Case Studies Library

Why case studies? We believe that exploring and discussing these real-life scenarios can benefit not only people already working in EE, but also future educators. They’re a natural fit for professional development workshops and online seminars. And they can add authenticity to university courses with engaging approaches to topics as wide-ranging as economics, public health, and environmental justice. Many of the case studies can also be adapted for use with high school students. Whatever your own focus, we hope this collection sparks new ideas for how you can bring the issues of our time to life in ways that resonate, engage, and motivate. 

In addition to our Case Studies Library, explore GEEP e-book chapters! These chapters have linked case studies and tackle themes from climate change education to positive youth development. 

Cover of Dusky Langur Case Study. A Dusky Langur sits in a tree.

Dusky Langur Conservation Through Environmental Education and Citizen Science in Penang, Malaysia

The Langur Project Penang (LPP), a primate conservation project in Malaysia, integrates zoology and environmental education (EE) to support dusky langur conservation efforts.

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Photo of three children engaging in activities on a beach.

Latin American Marine Educators Network: A Step Forward to Connect Marine Educators in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

This case study highlights the development of an integrative and multicultural network to support and strengthen marine education and ocean literacy, the Latin American Marine Educators Network in English, or “Red de Educación Latinoamericana para el Océano” in Spanish, known by its acronym REL

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Students at play

Washington State Outdoor Preschool Pilot

Outdoor preschools—schools where children spend the majority of the school day learning outdoors with a nature-focused curriculum—are growing rapidly in the United States.

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Students using virtual reality headsets to learn about life below water

BLAKE New Zealand Virtual Reality: Using Virtual Reality to Educate about New Zealand's Marine Environment

BLAKE NZ-VR connects young people to the marine environment through a school roadshow using virtual reality (VR) headsets and 360-degree underwater videos.

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Cover Page for GEEP Case Study on US-Taiwan Eco-Campus Partnerships

Building Sustainable Communities through the U.S.-Taiwan Eco-Campus Partnership Program

The U.S.-Taiwan Eco-Campus Partnership Program (EPP) seeks to build a clean and healthy living environment to achieve the goal of sustainable communities. EPP’s main objectives include:

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Photo of diary entries

Popularizing an environmental education project: A case study of the eco-picture diary in Yokohama City, Japan

The Eco-Picture Diary Environmental Education Project (EDEEP) was developed and introduced by Recycle Design, a Yokohama-based civil society organization, to inform students, their family members, and other citizens about particular socio-environmental issues and strategies in Yokohama City, Japa

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Cover page of Rocking the Boat case study

Rocking the Boat: Using Environmental Education to Promote Positive Youth Development

Rocking the Boat is a non-profit organization that provides positive youth development programs for 14–18-year-old students in the South Bronx,  

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group photo of the post secondary team that participated in the program

This is Indigenous Land: An Indigenous land-based approach to climate change education

This case study describes an urban and rural Indigenous land-based climate change education camp.

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Four kids and an adult outside looking at the camera through colorful magnifying glasses

Voices of Nature: Inspiring Creativity, Curiosity, and a Connection to Nature for Biodiversity Conservation

Voces de la Naturaleza (Voices of Nature) is a Paraguayan environmental education movement supporting a network of more than 30 eco-clubs across the country that connect over 600 children ages 7-14 to local biodiversity issues every week.

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science fair poster about urban gardens with plants in front of it

Building Capacity for Sustainable Action through Inquiry, Experiential Learning, and Collaboration: Student Action for a Sustainable Future

This case study explores Student Action for a Sustainable Future, a comprehensive environmental education program for middle school students that takes place in the city of Saskatoon, the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

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Spreading Climate Change Literacy on Wheels

Spreading Climate Change Literacy on Wheels: Science Express Climate Action Special

The Science Express Climate Action Special (SECAS) is a one-of-a-kind mobile science exhibition led by the Government of India’s Department of Science & Technology (DST) and managed by the Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC).

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Education for Conservation

This case study explores how zoos might redevelop their education strategies to address 21st century conservation priorities while incorporating current best practices in education.

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Teen using an air quality monitor

Air Quality Workshops for Urban Students

This case study describes how one community-based organization is engaging high school students in ongoing study and action learning toward the goal of improving air quality.

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ResourceSmart Schools

This case study presents an overview of ResourceSmart Schools, a well established Victorian Government program that helps a wide range of schools benefit from embedding sustainability into everything they do.

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Water and Biodiversity Project

This case study describes a collaborative effort to integrate environmental and sustainability education into teacher education at a college experiencing water scarcity.

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students carrying a tarp through a wooded area

Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed (STRAW)

The Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed (STRAW) Program of Point Blue Conservation Science is a collaborative network of K–12 students and teachers leading their communities to restore their local ecosystems.

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Eco-Schools Northern Ireland – Empowering Young People Through an Environmental Education Framework

This case study looks at the growth of the international Eco-Schools program in Northern Ireland as well as the challenges it faces in empowering our young people to be the drivers of behavior change for a sustainable world.

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Compulsory Environmental Education in India

This case study describes the development, successes, and challenges of a compulsory environmental education (EE) program in India.

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The System of Lifelong Environmental Education in Tomsk Region

This case study describes a government-sponsored initiative that supports environmental education efforts across all levels of formal and nonformal education in the Tomsk Region, Siberia, Russia.

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Waterford Kamhlaba United World College – 2015 Zayed Future Energy Prize Winner

This case study describes the successful work of Waterford Kamhlaba United World College, a high school in Swaziland, to develop and implement a sustainability and renewable energy plan.

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Infusing Environmental Education into National Curriculum Framework in Taiwan

Environmental education has long been a national priority in Taiwan.

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Implementing the Taiwan Environmental Education Act (TEEA)

This case study describes one country’s process of implementing a national environmental education act. The Taiwan Environmental Education Act (TEEA) was approved on June 5th, 2010 and went into effect the following year, on June 5th, 2011.

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NatureWise: Dutch Children’s Learning In, About, For, and By Nature

This case study describes a Dutch example of a programmed experiential approach to nature-oriented environmental education (EE) and is based on a long-term evaluation (van der Waal, Hovinga, Wals, & van Koppen, 2012).

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Sustainable Schools Initiative

This case study describes the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Sustainable Schools Initiative, or Al Madaris Al Mustadama, which was designed to reduce the nation’s ecological footprint and help move environmental education from

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Integrating Circular Economy Concepts into Universities Around the World

The circular economy is designed to provide an alternative to the current, linear economy where consumers take, produce, consume, and waste resources.

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