Student Involvement in Greening the UN

It is so cool as a college student to be able to visit different United Nations Missions and get a deep look at their approaches to sustainability... Learning from all these missions is so valuable because every mission we visit has new ideas and new approaches that we can carry forward both at Lehigh and in our future work.

Samantha Anderson '26

Overview

Students involved in the Lehigh University Partnership for Sustainable UN Missions gain hands-on experience working at the intersection of sustainability, global policy, and consulting. Through the program, students collaborate with United Nations missions in New York City to evaluate workplace sustainability practices, conduct research, and develop recommendations aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Participants build professional skills in project management, data analysis, communication, and client advising while engaging directly with international diplomats and sustainability leaders. This experiential learning opportunity allows students to apply classroom knowledge to real-world global challenges while developing the skills needed to become future changemakers in sustainability and international affairs.

FAQs

Expand all

There are currently no open roles to apply for, but we encourage you to fill out our interest form to be notified when new positions become available.

The application deadline is TBD for the 2026-2027 Academic Year.

No, this is a voluntary role. You will have the opportunity to build professional skills, including project management, data analysis, communication, and client advising, as well as green skills in sustainable infrastructure and behavior change in the workplace. All while engaging directly with international diplomats and global sustainability leaders.

Students can expect to commit approximately 1–4 hours per week during the semester, depending on the time of year and program activities. For example, early in the semester or around events like the baseline survey, presentations, or the awards ceremony, students may spend closer to 4 hours per week. Most weeks, the time commitment is closer to 1 hour. The program also includes two trips to New York City each year, one for an introductory meeting and another for an awards ceremony.