Educational Services
Educational Services
Workshops are hands-on experiences where participants will leave with work they created related to the topic.
Carbon Footprint Calculator - Recommended for ages 13 to Adult
Interactive workshop based on the Ecological Footprint Calculator found at https://www.footprintcalculator.org/home/en. The workshop would start with an explanation of what a carbon footprint is, how it grows/shrinks, and how it impacts the world. Next, each participant would take the quiz on the website and save a copy of their results. Finally, each participant would create a “Carbon Action Plan” to create concrete steps towards reducing their carbon footprint. The goal of this workshop is to introduce the concept of carbon footprints to participants and allow them to walk away with a specific plan to address their own.
City Simulation - Recommended for ages 15 to Adult
A data-led workshop built around a model created by Asher H. Nixon. This workshop starts with an overview of the model and its purpose. Participants will be able to use the model, manipulate its numbers, and understand the implications of each change. Next, the participants will use the model to build their own city. They will have a challenge to maximize population while ensuring that the needs (food, water, sewage, power, space, happiness) of all their citizens are met. This activity aims to help participants exercise leadership and analysis skills. At the end, the participants will save a copy of their work and free access to the model via email if they would like to continue working. Optional add-on: you can add an extra step where participants name, visualize, and draw their cities. This adds an additional workshop day, but allows participants to express creativity and engage more with their results.
Proposal Writing - Recommended for ages 16 to Adult
A writing workshop centered on argumentative proposal writing. Participants will start by learning different types of proposals, what their individual goals are, and how they differ from one another. Next, Asher H. Nixon will walk through some example proposals and emphasize the factors leading to success such as strong language, rhetorical appeals, and flow. Lastly, the participants will write their own proposal on a specific topic relevant to them. The whole process will be guided by Asher H. Nixon and each participant will garner stronger writing skills by the end of the workshop.
Project-Led Sustainability Work - No Specific Age Recommendation
This is the most open-ended workshop option. The workshop is created to allow participants space to work on Sustainability projects with mentorship and assistance. This should be reserved for participants with pre-existing leadership and accountability skills. The goal of this workshop is to use the expertise and tools that Asher H. Nixon provides to ensure the success of small-scale projects. For inquiries on specific projects or scenarios, please reach out to Asher H. Nixon.
Trainings are informative slideshows that leave the audience with new information or skills related to the topic.
Systems Thinking - Recommended for Ages 12 to Adult
This training will be an approximately hour long slideshow presentation about systems thinking basics. It will cover systems thinking definitions, terms, uses, and impacts. The goal of the training is to share knowledge, and definitions with the audience. Optional add-on: this training can be made into a workshop for an additional fee. This would include guidance for participants to make their own systems maps with feedback and examples.
Futures Thinking and SWOT Analysis - Recommended for Ages 14 to Adult
The futures thinking training is similar in structure (one hour long slideshow) to the Systems Thinking option, but with an additional included section on SWOT Analysis. This tool is used in business, consulting, and any analytical context. The audience will learn how to use SWOT analysis and will be presented with clear examples. The goals of this training are to understand futures thinking, the terminology, and how to exercise it in any context. The audience will walk away with an understanding of forecasting, trends, and general predictive analysis. Note: it is recommended to attend a Systems Thinking Training before attending this one.
Communicating Sustainability Clearly - Recommended for Ages 8 to Adult (can be adapted based on age)
The Communicating Sustainability Clearly slideshow is aimed at helping the audience understand how people talk about Sustainability in different contexts. It is an approximately hour long presentation including terminology, examples, and a small amount of rhetorical analysis to help the audience understand concepts. The goal is to help the audience be able to communicate with others about Sustainability issues. This would be most helpful for students or writers who address Sustainability concerns. Note: this training can be paired with the proposal writing workshop for a discounted rate.
Speaking Engagements are speeches meant to encourage, motivate, and inspire the audience to manifest change according to the details of the speech.
