Lead the movement to create neighborhoods for all

EcoDistricts Accredited Professional Logo

EcoDistricts Accredited Professional (AP) is the only credential demonstrating a commitment to creating sustainable, equitable neighborhoods that meet the EcoDistricts Certified standard.

EcoDistricts AP is for anyone involved in community development, including architects, planners, landscape architects, urban designers, public policymakers, developers, and staff members at public redevelopment agencies and community-based organizations.

How to become an EcoDistricts Accredited Professional

The EcoDistricts AP credential is available worldwide. Here’s how to earn it:

  1. Attend an EcoDistricts Foundation Course—you can participate in one of our day-long, in-person courses or take the course online.
  2. Reinforce what you learn in the Foundation Course by studying our step-by-step guide to the EcoDistricts Certified standard.
  3. Take the open-book EcoDistricts AP exam online. The exam is open-book, and you must get a score of at least 70% to pass.

IN-PERSON TRAINING

FIND AN IN-PERSON FOUNDATION COURSE
ONLINE TRAINING

ACCESS THE ONLINE FOUNDATION COURSE
ACCREDITED PROFESSIONAL EXAM

TAKE THE AP EXAM

Choose the EcoDistricts Foundation Course That’s Right for You

The EcoDistricts Foundation Course is the first step toward becoming an EcoDistricts Accredited Professional. In the course, you’ll learn how to implement the EcoDistricts Certified standard, which puts equity, resilience and climate protection at the center of all development decisions. The course is available throughout the year in various locations in the U.S. or online.

Foundation Course fees

*Please contact us should you have any questions about which pricing tier you are eligible for.

In-person courses
EcoDistricts Members – $195 (log in for your member discount code)
Private Sector Nonmembers – $295
Public Sector Employees – $125
Students and Community-Based Organization Employees – $95

Online course
EcoDistricts Members – $145 (log in for your member discount code)
Private Sector Nonmembers – $245
Public Sector Employees – $105
Students and Community-Based Organization Employees – $75

Attend the course in person

Find out where upcoming courses are being offered, and register to attend. Along with learning about EcoDistricts Certified, participants at in-person courses also get the chance to apply the standrd in interactive working sessions.

REGISTER FOR AN IN-PERSON FOUNDATION COURSE

 

Take the course online

Practitioners across the globe can register to take the course online, on their own time.

REGSISTER FOR THE ONLINE FOUNDATION COURSE

 

Ready to take the EcoDistricts AP exam?

After you’ve completed the EcoDistricts Foundation Course in person or online, you can register to take the online, open-book exam whenever it’s most convenient for you.

Once you’ve registered for the exam and paid the exam fee, you’ll be prompted to log into your account to access your private exam link. You can begin the exam any time after you’ve registered. Once you begin, you have 24 hours to complete the exam.

AP Exam fees:

EcoDistricts Members – $150 (log in for your member discount code)
Private Sector Nonmembers – $250
Public Sector Employees – $95
Students and Community-Based Organization Employees – $50

REGISTER FOR THE AP EXAM

*Please contact us should you have any questions about which pricing tier you are eligible for.

“I am the sustainability coordinator for a municipality that is working towards becoming EcoDistricts certified, and so it is important for me to have a deep familiarity with the protocol in order to more effectively lead our work. As a community that is on the precipice of rapid urban renewal, the EcoDistrict protocol helps us manage our growth and align both our environmental as well as social equity goals in order to better reflect the needs of our community.”

Zaheen Hussain, EcoDistricts AP
Sustainability Coordinator, Millvale EcoDistrict

“It was very important for me to become an EcoDistricts AP, because it adds to my professional credibility and my ability to plan for neighborhood sustainability.”

Charla Gomez, EcoDistricts AP
Principal – Founder, Pristis Sustainability Advisors

“The EcoDistricts AP is the signature credential to show that you believe in processes that promote equity, sustainability, and resilience at the district scale. I enjoy studying rating systems and this is not a rating system- it is a paradigm shift that will produce positive impacts for new and existing communities.”

Dominique Hargreaves, EcoDistricts AP
Executive Director, US Green Building Council – LA

“As a longtime advocate for EcoDistricts, becoming an EcoDistricts AP seemed a natural extension of that commitment. The credential represents a deeper understanding of the challenging and rewarding process of creating great neighborhoods that will endure.”

Alan Scott, EcoDistricts AP
Director, YR&G