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McKinney Climate Fellows

McKinney Climate Fellows

Advancing Indiana leadership in climate action and sustainability

The McKinney Climate Fellows (MCF) is a workforce development program administered by ERI with support from IU's Integrated Program in the Environment.

MCF connects undergraduate and graduate students interested in climate, sustainability, and community resilience with career experiences. The program partners with Indiana-based private, public, and nonprofit organizations to host student fellows and provide solutions-based sustainability expertise.

Climate fellows gain valuable experience working full-time in a professional setting; partners receive assistance in sustainability and climate planning from talented students; and Indiana benefits from this critical sustainability work.

MCF goals:

Develop a statewide network of sustainability professionals in the corporate, nonprofit, government, and higher education sectors
Prepare students for sustainability careers with advice from industry professionals
Contribute to climate and resilience projects through professional development opportunities and trainings

The application period for partners and students interested in participating in the 2025 McKinney Climate Fellows program is now open. Click the panels below to learn more.

Students

Hosts

MCF by the numbers

232student fellowships

98,500+hours served

Building a green talent pipeline

McKinney Climate Fellows have gone on to work in meaningful sustainability careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Read about their early career experiences and how the MCF program informed their professional journeys.

Browse the Q&A series

Enhancing national security and sustainability

As a McKinney Climate Fellow, Matt Trilus played a leading role in drafting a climate action plan for Naval Support Activity Crane, a heavily forested 64,000-acre site in south-central Indiana that serves as a shore command of the U.S. Navy.

Green jobs growth in Indiana

As communities and businesses throughout Indiana incorporate sustainability and climate resilience into their day-to-day operations, the state’s green workforce is poised to expand rapidly.

According to a July 2022 report by WorkingNation, green jobs in the Hoosier State are projected to increase by more than 29% over the next five years, nearly five times the national average. In fact, more than 1 million Hoosier jobs are well-positioned to be part of the state’s green economy. In many of these roles, green skills offer significant average annual salary boosts.

As the potential for positive environmental impact spreads across a wide range of industries, Hoosier workers who can unlock, support, and maintain a green economy will continue to be in demand.

View the WorkingNation report