Environmental Student Advisory Board

Help shape the future of environmental programs and student life at Indiana University.

The Environmental Student Advisory Board (ESAB) brings together undergraduate students who are passionate about the environment and sustainability to help strengthen the student experience at IU.

Working alongside the Environment, Society, and Sustainability Institute (ESSI), ESAB members provide insight on programs, identify new opportunities for students, and help build a stronger community of environmental scholars and leaders across campus.

Through ESAB, students can help influence initiatives that affect environmental majors throughout IU while gaining leadership experience and building connections within the environmental community.

Apply

Applications for the Environmental Student Advisory Board open each spring. Students interested in contributing to the environmental community at IU are encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline: June 1, 2026

Apply here

Share student perspectives

  • Provide feedback on ESSI programs, opportunities, and initiatives to help ensure they meet the needs of undergraduate students. Each year in March, members of the board submit a comprehensive report to ESSI detailing feedback, suggestions, and recommendations to improve environmental programs. The report will also outline the ESAB’s activities in support of the undergraduate environmental community. This information will be included in ESSI’s annual report to school leadership.

Strengthen the environmental community

  • Help bring environmental students together through community-building initiatives, collaborations with student organizations, and opportunities to connect. The ESAB is uniquely empowered to work closely with ESSI through spontaneous tabling on campus, creating activities open to the public, organizing events, or any other initiative to build connections between environmental students.

Support fellow students

  • Serve as peer connectors by sharing knowledge about research opportunities, internships, scholarships, and ways to get involved in environmental work at IU.
  • Be creative and develop peer support initiatives that will benefit environmental students for years to come!

Generate new ddeas

  • Contribute ideas for new programs, initiatives, and opportunities that can strengthen environmental learning and engagement on campus.
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The impact you can have

Serving on ESAB gives students the opportunity to influence the direction of environmental programming at Indiana University. As a member, you’ll be empowered to:

  • Identify new opportunities for environmental students
  • Improve engagement with ESSI programs and initiatives
  • Strengthen connections between environmental majors across campus
  • Ensure student perspectives help guide ESSI priorities

What members gain

Serving on ESAB offers meaningful leadership and professional development opportunities.

  • Leadership experience working with ESSI staff and campus partners
  • Resume-building experience in student leadership and program development
  • Connections with faculty, staff, and environmental leaders across campus
  • Insight into how academic programs and student initiatives are developed
  • The opportunity to help shape programs that benefit future students

How ESAB benefits the environmental student community

The work of the Environmental Student Advisory Board supports environmental students across IU.

Through ESAB initiatives, students benefit from:

  • New opportunities to connect with other environmental students
  • Greater awareness of research, internship, and funding opportunities
  • Community-building events and collaborations
  • Improvements to ESSI programs based on student input