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Sustainability Leadership

June 1 – June 18, 2026

Join the Cornell Civic Ecology Lab for a 3-week global online course that equips emerging leaders to drive real sustainability change in their organizations, communities, and campuses.

  • ​Official Cornell Course: Ivy League university credit.

  • Mon–Fri, 5:00–7:45pm ET: Live sessions on Zoom.

  • International cohort: Students from the U.S., China, and beyond.

  • Transferrable transcript: Official Cornell University record.

  • 3 credits: Cornell Summer Session tuition ($5,820).

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What does it take to lead sustainability change where you live, work, and learn?

Every organization – from student clubs and schools, to businesses and local governments – faces sustainability challenges. The question is rarely whether change is needed but who will step up to lead it. Sustainability Leadership is a three-week Cornell University course for high school students who want to move from concern to action. Drawing on organizational change, behavioral science, environmental governance, and real-world consulting, students learn how to assess sustainability needs, build coalitions, and create actionable plans that shift policy, culture, and norms within the organizations and communities they already belong to.

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Students engage with primary scholarship, develop an independent leadership essay, collaborate on a sustainability action plan for a real or simulated client, and participate in live daily discussions with an international cohort of peers. By the final week, they present original work that demonstrates the kind of strategic thinking and initiative that stands out in any college portfolio.

15 Core Class Sessions

  • Introduction and Sustainability

  • Sustainability Competence

  • Leadership Fundamentals

  • Sustainability Consulting

  • Creative and Critical Thinking

  • ESG: Environment, Social, Governance

  • Inclusive and Equitable Leadership

  • Civic Engagement

  • Inspiring Others

  • Policy-Making

  • Sustainability: Climate

  • Sustainability: Economy

  • Sustainability: Biodiversity

  • Professional Development

  • Final Student Presentations

Assignments and Grading

  • Action Plan (50%) — Small-group sustainability action plan or policy recommendation for an organization or community client

  • Leadership Essay (20%) — Independent essay exploring a sustainability issue through a theory of change lens

  • Daily Journal (20%) — Written reflections before each class, connecting ideas to your own organization and experience

  • Participation (10%) — Live discussions, attendance, and one mini-presentation

What students take away

Critical Thinking at a University Level

Students learn to construct arguments, recognize counterarguments, and evaluate evidence using conceptual frameworks from sustainability science, behavioral economics, and organizational change. These are skills that prepare them for selective universities.

Thoughtful AI Literacy

AI is integrated into the course as a thinking partner, not a shortcut. Students learn to use large language models and deep research tools to explore ideas more rigorously, building the kind of AI fluency that is increasingly expected in higher education and professional life.

Independent Research and Academic Writing

Each student independently investigates a sustainability leadership challenge, reads peer-reviewed publications, and produces a leadership essay that integrates evidence and presents an original theory of change. This essay becomes a tangible portfolio piece for college applications.

Confidence in Discussion and Presentation

Daily live classes, group projects, and a final public presentation build the communication skills, and the confidence to use them, that distinguish students who thrive in university environments from those who merely attend.

A Genuinely Global Perspective

With students from the United States, China, and other countries, every discussion is enriched by diverse experiences of sustainability challenges across different organizational and cultural contexts. Students consistently report that their peers, as much as the curriculum, change how they see the world.

3 Transferable Cornell Credits

Students receive an official Cornell University transcript showing NTRES 2480 with 3 earned credits. Many US and international universities accept transfer credits from Cornell, including as fulfillment of environmental science or sustainability requirements.

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Dr. Alex Kudryavtsev

PhD · Research Associate · Cornell University 

Alex has been teaching sustainability courses at Cornell since 2024 as an active researcher whose work on civic ecology and sustainability leadership continuously shapes what students learn.

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Students describe him as organized, approachable, and genuinely invested in their growth. He creates a classroom where high school students feel both welcomed and challenged.​ AI tools are integrated into the course as thinking partners, helping students ask sharper questions and explore ideas with greater depth, rather than replacing the thinking itself.

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A real university experience

Sustainability Leadership is an official Cornell University course with a rigorous grading standard and a transferable academic record.

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  • Official Cornell Transcript. Upon completion, students receive a Cornell University transcript showing NTRES 2480 with 3 earned credits; the same document issued to any Cornell undergraduate.

  • Credit Transferability. Many universities in the U.S. and internationally accept transfer credits from Cornell. These 3 credits can satisfy distribution requirements in environmental science, sustainability, or social science at many institutions.

  • College Application Portfolio. The action plan, leadership essay, and participation record from this course are evidence of real academic engagement. This course does not guarantee admission anywhere, but it demonstrates initiative, intellectual depth, and university-level capability in a way that few high school experiences can.

  • Cornell Network and Community. Students join a global community of Cornell Summer Session alumni who have gone on to universities across the U.S. and the world.

What past students say

Nothing like a typical online course. The instructor made every session feel engaging, structured, and genuinely supportive.

My understanding of sustainability was so superficial. This course showed me the world needs far more than what I once thought.

A wonderful experience meeting student sustainability leaders around the world. Our different backgrounds and cultures allowed us to combine creative efforts.

I never expected I could improve so much on social skills through the leadership materials. The instructor, guest speakers, and peers were inspiring.

I enjoyed the Action Plan the most because I was able to apply what I had learned. The suggestions provided by the instructor are really useful.

Questions?

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