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Environmental Leadership Certification

A unique interdisciplinary program for students interested in sustainability.

Two young women in the foreground examine something on a white surface, while in the background, other students gather under a shaded structure.

At Northfield Mount Hermon, we prepare students to be the leaders of tomorrow, ready to change the world for the better with an understanding of the ways that complicated issues intersect and a holistic approach to problem-solving. 

That commitment is at the heart of our Environmental Leadership Certification Program, which recognizes that the best way to address crucial issues is to bring together dedicated people from a wide range of fields, from STEM to the arts, policy to education, entrepreneurship to community leadership.

 

Two boys in the foreground are reaching into a lake with sticks, while the background shows a wooded area with a dock.

 

Deep Engagement with Real-World Impact

The NMH Environmental Leadership Certification is not a single course or a one-time commitment. It is a years-long, interdisciplinary effort that challenges you to engage deeply with environmental issues, take on leadership roles, and connect with your communities, leaving you uniquely prepared for further study and transformative engagement in this critical field. 

 

Your Personalized Pathway to Environmental Leadership 

Earning the certificate requires you to thoughtfully and intentionally build a track record of genuine engagement in environmental efforts and in leadership. Interested students, supported by their advisors, develop a plan that reflects their individual interests and strengths. That plan must incorporate academic coursework, significant leadership experience, sustainability-focused work outside of the curriculum, community engagement, and personal development. 

A young woman with headphones around her neck sketches in a notebook while sitting in tall, dry grass with a blurred background of trees and sky.

A Distinction Earned Through Sustained Achievement

In the fall of their senior year, students seeking certification submit to a review committee a portfolio of their achievements. Students who meet the requirements will receive the certification, which will signal their level of preparation and their commitment to tackling real-world environmental challenges to colleges, employers, and other opportunities. 

A man in a straw hat and red shirt gestures to a group of young people standing among purple flowers in a field, with a white van and distant hills under a cloudy sky.
A sign pointing to a %22Climate Summit%22 stands in the foreground, with people walking towards the arched entrance of a stone building in the background.
Three young people in a forest carry a wooden pallet covered in blue tarp and metal scraps, with fallen leaves on the ground and trees in the background.

The NMH Environmental Leadership Certification Program is inspired by the creation of the Margaret Sieck ’72 Endowed Chair in Environmental Studies and supported by the recently established Kristin and Carl Meyer ’87 Endowed Environmental Studies Fund. Created through a gift to This Place, This Moment: The Campaign for Northfield Mount Hermon, the fund provides interdisciplinary teaching and learning opportunities in the field.