2026 Open Symposia | National Sustainability Society

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NSS
3rd Annual
Conference

Submit your contribution to one of our selected symposia topics.

Accepted Open Symposia

You can find the guidelines and submission button below the topics.

Doing Sustainability Work Amid Disruption

CHAIR: Bruce Goldstein, Executive Director and Assoc. Research Professor, Transformations Community and CU Boulder

Keywords: Uncertainty, Disruption, Practice-based learning, Cross-sector collaboration, Transformations

The Problem: Across sectors, sustainability work is increasingly unfolding in contexts where established frameworks no longer provide clear guidance. Ecological disruption, institutional strain, political polarization, and rapid technological change are reshaping sustainability outcomes and how credibility is established and collective action is sustained. These conditions are widely shared across fields, yet often addressed in isolation within specific projects or disciplines. Action: This session symposium is designed to bring together complementary research and case-based presentations that examine how sustainability work is being carried out under such conditions. We invite contributors to share empirical research, applied projects, or practice-based cases that involve adaptation, judgment, and improvisation, including work that is ongoing, incomplete, or still evolving. Presentations may address questions such as: How is responsible action pursued when evidence or authority is uncertain or contested? How do practitioners and researchers maintain credibility across sectors with different values or incentives? What enables or constrains collective action when coordination is informal or fragile? What trade-offs arise between urgency, care and inclusion? The session will be structured as a set of oral presentations curated to highlight contrasting approaches, with a portion of the session reserved for facilitated discussion focused on learning across contributions. Rather than promoting best practices, the session emphasizes comparison across cases and research insights, including encountered hurdles and unresolved tensions. Outcome: Participants can expect to leave with: • A grounded understanding of how sustainability research and practice are adapting under conditions of uncertainty. • Shared language for naming common dilemmas related to courage, credibility, and collective action. • Insight into emerging ways of working when clear playbooks and stable coordination cannot be assumed. We invite submissions from researchers, practitioners, and cross-sector collaborators whose work reflects these realities.

Adult-Centered Climate and Sustainability Education as a Catalyst for Collective Action

CHAIR: Jill Zarestky, Colorado State University, and Emma Kuster, University of Oklahoma

Keywords: Adult learning, Program Planning, Community Development, University Extension

Sustainability challenges, often exacerbated by climate change, increasingly demand informed, sustained action across sectors (e.g. agriculture, energy, resource management) and communities, including Tribes, government, industry, and civil society. Yet adult-centered climate and sustainability education remains fragmented, often undervalued, and insufficiently connected to decision-making. Misinformation, polarization, climate anxiety, and uneven access to credible learning opportunities further complicate engagement. Addressing climate and sustainability challenges therefore requires adult education approaches that focus on cross-sector applications, are credible and connected to lived experiences, demonstrate courage in confronting uncertainty and power, and are intentionally designed to support collective action. This open symposium centers innovative models of adult climate and sustainability education situated in nonformal and community-based contexts, including Extension, community/citizen science, workplace learning, grassroots programs, and hybrid online/in-person programs. Contributors are invited to share research, practice-based evidence, and design frameworks that emphasize trust, relevance, experiential learning, and shared accountability to build awareness and promote collective action. Approaches may include participatory program design, place-based learning, community science, professional learning networks, and education embedded within adaptation or sustainability initiatives. Presentations may draw on qualitative, quantitative, or mixed data and engage diverse adult audiences. Contributions may reflect work that is aspirational, currently in progress, or completed, and should address tensions such as scalability, equity, time constraints, emotional labor, and institutional limitations. We invite scholars, practitioners, educators, organizers, and program leaders to contribute short, dialogue-oriented presentations that advance the symposium's goal of strengthening adult climate and sustainability education as a catalyst for collective action. Participants will leave with: • Concrete ways adult learning can build credibility and trust in sustainability efforts • Examples of courage in educational design and program implementation that confront complexity, uncertainty, and power • Strategies for aligning adult education with collective action across sectors to advance sustainability.

Striving Towards Sustainable and Informed Decision-making

CHAIR: Jason Giovannettone, Director of Climate and Sustainability Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, Inc.

