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As more young people bear witness to the growing effects of climate change, a new generation is becoming determined to take action. The “Choosing Our Future: Education for Climate Action” report confirms that 65% of youth feel their future is at risk without green skills. However, the majority do not think they’ve received enough climate change education to do something about it.
This is not the case for Georgetown University student Zoe Gutherman (CAS ’27). Early exposure to environmental education sparked her passion for sustainability and conservation. “I remember learning about climate change in my eighth-grade earth science class,” she recalls, “It was one of the first times I had to conceptualize how great of an impact human actions have on the environment.”
Her passion has only grown since then, leading her to seek Georgetown’s BS in Environment & Sustainability — a joint degree between the College of Arts & Sciences and the Earth Commons, Georgetown’s Institute for Environment & Sustainability. On this route, students evolve into changemakers. Their transformation is fueled by a well-rounded curriculum that covers environmental science, culture, justice, and governance, and includes hands-on learning through research projects, internships, peer leadership training, and more.
Just over a year into her degree, Gutherman is already optimistic about her future — and that of the planet. “I believe that only when we see humans as a part of the environment can we create a more sustainable future,” she reflects. This vision aligns perfectly with Georgetown’s mission to cultivate socially responsible leaders. To achieve this, the program prioritizes experiential learning, encouraging students to tackle global challenges beyond the classroom.
Students of the BS in Environment Sustainability learn beyond textbooks, getting their hands dirty with local and international fieldwork. Source: Georgetown University
Empowering students to drive real-world environmental impact
The BS in Environment & Sustainability empowers students to apply knowledge in the real-world. Sophia Rose Monsalvo (CAS ’26) has the experience to prove it.
Monsalvo chose the program for its interdisciplinary approach and to further her interests in both environmental science and art. But it’s also the program’s commitment to hands-on learning that gives her the confidence that she made the right choice.
During the summer, she travelled to La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, where she worked with a nonprofit organization called Fundación Estación Biológica Bachaqueros (FEBB). “With FEBB, I wanted to research how local communities can organize to heal, restore and protect the natural environment while cultivating peace and lasting interpersonal connections,” she says.
A highlight of her work in Colombia included an analysis of the Viveros Hermanos (or “Sister Nurseries”) initiative, a reforestation program that empowers local communities to create nurseries for endangered trees. Through field research, interviews, and observation, she saw firsthand how local conservation projects uplift communities and help them achieve shared environmental goals.
For Monsalvo, the experience was transformative. “Working with FEBB for six weeks gave me a renewed understanding of our interconnectedness with nature, my community, and myself,” she says. Equally important, this international immersion also helped refine her long-term vision: to become a research professor dedicated to participatory environmental conservation efforts alongside community organizers.
At the Earth Commons Institute, environmental education intersects with personal development, community engagement, and a commitment to environmental justice. Source: Georgetown University
Building a global community
Being a part of Georgetown’s Earth Commons community truly sets the BS in Environment & Sustainability apart. The institute’s aim is to accelerate action on the most pressing issues of our earth through research, education, and action.This includes cultivating a resilient environmental community that cares, developing leaders that can act both as individuals and as a collective for the greater good.
About the community, Jesse Meiller, Co-Director of the program, says it best: “You’re part of something bigger: an incredible, global community dedicated to effecting change for the environment and building a deeper understanding through firsthand experiences.”
Students and faculty join together at Earth Commons harvest festivals, contribute sustainable produce to the local community by volunteering at the Hoya Harvest Garden. They even enjoy films and theatrical works that encourage exploration of ourselves and the environment. In doing so, they get to participate in environmental action firsthand. Initiatives like Get Outside Challenge and environmental retreats strengthen personal well-being and ecological belonging through restorative and invigorating outdoor experiences.
During the many Earth Month celebrations at the university, BS in Environment & Sustainability students can attend talks from prominent authors, speak with environmental art-makers and activists, and even participate in a recycled “Trashion Show”. Through “We Hear You”, a high-profile international youth performance project, the ECo ArtWalk, an Earth Commons art installation throughout campus, and the Common Home Arts Showcase, students build a deeper understanding of environmental issues through exposure to the humanities as well as the sciences.
One of the many ways students bridge classroom theory and real-world practice is through the Earth Commons’ Green Commons Awards, which enable dialogue-starting projects like award recipient Anya Wahal’s documentary on the challenges faced by Colorado River Basin farmers.
Aspiring innovators get a better idea of just how impactful their research interests can be through ECo Talks seminars, which invite environmental experts to share insights on cutting-edge science, policy, and sustainability strategies. Sessions like these play a crucial role in inspiring students’ own custom pathways through the BS in Environment & Sustainability program — after all, possibilities in pursuing environmental interests and careers are only expanding.
Whether working for environmental advocacy organizations, pursuing graduate studies in law, environmental science, or policy, or taking on science, data analysis, or research roles, students complete the BS in Environment & Sustainability ready to make a meaningful impact. If you are, too, don’t wait — join this community of changemakers today to start building a future you can be proud of.
