UMACS Sustainability Fellows Program

Are you a paid student on a UMACS Member campus? Are you interested in getting more leadership training and professional development that will introduce you to sustainability fields, and will help you develop your communication, program/event planning and advocacy skills? Do you want a meaningful way to connect with other students and advance sustainability efforts from across the region? If yes, apply today to be a 24-25 UMACS Sustainability Fellow!

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Applications are CLOSED

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Meet the 2024-25 Sustainability Fellows Cohort!

Ashlyn Albert - Northern Michigan University
Brayden Adrian - Central Community College - Grand Island
Bridget Brown - University of St. Thomas
Emilee Burcham - Luther College
Grayson Holtz - Minnesota State University - Moorhead
Ila Swier - Michigan Technological University
Talitha Anderson - University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Taryn Davis - Black Hills State University
Valentyna Stopul - South Dakota State University

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As a Sustainability Fellows you will:
- Participate in ten virtual meetings where you will participate in interactive leadership and professional development training and      have time to share ideas and connect with all Sustainability Fellows.
- Develop one team project that will benefit the entire UMACS community.
- Participate in leadership coaching and mentoring from UMACS Staff and Steering Committee members.

Program Details
Sustainability Fellows will meet virtually on Fridays 2:30-4:00 CST on these dates for these topics (topics may change based on topics proposed by Fellows):
November 1: Orientation and Team Development and Individual Goal Setting
November 8: Human-Centered Design
December 6: Reflection on the Semester and Team Projects
Winter Break: Individual Leadership Coaching
January 17: Strategic Changemaking Tools for Greater Impact
January 24: Planning for Leadership Transition and Team Projects
February 7: Intercultural Competence
February 28: Planning for Earth Day/Week/Month; Team projects are finalized
March 7: Career Panel
April 11: Closing Event 

Expectations for Sustainability Fellows
- Confirm with your campus that they will fund your participation if you are accepted into the program.
- Commit to spending approximately 22 hours in the program, including the trainings, individual coaching and working on team projects. 

Expectations of Sponsoring Campuses
​- Be willing and able to pay students up to 22 hours to participate in the program. 
- Limited member campuses are asked to pay $150/student (this program is free for Supporting Member campuses for up to 3 students per campus). 

Application Process
Interested students should confirm with their campus supervisor that the supervisor supports their application and will be able to pay you to participate in the program. UMACS will select a maximum of 40 students in the program and will prioritize a diverse cohort of students representing every state in the region, a variety of different kinds of campuses, disciplines and experiences. No more than 4 people per campus will be accepted.

Applicants will be notified with selection decisions by October 11.

FAQ
Can graduate students apply? Graduate students are welcome to apply with the understanding that the cohort will likely be made up of mostly undergraduates. (If you are interested in a graduate student-only cohort, email us and let us know!)

I can’t participate in the program because I’m not available on Fridays 2:30-4:00 CST. What should I do? We are sorry that this year’s program dates do not work for you! Please email us and let us know that this is why you are not applying, if enough people would prefer different meeting dates, we will reach out to see if we can find a better time.