The NIU Institute for the Study of Environment, Sustainability and Energy elevates research, education, and community engagement around topics to improve conditions for current and future generations.
The Environmental Studies bachelors degree program offers students the space to analyze solutions to energy demands; assess the impact of environmental, climatic, and energy challenges facing society; and learn how to promote sustainability and related policies.
Recognizing that some of the best learning occurs outside the classroom, students participate in hands-on learning through for-credit internships, faculty-led research studies, study abroad programs, and other high-impact opportunities.
Call for support - Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college and many other students are working full-time to pay for classes. For these students, it can be especially difficult to justify taking time away from work to complete research or apply for a lower-paying internship. Without these engaging experiences, these students perpetually lag behind their peers after graduation.
We hope to lessen that gap by offsetting financial barriers for engaged learning experiences. You, as a supporter of our program, are integral to this goal - both through your financial donations and your direct engagement with our students.
Examples of how your financial donation could help students:
- Reduce the cost of summer tuition - this is not typically included in financial aid and is also when students have more available time to participate in internships or study abroad
- Supplement semester income - allows reduced wage-work requirement so students can use the released time to conduct original research
- Decrease bursar balance - students can only enroll in classes after their balance is below a certain threshold, which leads to these students not getting the classes they need to graduate in a timely manner
Examples of ways to engage with students:
- Work with your employer to offer internships that pay a living wage
- Coordinate a diversity, equity, and inclusion networking event with employers in your field of work and include networking mentors for students
- Mentor students through college and early career transitions
- Bring students with you to professional conferences, especially in cases where students can attend for no additional cost
- Get creative and work with our team and your employer to find opportunities to engage and support students
Email our team at ENVS@niu.edu to notify us of these engagement opportunities.
