Liza Ireland

Associate faculty

Environment & Sustainability

Sustainability education curriculum design

Outdoor experiential education

Teaching in the K-12 education system

With a PhD in education for sustainability, Ireland's focus is on developing systems thinking in education and a regenerative sustainability perspective that incorporates social, economic and environmental imperatives. 

Experience

Acting program head of the MA in Environmental Education and Communication (MAEEC) from 2012-2014. 

Thesis and MRP supervision for MAEEC

Curriculum designer and Instructor in education for sustainability for Cape Breton University's Master of Education in Sustainability, Innovation and Creativity; University of New Brunswick, in China, and the Teacher Training College of Bhutan.  Ireland founded The Green School in 1996, an independent elementary school based on sustainability and systemic thinking in Scotland. 

As the director of Changing Climates Educational Society, and, as a consultant, Ireland has given workshops to teachers in school districts in B and at the United Nations Children and Youth Conferences on the Environment in Norway, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia. 

In 2009, Ireland was the keynote speaker at the World Changing Careers symposium on redesigning education for a sustainable future.  

In 2016, Ireland presented on how to redesign education for the Gross National Happiness Conference in Bhutan and in 2020, Ireland developed energy education curricula for Ghana's new K-12 curriculum. 

Education

2007
PhD in Education for Sustainability

University of Stirling, Scotland

1985
MEd in Education for Sustainability

University of New Brunswick

1984
BEd in Elementary Education

University of New Brunswick

1992
BEnvST s in Geography

University of Waterloo

Awards

2020
Kelly Outstanding Teaching Award

Royal Roads University

Research

Research interest

Curriculum design for sustainability

Recognizing influential root metaphors

Experiential, place-responsive education

Publications

Ireland, L. (2024). Ecological Principles for Sustainable Education: Challenging root metaphors and the industrial schooling system. Routledge. 

Ireland, L. (2022). "Recognizing and Addressing Influential Root Metaphors: The Key to Reorienting Teaching and Teacher Education in the Anthropocene in Lam, A.J.F.C.S. M. (Eds.). Teaching in the Anthropocene: Education in the Face of Environmental Crisis. CSP Books Inc.. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781773382838

Ireland, L. (2013). Environmental Education Framework: Pathways to Environmental Literacy in Alberta Schools, Supporting Alberta Education’s Curriculum Redesign. Alberta Council or Environmental Education.

Garmulewicz, A., Ireland, L. (2010). “The Canadian Youth Climate Change Conference (YC3) as a model for effective youth adult and youth engagement in promoting environmental and social justice” in Linds, W., Goulet, L and Sammel, A (Eds.) Emancipatory Practices: Adult/Youth Engagement for Social and Environmental Justice. Boston: Sense Publishing.

Webster, K., Ireland, L., Johnson, C. (2008). Sense & Sustainability: Educating for a Low Carbon World, TerraPreta, UK.

Ireland, L. (2007). Educating For the 21st Century: Advancing An Ecologically Sustainable Society, University of Stirling, Scotland.

Presentation: 2016 Presented a 2016 DIF Talk for The Ellen McArthur Foundation on the Future of School
 

Presentation: 2016 13th PASCAL International Observatory Conference, Learning Cities 2040: Global, Local, Connected, Sustainable, Healthy, Resilient. Glasgow, UK. Paper presentation: “Salt Spring Island as a Learning Community

Presentation: 2015 International Conference on Gross National Happiness: From GNH Philosophy to Praxis and Policy, Paro, Bhutan. Presentation: “Rethinking Education for Gross National Happiness and a Sustainable Future

 

Presentation: 2015 12th PASCAL International Observatory Conference, Sicily. Paper presentation: “Re-visioning education to empower healthier citizens, to develop healthier cities".

Presentation: 2015 Earth Matters EECOM Conference, Canmore AB. “Backcasting to a Sustainable Future in Energy” and “Metaphors We Live By: Developing a Sustainability Perspective through Energy Education”.

Presentation: 2013 EECOM Conference, Victoria BC. “Developing systems thinking and sustainability through metaphors”. 2012 Keynote address and workshops on “Education, Systems Thinking & Sustainability”. Council of Canadians Regional Conference, Hornby Island, BC

Presentation: 2011 Indonesia, 2009 S. Korea, 2007 Norway. United Nations Children and Youth Conferences on the Environment: Teacher education workshops on “Systems thinking, sustainability & youth empowerment”.

Presentation: 2009 Keynote education address and workshops at World Changing Careers symposium, Vancouver, Canada.

Presentation: 2009 Teacher Education workshops at the World Congress on Environmental Education, Montreal, Canada.

Presentation: 2005 Education Keynote at the Canadian Youth Climate Change Conference (YC3), Victoria Canada.