Keywords: Decision-making, Sourcing, Credibility, Holistic, Supply chain

Well-intentioned actions meant to enhance an organization’s sustainability can often have adverse effects related to social justice, habitat destruction, green washing, or a host of other issues. Identifying these potential effects and attempting to identify credible vendors who strive to exercise sustainability in their operations and through the products/services they offer require collective action between all customers and clients regardless of sector. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, including reviewing a vendor’s sustainability reports, verifying the use of pertinent certifications, and/or by contacting the company directly. Specific concerns to consider include the promotion of fair labor practices throughout the supply chain, the impact of obtaining raw materials on the environment and those living nearby, the potential for unforeseen environmental impacts during the manufacture, transportation, use, and/or disposal of a particular product, and differences in the actual vs. assumed benefits of particular sustainability initiatives (e.g., purchasing RECs). Even though extensive and constant research is required to remain informed regarding the above and other concerns, such research almost always reveals one or more vendors related to a particular product type who are striving to do it right by promoting sustainability throughout their entire supply chain and manufacturing processes. We as potential clients and customers must exhibit the courage and authenticity necessary to ensure that such vendors are promoted and sustained even if it means potentially delaying the realization and external reporting of our own sustainability actions. We welcome submissions from commercial entities striving to become carbon neutral or less dependent on plastic consumption and from academic institutions and non-profit organizations researching the social or environmental impacts associated with supply chain sustainability or the implementation of specific initiatives. Lessons learned from collaborative and organizational efforts to exercise holistic decision-making related, but not limited to, the following topics are also welcome: • Renewable energy • Carbon neutrality • Fuel-efficient/electric vehicles • Plastic alternative products • Sustainable paper/wood products • High-spend vendor selection (e.g., food service, human resources, HVAC, online storefront) Key potential takeaways of this session include: • Identification of credibly sustainable vendors who serve customers across multiple disciplines and sectors • Impacts of performing the necessary research on your organization’s own sustainability efforts • Sharing of research methods and results related to your organization’s informed sustainable decision-making.

Teaching Sustainability in a Politicized Informational Ecosystem

CHAIR: Maria Conroy, The Ohio State University

Keywords: Pedagogy, Epistemics, Engagement, Assessment, Controversy

The Problem: Climate change, energy transitions, biodiversity loss, and environmental justice are increasingly treated as political rather than educational topics across universities, government agencies, businesses, and community settings. Learners encounter polarized narratives, strategic doubt creation, and fragmented information ecosystems that blur the difference between legitimate scientific uncertainty and manufactured confusion. The result is declining trust in scientific processes, rising conflict in learning spaces, and reduced capacity for cross-sector groups to make decisions together. Educators and facilitators need pedagogies that help people engage controversy with curiosity, establish credibility through shared standards of reasoning, and eventually translate learning into collective action. Action: This symposium will feature 4-5 case study/research-based presentations on teaching politicized sustainability topics through three interlocking dimensions: epistemics (how learners know what they know), engagement (how learners interact across differences), and assessment (how educators evaluate understanding and action). Drawing from science-communication research, norms of knowledge building, and critical claim evaluation, presenters will share approaches including: structured evidence analysis of contested sustainability questions; dialogue formats that surface values while maintaining accuracy standards; and assessment designs that measure conceptual understanding, reasoning quality, and action-readiness (e.g., rubrics for evidence use, reflective analyses, observation protocols, and authentic outputs such as policy memos or community-facing explainers). Anticipated hurdles include institutional hesitancy around "controversial" content, uneven baseline scientific literacy, misinformation saturation, and difficulty measuring transfer from learning to real-world sustainability decisions. Invitation . We welcome submissions from educators, facilitators, trainers, and community organizers that present a pedagogical framework, share transferable tools, and report implementation lessons that can be adapted across sectors. Outcomes: We anticipate participants will leave with: (1) strategies for teaching perceived controversial sustainability topics such as climate change; and (2) approaches for addressing evidence assessment, misinformation resistance, and communication across differences.

