Sam King is an educator, writer, speaker, and retreat leader activating purpose for the well being of people and planet. At the heart of his work is a belief that everyone has a role to play in the flourishing of the Earth community.
As Project Manager for the Emmy Award-winning Journey of the Universe project at Yale, Sam facilitates film screenings, writes a monthly newsletter, and hosts a podcast where he speaks with scientists, artists, spiritual leaders, and environmentalists on what it means to be conscious participants in the 13.8-billion-year story of cosmic evolution.
As Director of Sustainability for the U.S. Marist school network, Sam works with more than 300 youth leaders across the country to reconnect with nature, promote ecoliteracy, and advance climate action, biodiversity restoration, and environmental justice.
He also serves as inaugural Advisor to the Ecological Leadership and Ministry Certificate Program at Yale Divinity School, supporting graduate students pursuing vocations in Care for our Common Home.
As a speaker and retreat leader, Sam has engaged over 75 schools, universities, and mission-driven organizations in seven countries at venues such as The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), The Parliament of World Religions, The U.S. Fulbright Commission, The Spirituality and Sustainability Global Network (Italy), The University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka), Daly College India, Liceo Guatemala, The University for Peace (Costa Rica), The 2026 Earth Charter Youth Summit, La Universidad Técnica Nacional (Costa Rica), Bowdoin, Iona, Yale, Columbia Teacher’s College, Wisdom House, and Gonzaga Climate Center.
At Yale, Sam has served as a Teaching Fellow at the School of the Environment and worked with Professors Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim to create six online courses on the ecological wisdom of the world’s religions, available through Yale/Coursera. He has also taught online courses on Journey of the Universe and The Worldview of Thomas Berry through the Deeptime Network; and Emerging Earth Leaders: A Global Training Programme for Teens with Earth Charter International.
A former Fulbright Scholar in Sri Lanka, Sam taught at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and conducted field research on rural Buddhism. He has also taught environmental humanities at Phillips Academy Andover Summer and The Hotchkiss School, where he created an intercultural exchange program in South Asia.
Sam holds a Master of Arts in Religion and Ecology from Yale Divinity School with a certificate in Educational Leadership and Ministry, and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Dartmouth College focused on environmental storytelling. He graduated cum laude from Bowdoin College with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Environmental Studies.
A former All-American athlete, Sam has channeled his energies into bringing together communities across cultures and bioregions to build a more just and flourishing world. He lives on ancestral Quinnipiac land in New Haven, CT.
