Adult Nonformal Education for Environmental Stewardship and Climate Resilience

Description:
Adult nonformal education plays a critical role in supporting learning, agency, and adaptive capacity among adults responding to complex socio-ecological challenges, including climate change. Drawing on two ongoing University Extension-based programs—a drought-planning program for agricultural producers and a hybrid community science initiative focused on native bee monitoring—this presentation examines how nonformal environmental education can support engagement with environmental science and stewardship.

Across these contexts, adults engaged in experiential learning that emphasized relevance, iterative reflection, and sustained relationships with educators and peers. Findings highlight the importance of program structures that balance scientific knowledge with trust, accountability, and individualized support, and the strategic use of online and hybrid modalities to expand access while maintaining engagement. Beyond knowledge and skill development, participants reported outcomes related to confidence, well-being, community connection, and motivation to act and inform conversations on how adult education can advance environmental stewardship and climate resilience.

Bio

Dr. Jill Zarestky is an associate professor and associate director of the School of Education at Colorado State University. She holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in educational human resource development, with a specialization in adult education, and a M.S. in computational and applied mathematics from the University of Texas, Austin. Her research focuses on adult STEM education, emphasizing climate and sustainability, and with funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She serves as an editor for the journal New Horizons in Adult Education and Human Resource Development and an editorial board member for the journals Adult Education Quarterly, Adult Learning, and Human Resource Development Review.