Environmental Leadership, Equity and Impact

The Switzer Foundation is proud of its history supporting environmental leaders through the Switzer Fellowship Program. Switzer Fellows are engaged in a variety of disciplines and fields through which significant environmental gains are being achieved. Applied science, academic research, policy and activism efforts are led by Switzer Fellows and our grantees to achieve positive outcomes across the US and internationally.

Over the last two years, the Switzer Foundation has explored how our core values and programs can better reflect the intersections of environmental issues with many other perspectives and disciplines. The Foundation is committed to creating supportive leadership pathways for graduate students from all backgrounds and fields of study while contributing to the current needs of the environmental field.

We believe that environmental leaders must: be prepared for complex social and political contexts; find collaboration across differences of race, class and gender; and be able to build networks that intersect with a variety of expertise areas and backgrounds. By including a social equity lens in our work we can ensure positive outcomes for the future that benefit all.

In the 32 years since our founding, we have seen a progression of strategies from pollution clean-up and technical solutions, to policy advances, to social and community strategies informing larger scale trends. Today, environmental issues are embedded in every facet of our lives and work. We know that climate change is undeniably the issue of our time and its ramifications cut across every sector, city and community. New skills and approaches are needed to face these challenges, and the Switzer Foundation is prepared to do its part.

We are pleased to present our updated Mission, Vision and Values, and invite you to share your thoughts! Contact Executive Director Sarah Reed with your feedback.