Environmental leadership isn’t confined to one major at the University of Minnesota. In IonE’s Undergraduate Leaders program, you’ll gain hands-on experience working with community partners on sustainability and environmental justice challenges. All you need is an interest in sustainability and equity, and a willingness to practice leadership through collaborative work.
What Is the Undergraduate Leaders Program?
Learn Environmental Leadership By Doing
The IonE Undergraduate Leaders program brings together students interested in sustainability action from all majors and interests from across the University of Minnesota. You’ll work on a project with a community partner alongside a small team of peers.
Instead of focusing on titles or roles in the program, it helps you practice leadership through collaboration, listening and shared responsibility. You’ll learn by doing the work – and by reflecting on it together.
How Does the Program Work?
Overview
Undergraduate Leaders gives you the opportunity to practice environmental and equity-based leadership through work with community partners. This cohort program runs from October through April. During this time, you’ll meet regularly as a group and work in teams on a community project.
You’ll also collaborate with peers from different disciplines, learn from community mentors and apply your classroom knowledge toward solutions to today’s sustainability challenges. Projects are identified in advance, so you’ll know the focus areas before you apply.
Team Projects & Support
You’ll work in a team of three to five students with a community partner who serves as your mentor. Your mentor shares their experiences, provides context and helps guide your project.
You’re never alone during this work. IonE facilitators also support you and your team through coaching and feedback.
What You’ll Do
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Partner with a community organization to address a sustainability challenge
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Work in a team of students from different majors and backgrounds who bring different experiences to the table
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Learn from diverse and underrepresented perspectives
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Examine how sustainability and equity are connected in the systems we’re part of
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Build leadership skills through shared responsibility and teamwork
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Connect with and maintain a long-lasting community that is as passionate about sustainability as you are
Leadership Starts Where You Are
IonE Undergraduate Leaders puts environmental leadership into practice – right where you live and learn. Work on a project rooted in your community, collaborate with partners who know the landscape and take action on issues you care about.
Through the IonE Undergraduate Leaders program, I participated in networking events, learned from professionals in environmental planning and explored strategies to make building practices more environmentally responsible for our project. We were able to integrate technical problem-solving with community engagement to create solutions that balance innovation and sustainability.
For Community Partners
Do you have a project that would benefit from a cross-functional student team? Community mentors play a key role by sharing their experience and helping students understand today’s environmental challenges.
Eligibility & How to Apply
You can apply if you:
- Are an undergraduate student at UMN Twin Cities
- Have at least one full academic year left before graduating
- Care about sustainability and want to take action
- Want to strengthen your ability to lead with others, not alone
- Want to build relationships with community partners
- Can commit time to mandatory cohort meetings and project work
Students from all majors are welcome to apply.
The program runs from October to April. Attendance at all cohort meetings is mandatory.
You can expect:
- Regular cohort meetings every-other Monday evening during the academic year
- Project meetings and mentor check-ins
- Up to 100 hours specifically towards your community project
Learn more about the current year’s schedule.
As an IonE Undergraduate Leader, you’ll receive:
- Hands-on leadership experience
- Mentorship from community and university partners
- A supportive network of peers
- A $1,600 scholarship applied to your student account
Application process:
- Applications open in mid-to-late August
- Submit an application online and select projects you’re most interested in
- Some students may be invited to a group interview
Can you apply more than once?
Yes! You can apply more than once. Each year offers new projects, teams and learning experiences.
Apply Now
Applications for the next cohort open in late August. Apply when the form opens, or sign up to get notified if you’re between application cycles.
2026–27 Program Schedule
Below is our tentative schedule for the 2026–27 school year. If there are any changes, we will provide ample notice.
Attendance at cohort meetings is required. Rare exceptions can be made.
- Sunday, September 20 – Program Application Closes
- Week of September 21 – Interview Invitations Sent
- Monday, September 28 – First Group Interviews
- Tuesday, September 29 – Second Group Interviews
- Friday, October 2 – Program Acceptances & Team Placements Sent
- Friday, October 9 – Kick-off Meeting (3–7:30 p.m.)
- Cohort Meetings – (Mondays, 6–8 p.m.)
- October 12
- October 26
- November 9
- November 23
- December 7
- January 25
- February 8
- February 22
- March 15
- March 29
- April 12
- Monday, April 26 – Closing Celebration (6–8 p.m.)
Important Notes:
- Every team should plan to complete a field visit to their community partner’s site of operation prior to Thanksgiving week.
- Every team should plan to present their project at the annual Sustainability Symposium.
Past Leadership Projects
Learn how Undergraduate Leaders work with local partners on sustainability projects.
The Impact of Uncertainty: Clean Energy Funding
Students: Emma Kapinus, Haley Deans, Harriette Ngam, Helen Grote and Osman Jermusek
Partner: Fresh Energy
Description: This team examined how delayed and uncertain federal funding affects clean energy projects across Minnesota. Their research and interviews became a podcast that explains the current funding landscape and ongoing advocacy efforts.
Learn More:
Storytelling for Land Access in Finland, MN
Students: Abigail Karger, Rachel Schneider, Pamela Gray, Faith Apilado and Martyn Cunningham
Partner: Land Access Alliance
Description: Students supported a community-led effort to create shared land spaces for food and cultural use. Their work included a public survey, outreach materials, website content and visual concepts for future sites.
Learn More:
Launching the Environmental Justice Summit
Students: Cecily Greblo, Lily Dodge and Tristina Ting
Partners: Project Sweetie Pie and BF50 Indigenous Health
Description:
What started as a team project evolved into the Environmental Justice Summit – an ongoing space for students and community organizations to gather in conversation. Working alongside local partners, this team helped design a forum grounded in listening, relationship-building and shared learning.
Today, the summit continues to connect community organizers and students around food access, climate justice and sustainability.
Learn More:
Environmental Leaders from UMN
Learn more about our current Undergraduate Leaders and alumni of the program.
Questions?
Have a question about the program? Email Mary Oldham Hannemann, program lead