The Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program (Beahrs ELP) at the University of California, Berkeley, offers a unique learning opportunity for mid-career practitioners and decision-makers to broaden their knowledge and perspectives on environmental and natural resource science, policy, management, and leadership. Through this annual three-week summer certificate course, Beahrs ELP participants develop the tools and skills necessary to meet environmental goals that also reduce poverty and social conflict. Over the last eighteen years (2001-2018), the Beahrs ELP has graduated 670 environmental leaders from over 110 countries. The program is developed and led by the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley; UC Berkeley has been consistently ranked as the #1 public university in the world, as well as the #1 university for environment/ecology.
Benefits of the program include:
- UC Berkeley certificate in Sustainable Environmental Management
- Enhanced capacity to develop and apply solutions that balance environmental, economic, and social equity objective
- Strengthened skills for communicating ideas, managing conflict, facilitating multi-stakeholder processes, and leading social change
- Lifetime membership in the global Berkeley ELP Alumni Network
The Beahrs ELP seeks participants who are proficient in English to allow full participation in course discussions, have a resume that demonstrates strong professional experience and leadership potential, and have an affiliation with an institution concerned with environmental management/sustainable development. Participants come from a wide range of environmental and sustainable development agencies and organizations, local to global, who share the common goal to better understand and support sustainable human-environment interactions.
Applications are due December 2018. Those who will be seeking funding from their employers or others should apply early.
Testimonials from 2018 Beahrs ELP participants:
“I was looking for a way to expand and build on my skills and knowledge about sustainability, and my supervisor highly recommended that I apply for the program and inspired me to reach for it; so I guess it came at the right time… I am amazed at the caliber of the speakers that we have had. It's a good mix of academic pedigree and real-world experience, and we have had enough time to talk about individual topics and theories, but also we were given time to step back and see how it all loops together or how every piece of knowledge is interrelated… It's not every day that you meet amazing environmental leaders from all over the world, and everybody just brings in something special. So you could imagine the richness of the discussion; for example, if you come in with a challenge that you're bringing in from your work you get different perspectives.” -Hanna Pacua, Former Operations Analyst, International Finance Corporation – Philippines (ELP 2018)
“For me participating in the Beahrs ELP was really about gaining professional growth, getting more professional opportunities, and understanding my role as an environmental leader, so the Beahrs ELP offered the perfect opportunity for me to really understand my role as an environmental leader—not only learning new skills, but being able to network and to collaborate with people from different areas. It's a really good blend of people coming together and learning from each other… Berkeley really showed me a side of myself, that this is something that I am capable of doing and I loved every moment of doing it. I loved sharing my experience and I love that people were receptive to it as well… For me I don’t feel like there's one straight path to be an environmental leader. There's so many different ways that you can really step out and shine as an environmental leader. Another important thing this program showed me is the power of working together with other individuals. It doesn't matter if you're a lawyer, you're a journalist, or you work in media, we all to come together to tell our stories about what an environmental leader really is, and that's what I really want to bring across in the world… The Beahrs ELP is a life-changing experience. The three weeks that I have been here, I feel like I have gained so many skills just from being a participant. I would really encourage everybody to apply, because it will change your life. Honestly when you step out, when you leave the gates of Berkeley, you'll feel like you are a different person and you're ready to change the world.” -Peta-Gaye Rookwood, Legal Officer, National Environment and Planning Agency, Jamaica (ELP 2018)
