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 teaches 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. 

In Spring 2026, 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. In the past, students have presented to the City of Urbana and City of Champaign about plastic bag taxes. ELP students also introduced a bill about testing for radionuclides in water to the Illinois Legislative Reference Bureau for consideration by the General Assembly. 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 2026 program will consist of:

• Two-day intensive training in local and state government, corporate operations, and environmental policy and advocacy. The training will be Friday-Saturday, Jan. 16-17, 2026, before the start of the Spring semester. During these two days, participants will learn more about environmental advocacy, policy building, stakeholder engagement and decision-making for sustainable change. Participants will attend sessions about local and state government (e.g., its administration, operations, and policies) and corporate governance — and interact with other experts in the field.

• Weekly working meetings (between Jan. 23 and March 13) in which students will hear from expert speakers about career opportunities and pathways in environmental leadership, develop and refine their policy presentations, and prepare for meetings with legislators and company executives. There will be eight one-hour meetings, including several with presentations from guest speakers.

• Five days of intensive experiential learning with trips to Chicago corporate offices, the State Capitol in Springfield, and Urbana City Council. These trips are during Spring Break (March 16-20). Networking events during that time will help students meet with legislators, staff at state agencies, and business professionals. Travel expenses are funded by our donor.

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:

• Harriet Hentges, President and CEO, Hentges Associates
• Eban Goodstein, Director, Center for Environmental Policy and MBA in Sustainability, Bard College
• Doug Sitton, Senior Principal, IMEG Corp.
• Jennifer Walling, Executive Director, Illinois Environmental Council
• Jonathan Coppess, Associate Professor of Agricultural & Consumer Economics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Spring 2026 application period is closed.

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.