Courageous Partnerships: Bridging Academic Design, Student Engagement and Workforce Needs

CHAIRS: Nirav Patel and Alice Reznickova, University of Colorado, Boulder, Jaron Rothkop and Cristy Watkins, NSS

Keywords: Workforce Development, Experiential Learning, Capstone Pedagogy, Environmental Studies and Sciences (ESS)

As the sustainability field faces intensifying crises and rising skepticism, transitioning classroom theory into real-world impact is critical. This symposium explores capstone projects as engines for collective action—a core NSS 2026 pillar. While designed to bridge academic training with professional practice, these programs face mounting pressures from budget constraints to shifting market demands. Furthermore, programs face mounting institutional pressures—from budget constraints and faculty workload to rising student expectations for career relevance. This open symposium explores how we can maximize the value of academic-industry partnerships to close the gap between education and practice. We will open the session by presenting findings from a nationwide mixed-methods study of Environment Studies and Sciences capstones, mapping prevalent models (e.g., stakeholder-engaged projects, client-based consulting) and the structural trade-offs that shape them. We explicitly invite contributions from both those designing and teaching programs and those participating as clients and mentors to contribute insights on three core themes: • Courage in Collaboration: Moving beyond isolated projects to create community-facing work that drives transformative change despite institutional and budgetary constraints. • Building Credibility: Balancing rigorous academic standards with the delivery of high-utility, professional-grade outcomes for students and clients alike. • Scaling Collective Action: Strategies for evolving single-semester successes into multi-year partnerships that build cross-sector trust and a robust workforce pipeline. A note on student participation: Current students are encouraged to submit their specific capstone research projects as posters. Attendees will gain: • A systemic understanding of diverse capstone models and the decision points that make them impactful. • Actionable strategies for aligning pedagogy with community and employer needs to enhance student employability. • Best practices for scaling short-term projects into long-term partnerships and a strong workforce pipeline. By rethinking the capstone through the lens of collective action and workforce development, we can ensure these culminating experiences serve as a catalyst for both student careers and sustainable societal impact.

AI and Sustainability: Infrastructure, Education, and Collective Responsibility

CHAIRS: Saleem Ali, University of Delaware, and Pinar Omur-Ozbek, Colorado State University

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Critical Minerals, Industrial Ecology, Sustainability Education, Ethics

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping sustainability research, infrastructure, education, and decision-making. Yet AI adoption comes with consequences, as it depends on critical minerals, water-intensive data centers, global supply chains, and energy systems, while simultaneously influencing environmental modeling, policy analysis, design optimization, and learning environments. This symposium explores AI’s dual role in sustainability: •as material infrastructure with ecological and geopolitical implications, and •as decision-support technology that shapes how we learn, govern, and act. We invite contributions that examine AI’s role, impact, limitations, and trade-offs in sustainability contexts. The session will focus on a solution-oriented dialogue. Submissions may address one or more of the following themes: AI’s Ecological and Material Footprint • Critical minerals, supply chains, and geopolitical dimensions • Water and energy demands of AI infrastructure • Lifecycle assessment and data transparency • Strategies for reducing material and ecological intensity AI in Sustainability Practice • Applications in environmental modeling, monitoring, and resource management • Limits, risks, and unintended consequences • Automation vs. accountability in decision-making AI in Sustainability Education • Responsible integration of AI into curricula • Active learning, reflection, and assessment in AI-enabled classrooms • Preparing students for value-informed sustainability decisions Governance, Justice, and Collective Action • Environmental justice implications of AI expansion • Institutional and regulatory innovations • Cross-sector collaboration for responsible AI utilization Aligned with the conference theme of courage, credibility, and collective action, this symposium looks for contributions that: • Demonstrate the courage to confront AI’s material and ethical trade-offs • Build credibility through rigorous analysis and transparent methodologies • Advance collective responsibility across academia, industry, nonprofits, and policy sectors Participants will leave with: • A systems-level understanding of AI’s environmental and social footprint • Practical frameworks for evaluating AI’s sustainability trade-offs • Strategies for integrating AI responsibly into sustainability practice and education • Models for collaborative governance and shared accountability We welcome empirical research, case studies, policy analyses, curricular models, and cross-sector initiatives from academics, practitioners, industry leaders, and civil society organizations.

Measuring Sustainability

CHAIR: Jane Zelikova, University of Colorado - Boulder

Keywords: Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MMRV), ESG

From corporate ESG and sustainability programs and greenhouse gas accounting to the nuances of community resilience and environmental justice, measuring the outcomes from sustainability-focused actions is foundational to build trust and deliver desired outcomes. Robust and credible Measurement, Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MMRV) approaches are needed to build sustainability programs with integrity. Whether assessing the efficacy of natural climate solutions or corporate supply chain sustainability claims, it's not just what we measure but also how we measure. We need MMRV approaches that are scientifically rigorous, ethically sound, and community-informed so we can have accountability for specific outcomes. This session invites MMRV developers and practitioners to share their insights and discuss what works and what doesn’t when it comes to measuring sustainability. Contributions may address critical questions such as: •How can public programs track whether they are meeting their sustainability goals? •What gaps can targeted research efforts fill? •What kinds of approaches are achievable for community organizations? •How do we balance the need for rigor with cost and accessibility? The key takeaways from this session will be (1) an understanding of the challenges associated with building trusted MMRV systems, (2) examples of MMRV approaches that work across sustainability applications, and (3) connections with MMRV developers and/or practitioners for future collaborations.

