.