National Environment Leadership Fellowship

About the RCC National Environment Leadership Fellowship (NELF) Program 

Application Window: January 26th, 2026– April 17th, 2026

The RCC National Environment Leadership Fellowship (NELF) Program is designed to identify outstanding students with a passion for environmental education, organizing, and advocacy, and provide them with financial support to carry out valuable projects and campaigns on behalf of the RCC.

To apply to the program, students propose projects focused on sustainability and environmental justice to be carried out on their campuses and in their communities. Individuals considering applying to the program may consider a wide variety of potential projects. Former fellows have run projects ranging from policy/advocacy focuses to environmental restoration action and creative campaigns, including podcasts and poetry.

Special consideration will be given to fellows applying in areas where the Rachel Carson Council has ongoing campaigns or work. These include, but are not limited to: opposition to woody biomass, divestment, renewable energy, particularly solar energy, and environmental justice issues. For more information about RCC’s work, please visit our website.

RCC Fellows become nationally recognized environmental youth leaders. If accepted into the program, Fellows will become active members of the RCC national campus program, which has thousands of active faculty, students, staff, and administrators at more than 90campuses. They will also benefit from the mentorship of Dr. Robert K. Musil, a longtime national climate and environmental advocate, expert, author, CEO, and President, as well as RCC senior staff.

RCC Fellows selected for the 2026-2027 cohort will also benefit from attending a tuition-free, board-free, in-person RCC American Environmental Leadership Institute (AELI) from July 26-30, 2026. The AELI will be held in Washington, DC, bringing together national environmental leaders, elected officials, collegiate organizers, and members of the RCC Fellowship Program to provide mentorship and discuss ongoing efforts at the federal, state, local, and campus levels to address the numerous environmental challenges we face today. 

How it works

Upon successfully developing a project proposal and being accepted into the Fellowship cohort, all fellows will attend the 2026 Summer RCC American Environmental Leadership Institute (AELI), taking place from July 26-30, 2026. There, Fellows will develop project plans for the upcoming year, participate in workshops to hone their leadership, writing, advocacy, and organizing skills, and meet their cohort while also networking and learning from RCC senior staff and national environmental leaders on the RCC National Advisory Council.

Following the completion of the fellowship workshops, RCC Fellows will return to their campuses and begin their work for the 2026–2027 academic year. Throughout the year, RCC Fellows will participate in mentorship calls with RCC staff and other members of the fellowship cohort to collaborate on and refine their projects.

During the year, Fellows will have the opportunity to publish writings about their work for the RCC to be shared on the RCC website and distributed through RCC networks and social media. Each Fellow will be responsible for monthly deliverables, including photo essays (blogs), which will be nationally published. Fellows’ writing may grow out of their projects or campaigns, but may also include other issues relevant to the work of RCC. A critical component of the fellowship program, fellows will be able to hone their writing over the course of the year and receive mentorship on their work.

RCC Fellows will also develop critical contacts and gain valuable experience, and upon completion of their term, join the RCC alumni network as they look forward to careers as engaged environmental leaders.                                            

Fellows should expect to work on their project or campaign each week over the course of their fellowship, carry out 7-10 advocacy hours per semester (presenting about your project in classes, attending RCC webinars and events), as well as promote the RCC and encourage RCC membership and participation in its events and actions by students and faculty.

All RCC Fellows receive a $2,000 stipend distributed throughout the academic year.

About the Application

Project proposal:

In three pages or less, double-spaced, describe your project or campaign that relates to environmental justice, ocean and coastal advocacy, anti-fossil fuels, biomass, renewable energy, food insecurity, or sustainable agriculture. In your proposal, be sure to highlight how your project is related to environmental justice, sustainability, or the climate crisis. Further, be sure to explain what drew you to this issue, how you have exhibited leadership, and a basic outline of how you hope to achieve your goals. In addition to learning about your issue and your plan, we are interested in your background in environmental work, how the fellowship program will benefit you, why you feel deeply about your issue, and how it connects to the goals of the Rachel Carson Council.

Students will also submit a resume, two references (not letters of recommendation), including name and contact information, and two writing samples of no more than three pages double-spaced each. Please include a writing sample that reveals your originality and your personal perspective in a more journalistic, rather than academic style. Samples from academic work will ideally touch on issues of interest to the RCC.

Your proposal will be strengthened by reviewing the RCC website, particularly the work and writing of previous RCC Fellows. Your project will grow out of the circumstances of your own college or university, but is likely to use techniques and tactics like those used elsewhere. We value creative approaches to environmental and justice issues but also hope your project may stimulate similar ones and be replicable at other colleges, even if tailored to meet your own circumstances. Projects can and have involved organizing campaigns on divestment and reinvestment, lobbying on coastal and ocean protection; the arts and communications such as a series of podcasts on factory farms, curriculum development, community engagement, campus and community solar installation, campus and community organic gardens, food pantries and food insecurity, and network building with Black, Latino, and LGBT+ communities.

Need inspiration?: Read about our current fellows here.

Requirements:

For this application, you will need:

• A resume
• A written proposal detailing the issue you care about, the project you are proposing to address it, and how it relates to the broad efforts of the RCC and the environmental movement. No longer than three pages, please.
• Two writing samples: one academic writing sample & one personal/creative/journalistic writing sample that shows your voice.
• Two references including name, position, and contact information.
• Must be a student at a college or university for the entire 2026-27 school year (undergraduates and graduates are welcome)

Successful RCC Fellowship applicants will demonstrate:

• Passion for environmental education, organizing, or advocacy, and they have identified an issue they wish to work on.
• Strong academic performance with an emphasis on the environment in various disciplines or majors.
• Outstanding writing and research with the ability to meet deadlines and follow specific content and formatting instructions.
• Ability to meet fast-paced deadlines, communicate efficiently via email, and proficiency in Word processing software programs.
• Participation and leadership in campus environmental or related justice activities.
• Initiative and the capacity to perform creative problem-solving and deal with uncertainty.
• Appreciation for the mission, goals, and issues of the Rachel Carson Council and Rachel Carson’s legacy.

Benefits Fellows will receive:

• A $2,000 stipend over the fellowship term
• National recognition as an RCC Fellow
• Experience in professional writing and opportunities to publish
• Training and mentorship from environmental professionals on the RCC staff
• Professional experience organizing and working for a national environmental non-profit
• Training in advocacy, organizing, and writing, as well as mentorship under RCC staff
• Tuition, room, board, and participation in residence at the RCC American Environmental Leadership Institute (AELI), July 26-30, 2026
• Access to the RCC National Advisory Council and RCC Alumni Network