The Future of the Outdoor Industry in the Changing Climate

CHAIRS: Veera Mitzner, Colorado State University, and Amanda Sardonis, University of Vermont

Keywords: Outdoor Industry, Climate Change, Climate Resilience

December 2025 was the warmest month in Colorado’s history. It was followed by an unseasonally mild January, and when the U.S. East Coast was battered with snowstorms and freezing temperatures in February, first wildflowers bloomed in the Rocky Mountains. Breckenridge, one of Colorado’s most prolific ski towns, typically sees 101.7 inches of snow by the end of January. This year they had just 34 inches. It’s not surprising that the heads of four of the largest resort companies in the region have named climate change as “the most critical issue we face.” Colorado is just one of the many U.S. states whose outdoor sector has significantly been affected by the changing climate. All around the country and the world, the industry is finding ways to respond to warmer temperatures. In this Symposium session, we explore the future of the outdoor industry, with the perspective of sustainability. We invite professionals from the sector but also researchers and local governments to share how they are coping with these challenges and what the changes in climate mean to their businesses and communities. Also, how can this industry, so tied to the environment, become a stronger champion for action and a pioneer of change? We are looking for examples of aspirational policies and practices from across the nation, stories that demonstrate innovation, courage, and credibility. We will close the session with some concrete proposals for collective action. **Format: Ignite Talks

Optimizing Value Chain Impact: Aligning Cross-Sector Decisions Points from Extraction to End-of-Life

CHAIRS: Andy Liu, Sustainable Solutions & Insights

Keywords: Value Chains, Life Cycle Analysis, Production Systems, Shared Language

Systemic crises—climate change, biodiversity loss, and waste—are fueled by fragmented decision-making (e.g. too few evaluation criteria) across the life cycle of goods and services. When stakeholders view these challenges in isolation, they risk attempts at solving one problem while creating another. Achieving true sustainability requires a cross-sector understanding of the "whole elephant," yet industry, academia, and government often lack the shared technical language and trust needed to align their strategies. This symposium moves beyond broad sustainability goals to interrogate key life cycle decision points: including but not limited to product design, procurement specifications, material selection, and end-of-life recovery. The session aims to map the value chain; therefore we invite a diverse set of speakers to present their experiences, data, constraints, and solutions: • Sector-specific industry representatives to provide a “view from the trenches” - current state, challenges, programs to address those challenges, and solutions that may benefit others • Researchers who can offer theoretical expertise and cutting edge methodologies designed to tackle inherent value chain trade-offs • Representatives from government who can talk openly about policy and tools that either aide or inhibit impact Since any systemic progress starts with mutual understanding, the most important product of this symposium would be honest and effective dialogue. Regardless of sector, we seek contributors that will advance the conference themes as follows: • Credibility: Utilizing life cycle data and multi-sector expertise to validate sustainable claims, mitigate misunderstanding, avoid unintended consequences. • Courage: Openly discussing the failures and trade-offs inherent in green transitions. • Collective Action: Establishing a shared roadmap for value chain synchronization that transforms individual corporate or policy efforts into a unified, systemic movement. Participants will leave with a common understanding of the hotspots and limitations that define our current production systems.

Storytelling & Brave Spaces for Sustainability: Bridging Institutions and Communities

CHAIRS: Laura Zanotti, University of Cincinnati, and Pavithra Selvakumar, Columbia University

