Shaping the Future Through Sustainability Education
At Michigan Tech, we are committed to preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing world. Our sustainability curriculum spans immersive first-year experiences, interdisciplinary coursework, project-based learning, and new pathways for academic exploration. Students engage with real-world sustainability challenges while developing the knowledge, tools, and values needed to shape a more sustainable future.
First-Year Entry Point: TreeHouse Sustainability Learning Community
The TreeHouse Sustainability Learning Community is a living-learning experience for first-year students who want to make a difference. Located on the fifth floor of East Wadsworth Hall, TreeHouse brings together students from diverse majors and personal backgrounds to live and learn collaboratively around the theme of sustainability.
TreeHouse residents benefit from:
- Interactive seminars and discussion-based programming
- Service learning and community engagement
- Immersive field trips throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula
- Communal meals and shared living experiences
- A supportive, interdisciplinary peer community
This community helps students build a strong foundation in sustainability literacy and systems thinking early in their college careers.
Applied Learning: Green Campus Enterprise
The Green Campus Enterprise (GCE) offers long-term, project-based learning opportunities focused on real-world sustainability issues affecting campus and the local region.
Students in GCE:
- Work on multiyear interdisciplinary projects
- Apply science, engineering, and systems thinking to sustainability challenges
- Develop solutions in areas like energy, materials, water, and carbon management
- Practice effective communication and leadership with a range of audiences
GCE prepares students for careers in sustainability-focused industries, engineering, research, and public service.
New Sustainability Studies Minor
Students now have the option to pursue a Sustainability Studies Minor through Michigan Tech Essential Education Minors. This interdisciplinary minor allows students to:
- Build a foundational understanding of sustainability topics through multiple lenses
- Customize their learning with courses across departments and colleges
- Strengthen their ability to think critically about sustainability issues in a global context
The minor is open to all majors and complements a wide range of academic and career goals.
Climate Change Curriculum
In order to prepare our students to be changemakers ready to address society's most pressing issues, Michigan Tech is developing a new climate change curriculum supported by a generous alumni donation. This innovative suite of courses will allow students to explore climate change from multiple perspectives and prepare them to take informed action in their careers and communities.
Key components include:
- An introductory climate change course launching in Spring 2026, developed by an interdisciplinary faculty panel
- A tiered suite of follow-up courses exploring climate-related issues across a range of disciplines; from physics to mineral systems to policy - there are courses for every interest
- Curriculum designed for students of all majors, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of climate challenges
A Campus-Wide Commitment to Inclusive Sustainability Education
At Michigan Tech, we believe sustainability education should be:
- Accessible to students of all disciplines
- Rooted in real-world, experiential learning
- Inclusive of diverse perspectives and lived experiences
Whether through coursework, minors, living-learning communities, or hands-on projects, our sustainability programs are designed to meet students where they are—and help them grow into leaders ready to shape a sustainable future for all.
