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  • Students doing environmental work

    President’s Society Environment

    Environmental Justice Now for our students and community.

  • Student smiling doing classwork

    Our community college students advocate for the environment.

    In both urban and rural settings, poor communities are often the most impacted by polluted waterways, asthma-inducing air, toxic chemical waste, and polluted ground.

    Community colleges are at the very center of these communities, enrolling over 60% of all low-income students who are affected by damaging environmental issues. And, unlike wealthy communities who can afford robust advocacy efforts, these students and their families are often the least equipped to combat its damage.

    We’ve developed PS Environment to empower students to claim their own backyard, making it healthier and more sustainable.

    Student receiving Professional Development

    A hands-on program training students to take action today.

    Each year, we invite a diverse group of 20 students studying a range of subjects to join PS Environment. These students work alongside program faculty, city agencies, and community organizations to solve real, local environmental issues in their community while also helping them:

    • Become more ecologically knowledgeable, capable, and politically strategic to achieve positive impact.
    • Learn how to effectively lead environmental reclamation and preservation projects from the ground up from managing proposals and permits to building community support.
    • Gain the needed skills to persuade local stakeholders and turn leadership into action.

  • Student Reflections

    Listen to what PSE Ambassadors had to say about the program as they reflect on their memorable experiences.




  • See the difference students can make.

    From reclaiming polluted waterways to advocating for more bike-friendly streets, PS Environment students are working to make real, positive environmental impact in their communities. Each year, a new group of students meets once a week to contribute toward a long-term project. Together they attend skills workshops, conduct field research, and participate in community and stakeholder meetings to build real-world experience as they advance their projects, and are guided by program alumni who mentor each year’s new students.


    LaGuardia Community Greenway Vision Plan


    Read the Mission Statement

    Watch current PSE students pitch their vision plan to
    LaGuardia President Kenneth Adams




  • Environmental Students outside

    PS Environment provides

    a roadmap for action that community colleges nationwide can use to help students fight back and take control of unjust environmental forces. 

  • Interested in bringing this kind of program to your community college?
    Let us know and we’ll help you get started.