Keywords: Practice-based learning, Cross-sector collaboration, Transformations

Stories move us, ignite change, imagine (im)possible futures, and celebrate lived experience. Storytelling, both as medium and method, increasingly has played a prominent role in sustainability studies, entrepreneurship, and action -- from the way in which we narrate scholarship to forms of collaborative practice to innovative classroom spaces to social media communication techniques. This symposium invites practitioners and scholars to share courageous and creative case studies that feature the power of storytelling for sustainability in applied sustainability research, teaching, and practice. We open the session by situating storytelling within sustainability contexts, highlighting its “brave” role in shaping collaboration across universities, public agencies, nonprofits, industry, and frontline communities. We hope that case studies offered will collectively represent the vast landscape of storytelling approaches, including intersections between the environmental humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences, as well as varied multimedia, multimodal, analog, and digital forms across sectors. Whether storytelling is used as a collaboration space, a public communication pathway, a course module, a methodological intervention, or multimedia output, this symposium will be a site to share case studies, best practices, and ethical commitments, while exploring how storytelling helps institutions and communities build trust, navigate disagreement, and move toward meaningful sustainability action. We invite attendees to consider: What is your approach to storytelling? What form does it take for you - and why? Can you walk us through a case study from your own work that features storytelling for sustainability? What are some stories that emerged from this experience? How do you spot and address tensions, sites for innovation, or challenges while engaging storytelling? Highlight some of the core ethics that guide your storytelling practice and how they manifest. How would you advise practitioners about responsibility, respect, transparency, reciprocity, and courage who are coming into this space for the first time? What are some key transformative trends in storytelling work in your work or your field/sector - and what, if any, are some transformative actions or results that have occurred because of your work? Key takeaways include: (1) actionable approaches for translating storytelling practices into sustained partnerships; (2) practical examples of how storytelling has strengthened collaboration and engagement; and (3) strategies for building trust and navigating disagreement in sustainability leadership contexts.

Agricultural Securitization: Understanding a New Policy Paradigm and Its Sustainability Implications

CHAIR: Paúl Cisneros, Colorado State University

Keywords: Agriculture, Security, Public policy

U.S. agricultural policy is increasingly being framed through a security lens—treating food and farming capacity as something to be protected, stabilized, and rapidly strengthened in the face of disruption. This “securitization” can change priorities, incentives, and timelines for action across the whole agricultural system. For sustainability, the challenge is that security-driven measures may create real trade-offs—environmental, economic, and social—that are easy to overlook when urgency is high. These questions matter to producers (all scales), agencies, researchers, supply-chain actors, and communities because the effects can shape costs, resource use, risk, and who benefits or bears burdens. This Ignite symposium (8–10 talks, 5–6 minutes each) will focus narrowly on identifying and stress-testing trade-offs associated with recent U.S. agricultural securitization measures and the National Farm Security Action Plan. We invite concise, grounded contributions—case examples, early evidence, or practitioner experience—that illuminate one specific trade-off, such as: · rapid production/supply assurance vs. soil, water, and biodiversity stewardship · centralized resilience and control vs. distributed/community-based capacity and flexibility · speed and compliance vs. transparency, trust, and legitimacy · short-term stability vs. long-term adaptive capacity under climate change · Work may be aspirational, in progress, or early-stage; speakers should name limits and uncertainties. The Symposium aims to generate: 1) A shared map of the most salient trade-offs emerging from securitization. 2) Greater policy credibility through clear claims, stated uncertainties, and avoidance of oversimplified “win-win” narratives. 3) Collective action opportunities: concrete cross-sector questions and collaboration needs—and the courage to surface hard choices openly.

Cross-sectoral Collaboration for Shared Understanding and Collective Action for Sustainability

CHAIRS: Elizabeth King, University of Georgia, and Garrick Louis, University of Virginia

Keywords: Inter-sectoral collaboration, stakeholder engagement, participatory research, boundary spanning, knowledge co-production

Sustainability challenges span every sector of society. Communities struggle to secure basic needs such as food and shelter amid climate‑driven disasters. Industries work to deliver affordable goods and services while reducing environmental impacts. Researchers investigate complex sustainability problems, educators prepare students for sustainability careers, governments craft policies and programs, and nonprofits build cross‑sector partnerships. These sectors, as well as different groups within sectors, define sustainability differently, hold divergent values and priorities, and carry distinct experiences and knowledge. Such differences can lead to uncertainty and skepticism about the credibility of each other’s needs, their commitment to sustainability, and the effectiveness of their actions. Yet building shared understanding and collective action across sectors is essential to address overlapping sustainability challenges. Such collaboration requires the courage to bridge differences in priorities and approaches, as well as effective, inclusive processes that build trust. There is much to learn from the experiences, tools, successes and pitfalls that have emerged in all sectors to navigate this critical challenge. This symposium will bring diverse stakeholders together to share their experiences and efforts to cultivate credibility and collective action. We will examine what really works in practice and why, by learning from the experiences of diverse researchers and practitioners. We invite any research or case study contributions that reflect on boundary-spanning collaborations and cultivating shared understanding, from all sustainability sectors. By the end of the symposium, participants will gain: i) a shared understanding of themselves and others as sustainability stakeholders, ii) clearer insight into the needs and approaches of peers in other sectors, iii) awareness of new opportunities and tools for collaborative action , and iv) a network of contacts for ongoing multisectoral collaboration.

