Sustainability is still emerging as a school of thought, but soon it will have its own classrooms. The Cascadia Regional Institute for Sustainability Education is being developed by Portland Community College, with support from the National Science Foundation. The Institute will develop curriculum for colleges and high schools with input from the private sector and non-profit organizations. Getting everyone on board will provide the credibility needed for the necessary community support.

The creation of classes in design and architecture that emphasize sustainability is an important step in training the business leaders of tomorrow. The reality is it's going to take years – or maybe decades – for academia to integrate the importance of sustainability into economics and social studies textbooks. In the works of authors such as Jared Diamond we can see how the lack of sustainability can doom a society, but we need to see it more profoundly in the discussions of classrooms of students of all ages.