Description and Application
The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) is a cutting-edge program launched by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The program is designed to prepare Illinois undergraduates for leadership roles in the sustainability field.
The ELP focuses on developing the students’ communications skills around environmental problems, mobilizing social resources, and implementing plans for sustainable change. The program also provides students with networking opportunities with leaders in various fields in the environmental domain. This will prepare students for careers in both the public and private sectors. The introduction of the ELP is one of the key educational objectives in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) 2020.
In Spring 2023, participants will learn about the policy-building process at the local and state levels, develop real-world environmental policy linked to the current legislative session, engage with local and state government officials, and present their policies to legislative staff and decision-makers in Springfield and Urbana-Champaign.
iSEE encourages interested undergraduate students from all backgrounds, class standings, and majors to apply. Admission to the program is highly competitive, as the Institute seeks a diverse and interdisciplinary cohort. Students will be notified about the admission decision in mid-November, at which time they will be asked to register and confirm their participation in the program. Thanks to the support of our iSEE benefactor the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund, the program is free of charge for admitted students.