Open Symposia Guidelines

FORMAT GUIDELINES

Individual contribution description length: 300 words

Open with the problem: What is the key sustainability challenge/topic you are tackling? Why is it relevant to a cross-sector audience?
- How does it address the goals of the symposium to which you are submitting?
Follow with the action: How does this idea, project, work, and/or you, your team, or organization approach this challenge? Provide a succinct description of the approach or products. Include strategy, methods, data, audience if relevant. Indicate the timeline, whether aspirational, in progress, or complete. Include actualized or expected hurdles or limitations.
- Ensure that your action description speaks directly to the symposium to which you are submitting.
Finish with the outcome, again using non-sector or discipline-specific language.
- Provide 1-3 key takeaways from your talk, with reference to the theme of “courage, credibility, and collective action.”
- Ensure that some of your take-aways speak directly to the symposium to which you are submitting.

REVIEW CRITERIA:

Alignment with theme: Does the submission clearly address the core concepts of courage, credibility, and collective action?
Focus on sustainability: Does the submission directly related to achieving or hindering specific sustainability goals?
Type Appropriateness: Does the submission respond to the open symposium call with a topically relevant contribution?

4. Cross-Sectoral Relevance, Insight, and Impact: Does the submission aim to demonstrate, advance, or analyze cross-sector collaboration?

5. Clarity and structure: Is the submission logically structured and easy to follow? Is the language clear, concise, and free of jargon that is not properly defined?

** If your contribution is not accepted by the symposium chair, it will move to the independent contribution review process for further consideration

Open Symposium Proposals

Submission period: JANUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 16

Sessions are 75 minutes. In your proposal, you will identify your session (1) type and (2) category. You will also provide a 300 word description.

If accepted, your symposium session will be announced as part of the call for individual contributions (opening February 24th). In collaboration with the NSS planning committee, you will lead the review of the submissions.
Depending on the number and quality of individual contributions/applications submitted, and your willingness to chair multiple sessions, there can be more than one session under your session topic. Individual submissions not selected for your symposim will be further reviewed by the NSS planning committee for consideration in other thematically-based sessions.
Symposia can have up to 2 co-chairs.

TYPE:

Symposium: 4-5 oral presentations, with slides. 10-12 minutes each
Symposium: 8-10 ignite talks, with or without slides. 5-6 minutes each.

CATEGORY: Case study, Research, or Collab (see contributions page for descriptions). Symposia can have both case studies and research contributions.

DESCRIPTION:

Regardless of type and category, symposium proposals must be innovative, exchange-oriented, and engage the conference theme. Proposals should include a symposium description of 300 words in length and should follow this format:

Open with the problem: What is the key sustainability challenge/topic you are tackling? Why is it relevant to a cross-sector audience?
Follow with the action: How does this idea, project, work, or you, your team or organization approach this challenge? Provide a succinct description of the approach or products. Include strategy, methods, data, and audience if relevant. Indicate the timeline, whether aspirational, in progress, or complete. Include actualized or expected hurdles or limitations.
Directly invite speakers to submit to your specific symposium topic/goal.
Finish with the outcome, again using non-sector or discipline-specific language. Provide 1-3 key takeaways from the session, with reference to both the sustainability challenge/topic and the theme of “Courage, credibility, and collective action.”

REVIEW CRITERIA

Alignment with theme: Does the submission clearly address the core concepts of courage, credibility, and collective action?
Focus on sustainability: Does the submission directly related to achieving or hindering specific sustainability goals?
Type Appropriateness

Research: Does the submission present a genuine, well-defined scholarly inquiry?

Case Study: Does the submission present a genuine, well-defined practical application, initiative, or project rather than a purely theoretical discussion

Collab: Does the submission present a genuine, impactful, and well-defined collaboration action opportunity