Environmental Stewardship Institute

While many high schools offer green teams or eco clubs, young people rarely have the opportunity to explore their career options in the environmental field. FMR established the Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) in 2019 to address the gap between environmental education and career pathways.

Through an immersive, interdisciplinary program on local river issues and professional development, ESI fosters a diverse next generation of environmental leaders.

See what we've been up to below, or learn more on our general ESI program page.

Apply to be a 2024 ESI mentor for the summer

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February 17, 2023

ESI mentors with backgrounds in arts or sciences work with fellows during our eight-week summer program. Apply to be a mentor by May 3, 2024 using the form below. Read more

Activating youth leadership through water stewardship programming

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October 17, 2022

Youth leaders at FMR hosted two educational events for our communities, sharpening their leadership skills and engaging other young people in water stewardship activities. Read more

Two people stand with storm drain stencil in front of Como Lake

Congrats to our 2022 ESI summer intensive fellows!

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September 11, 2022

We doubled the size of our summer intensive program for high school-aged youth this year. Find out what our fellows explored and learned, read two reflections on the program and see their final projects. Read more

ESI guest post: PFAS in Minnesota and impacts on east metro drinking water

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August 31, 2022

This is a guest post from 2022 Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) fellow Alecia Jendro who researched the history of 3M's PFAS disposal in the East Metro, the resulting health and environmental impacts, and what's being done about it now. Read more

ESI guest post: The nitrogen cycle and how it affects different organisms

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August 25, 2022

This is a guest post from 2022 Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) fellow Spencer who created a video exploring the nitrogen cycle and the health of aquariums and how that compares to the Mississippi River. Read more

ESI guest post: Agriculture and the Upper Mississippi

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August 19, 2022

This is a guest post from 2022 Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) fellows Joseph and Peter who researched the impact of agriculture on water quality and what we can do about pollution from excess fertilizers. Read more

ESI guest post: What is the Upper Harbor Terminal Project?

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August 19, 2022

This is a guest post from 2022 Environmental Stewardship Institute (ESI) fellow Lucy Keenan who created an infographic explaining the redevelopment project at North Minneapolis's Upper Harbor Terminal. Read more