Boreas Sustainability Leadership Program

University of Minnesota

Boreas is a year long cohort program that offers a space to reflect and connect for UMN Twin Cities students who are committed to being sustainability leaders. Boreas is a network of people that seek environmental and social change and believe that interpersonal and interdisciplinary relationships are essential to facing today’s challenges. Boreas believes in the power of seeing potential in one another and re-envisioning problems as opportunities through bold, stimulating, and challenging conversations.

We want to create community and lasting networks among students and post-docs across disciplines that go above and beyond our own experiences and areas of study. We aim to create an open and vulnerable space that fosters growth, generosity, change, and belonging.

Department/Institute/Unit: Institute on the Environment
Institution: University of Minnesota
City: Minneapolis
Country: United States
State/Province: Minnesota
Program Leader(s): Megan Voorhees
Point(s) of Contact: Megan Voorhees
Contact Email(s): ionegrad@umn.edu
Year Initiated: 2014
Currently Active: Yes
Program Scale: Campus
Participant Model: Cohort Based
Participant Eligibility: Master’s Student, Ph.D. Student, Postdoc
Time Commiment for Participants: 21-40 hours
Requirements for Participation: Cohort meetings every other week for 90 minutes from October 1-April 30.
Application Frequency: Yearly
Application Process: Resume and application questions
Program Recruitment Strategies: Email and through Faculty/staff nominations
Cost to Participant: No
Funding or Support Available to Participants: Yes
Amount or Types of Support Available to Participants (if applicable): $200 Stipend for completing the program
Mentorship Model: Cohort is facilitated by two students that are “IonE Graduate Leaders” and the cohort emphasizes the importance of peer mentorship.
Number of Participants in Program: 10-19
How Program is Funded: Internal
Other Program Partners: N/A
Number of Program Staff: 1
Is the Program Credit Bearing or Credentialing: No
Is there a Program Evaluation Conducted: Yes
Type(s) of Evaluation(s) Conducted: An external evaluation was completed of the program in 2018.