Free and Open: A Descriptive Study of Energy and Sustainability Programming Geared Toward Adult Learners

This study investigates participation patterns in publicly accessible educational events organized by a college policy and research center. These programs, which addressed topics related to energy and sustainability, were conducted both online and in person and featured expert speakers from government, business, and nonprofit sectors. By analyzing registration data from over 1400 participants across multiple events, the study identifies key trends in attendance, including sector affiliation, repeat attendance, and the impact of regional relevance on program popularity. The findings indicate that most participants were private citizens or affiliated with the business sector, with lower attendance rates from academia, government, and nonprofit sectors. Furthermore, the study underscores the popularity of regionally pertinent topics and the challenges in attracting participants to more specialized topics. The research highlights the importance of providing low-barrier, accessible adult environmental education (AEE) opportunities. It suggests that colleges and universities, with organizational capabilities and access to expert speakers, are uniquely positioned to offer these programs. This study contributes to the limited quantitative research on AEE, addressing a gap in understanding participation patterns and engagement within the field.