Environmental Leadership Program

The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), launched during academic year 2021-2022, prepares undergraduates for leadership roles in sustainability fields. Through real-world experience with legislators, nonprofits, and business leaders, this program trains students how to effectively advocate for policies that improve community sustainability, and develops their communication and problem-solving skills around environmental problems. The ELP prepares them for careers in both the public and private sectors and offers valuable networking opportunities with leaders in the field. 

The introduction of the ELP is one of the key educational objectives in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) 2020.

In Spring 2025, 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. The program includes corporate sustainability through a trip to Chicago where students will connect with companies in a variety of industries and discuss opportunities with business professionals who are making the decisions to implement sustainable change.

Program Details

The Spring 2025 program will consist of:

For any inquiries about the program, please email us at isee-elp@illinois.edu.

ELP Advisory Board

iSEE is grateful to the following people for their participation and valued advice:

Funding for the Program

The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund has made a generous gift to help support the ELP, including assistance for student travel expenses.