PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — To inform national education policy and practice, a new initiative at Brown University’s Annenberg Institute for School Reform is aiming to advance research on issues at the intersection of education systems and the changing climate, including school disruptions caused by extreme weather. 

The new Sustainable Education Research Initiative will serve as a hub for generating original research that is openly available to policymakers, educators and scholars, says Brown University Professor of Education and Economics Matthew Kraft, founding director of the initiative. By building on existing data and launching new collaborations, Kraft said the goal is to offer research-based insights on the biggest challenges and opportunities related to the environment and Pre-K-12 schools.

“Education and climate change are intertwined in complex and bidirectional ways, and there is a growing need for rigorous, original research on the relationships between these two hugely important areas,” said Kraft, an education scholar and economist who recently concluded an appointment to the White House Council of Economic Advisers. “The Sustainable Education Research Initiative will build collaborations between scholars, policymakers, practitioners and industry leaders that will directly inform and support education policy and practice in a very applied way.”

Kraft said the initiative will advance research on topics including schools’ impact on the environment; the effects of climate change on students, teachers and staff; the role of schools in preparing students to contribute to a sustainable economy; and the role of schools as a driver for community preparedness and idea generation.