Building environmental leaders through project-based high school education.
We recognize the responsibility of humanity to conserve and protect our world through ecology, health, and human rights. The School of Environmental Leadership (SEL) builds strong, innovative leaders empowered to creatively and critically analyze issues and formulate plans of action. Regardless of the chosen field, SEL students are prepared to lead positive change in the world.
The SEL is a project-based, environmentally-focused program that emphasizes leadership development and 21st-century skills. The four-year program is designed to give students increasing ownership and independence over their educational experience. The SEL focuses on the "Four C's" — Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.
The SEL is a project-based, environmentally-focused program that emphasizes leadership development and 21st-century skills. The four-year program is designed to give students increasing ownership and independence over their educational experience. The SEL focuses on the "Four C's" — Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.
Bring the SEL to Your School or District
The School of Environmental Leadership is supported by the staff of SEI.
SEI provides teacher training, standards-aligned curriculum, and tools to create integrated teams. We'd love to talk with you about bringing elements of the School of Environmental Leadership to your high school or district.
SEI provides teacher training, standards-aligned curriculum, and tools to create integrated teams. We'd love to talk with you about bringing elements of the School of Environmental Leadership to your high school or district.
Testimonials from the Marin School of Environmental Leadership
The SEL's flagship school opened in 2011 in Marin County, CA, and is commonly referred to as MarinSEL. MarinSEL is located within Terra Linda High School in the San Rafael City Schools district in San Rafael, CA. Environmentally focused, equity-forward, and project-based, MarinSEL is an innovative program model that empowers students to engage with the community, increase ownership of their learning, and actively apply skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity to drive and accelerate climate solutions.
"From semester-long environmental projects, to pitching sustainable startups to an investor panel, every assignment within the SEL curriculum is rigorous and collaborative." — MarinSEL Student, Class of 2019
"Many of the accomplishments my son has gained from this program would have taken him years in college to discover. The spirit of activism and seeing the value of helping make changes in the community is an especially powerful component of this program. The program does an outstanding job at fostering the 4 C’s and making each student feel successful, important, and part of the MarinSEL family. I love that students with all different interests come together and make lasting friendships with one another. There is not a price that can be placed on this." — MarinSEL Parent |
History of the SEL
Established in 2011, The School of Environmental Leadership (SEL) was born out of a partnership between nonprofit Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI) and parents seeking to build the next generation of environmental leaders. SEI founded MarinSEL in 2011 with its inaugural cohort of 30 students and now consists of 120 students from 9th-12th grade.
After graduating its first class in 2015, The SEL model has become a replicable program for integrating sustainability projects, awareness, and career exploration into public high schools.
After graduating its first class in 2015, The SEL model has become a replicable program for integrating sustainability projects, awareness, and career exploration into public high schools.