Introduction to Sustainability
This speech includes basic training and information about the foundations of Sustainability including definitions, frameworks, terminology and impact. Then, this information will be used to engage the audience and encourage them to do more research on various topics. The three goals of this speech are: 1) to inform and educate the audience on the basics of Sustainability 2) to guide the audience towards Sustainability issues/concepts that interest them and 3) to encourage them to dig deeper into those issues. This is a great starter speech to introduce Sustainability to those who aren’t already aware of it, or build on the knowledge of those who are and inspire them.
Sustainability and You
This speech builds on the foundation of Sustainability and appeals to individual action. It will work to show the audience personal Sustainability choices and how to think about their agency. Focusing only on the personal scale allows individual control to be established and help audiences feel empowered. The speech will go over small-scale Sustainability, individual decision-making, and the power of personal agency. The goals are to demonstrate individual agency and help the audience move forward thinking about their own influence.
Community Impact Through Sustainability
This speech expands the discussion of Sustainability to a community or organizational level. Instead of focusing on individual choices and impacts, Asher H. Nixon will go over community choices, values, and decisions that impact their level of Sustainability. It builds on the concepts established on the individual scale, and highlights how individuals can affect community decisions. This speech will include discussions of rhetoric and how language can influence change, as well as key features for local change. The goal is to motivate your community to foster change through advocacy and personal voice.
Globalization and Sustainability
This speech moves to the highest scale of Sustainability: national, international, and global efforts. The emphasis will still be placed on individual decisions, but the message will convey that the biggest influence on national or global Sustainability is unity. The speech will include a larger-scale discussion of rhetoric, influences of the environmental movement, and some discussion of barriers to entry such as monetary thresholds and political discourse. The goals of this speech are to inspire the audience to be part of a larger movement towards Sustainability and to help them understand what it means to be responsible citizens of a global world.
The Future of Sustainability
This speech is the culmination of Sustainability motivation. It will highlight ways in which all levels of action (personal, community, and global) influence how people will view Sustainability in the future. The speech will go over futures thinking basics, but will mostly cover what expectations we have for the future of Sustainability (ex. what will be the defining Sustainability issues of future generations?). Then, the speech will conclude with a motivating message to use all levels of influence to build a better future for Sustainability action. Note: this speech can be combined with the Futures Thinking Training for a discounted rate.
Lesson Plans
Pre-Existing Lesson Plans
These are lesson plans developed by Asher H. Nixon for use in classrooms. They are standard Sustainability/Environmental Science related lesson plans influenced by his time teaching both subjects. After payment, you will receive copies of lesson plans for use in your classroom via email.
Custom Lesson Plans
Asher H. Nixon can draft and create lesson plans to your specifications and needs. This will include a short meeting to establish expectations for the lesson plans and then a 3 day deadline for a final draft.
Curriculum Counseling
This service includes a one-on-one meeting with Asher H. Nixon to discuss the creation of a new curriculum and how Sustainability can be included. This means a unit or chapter is added to include Sustainability learning. The goal is to create a curriculum with Sustainability at its core.
Integration of Sustainability into an Existing Curriculum
This service also includes a one-on-one meeting with Asher H. Nixon, but it is centered around a pre-existing curriculum that you have or created and how to involve Sustainability without making any major changes. The goal would be to adapt lesson plans, chapter outlines, and assessments to include Sustainability concepts and language. This would adapt your curriculum to be more aligned with Sustainability expectations and frameworks (ex. The Sustainable Development Goals)
Article Writing
Asher H. Nixon can be commissioned to write freelance articles related to Sustainability or Environmental topics. Optional: this service can include a pre-article meeting with Asher H. Nixon to discuss expectations if desired.
Literary Editing/Revising
Asher H. Nixon offers revisionary and editing services for pre-written articles or proposals. Optional: this service can include a post-revision meeting with Asher H. Nixon to discuss changes or suggestions.