Advancing community
The Global Futures Education Alliance is a collaborative initiative that brings together educators, researchers, students and community members to advance sustainability education and foster resilient, thriving communities.
About us
Our leadership
Rajul Pandya
Executive director and professor of practice
Rajul Pandya oversees the strategic direction and development of the Global Futures Education Alliance. With a background in science, education and community partnerships, Pandya brings extensive experience to advancing understanding of the scientific and social dimensions of sustainability. His work has focused on how the sciences can be more participatory, how community participation contributes to scientific innovation and societal relevance, and science as a community and human right. He formerly served as vice president of Community Science and founding director of the Thriving Earth Exchange at the American Geophysical Union. Raj is an advisor for national programs advancing resilience, sustainability, and community science, and serves on the boards of non-profits that support community resilience and well-being.
Alejandra Enriquez Gates
Community manager and project liaison
Alejandra Enriquez Gates supports the development of the GFEA’s strategic partnerships and community partnerships. Her background includes guiding international initiatives on professional development. During her time with ASU she has served as director of Conexiones, a migrant education student program, and she oversaw the university’s strategic partnership with Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico.
Our guiding principles
Five core principles shape GFEA’s work and define its approaches:
Shared sustainability
We work for the present and toward a future where all people, communities and nature thrive as part of our interconnected Earth.
Bridging ideas
We respect all knowledge and experiences, and build bridges that help us learn and do good together.
Local to global
We learn from and care for our physical spaces while we connect across many places to make our planet healthier.
Listening
We listen first, so we can do work together that is meaningful and beneficial for all involved.
Learning by doing
We focus on learning to learn, doing to learn, and learning by doing, because a sustainable future requires ongoing innovation and adaptation.
Our priorities
Community learning and professional development
Through professional and community learning experiences, educator and community leader support and hands-on collaboration, GFEA helps equip individuals and organizations with the skills and resources to build strong community-academic partnerships that advance sustainability. It does this through:
Professional learning and training
Offering tailored programs for educators, youth-focused community-based organizations, and sustainability practitioners.
Educational resources
Working with community leaders to build and share educational materials connected to local priorities around sustainability, resilience and well-being.
ASU student and faculty engagement
Supporting students and faculty by providing training, mentorship, and hands-on experience working with communities.
Community meetings
In person and virtual meetings that build relationships, foster collaboration, and support collective impact.
Research and discovery
Through offering collaborative research, knowledge curation, and interdisciplinary partnerships, GFEA identifies emerging challenges, shapes new approaches, fosters conversation and drives meaningful action. It does that by:
Strengthening networks
Supporting research-action collaborations between ASU and community-based organizations.
Tracking progress
Establishing shared metrics to evaluate and improve sustainability education and engagement initiatives.
Expanding access
Ensuring that research benefits all communities by identifying and addressing gaps in education and engagement.
Scaling solutions
GFEA creates a forum to identify, test and expand high-impact projects that address sustainability and community needs. By connecting resources, expertise, and funding, we help translate ideas into scalable, real-world solutions in the following ways:
Pilot projects
Testing and refining initiatives with strong potential for improving sustainability education and community resilience.
Project design and implementation support
Helping organizations develop, launch, and sustain programs that integrate sustainability education.
"Pay It Forward" support model
Providing financial and logistical support for education and engagement projects, with recipients encouraged to reinvest their expertise in future initiatives.
Networks
RCE Greater Phoenix
GFEA is home to the Regional Center for Expertise Greater Phoenix, which is part of an international network of schools, community organizations, government agencies and businesses working on regional sustainability, resilience and well-being.