The Environmental Policy Accelerator is a 6-session, part-time, free program that helps individuals and teams refine and strengthen a partially developed policy solution to an environmental problem.
During this short course, participants will workshop their ideas, getting direct feedback from the Academy’s instructors and peers, while also learning our core framework for achieving policy impact. The course will take place virtually over 6 sessions from 9-11am PT / 12-2pm ET: July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 29, and November 3. Participants will be expected to attend these 6 virtual sessions and spend time outside of class time completing readings and assignments for the course.
Strong candidates are individuals or teams of up to 4 who have a somewhat developed solution to an environmental policy problem but need support in refining it or developing an effective advocacy campaign. Past accelerator participants have proposed reforms to federal crop insurance programs, advanced changes to local school district transportation policies, and advocated for greater community input in state renewable energy siting decisions.
By the end of the program, candidates will have developed a concrete environmental policy solution, produced a set of tangible outputs, and begun implementing an advocacy plan to present their solution to a decisionmaker, culminating in an opportunity to share their work directly with a key policymaker.
Before applying, please carefully review the Environmental Policy Accelerator details and eligibility below. We are also hosting a virtual information session on May 7 from 9-10am PT / 12-1pm ET that you can register for here. If you are applying as a team, you only need to submit 1 application. You can view a sample application here.
Deadline
Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 11:59pm PT.
Timeline
Application Open: April 16 – May 14.
Participants Admitted: Late May/Early June.
Program Dates: 6 Tuesday sessions from 9-11am PT / 12-2pm ET, held between July and November 2026 on the following dates: July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 29, and November 3.
Curriculum
During the Environmental Policy Accelerator, participants will a) learn about the Policy Academy’s proven framework for achieving policy impact, b) workshop their own ideas with peers and expert instructors to refine them using this framework, and c) pitch a polished solution directly to a decisionmaker. The program will include 6, 2-hour workshopping sessions, supported by targeted assignments and readings to keep participants progressing between sessions.
Each 2-hour session will be split between instruction and hands-on workshopping. The instructional portion will cover the Academy’s policy impact framework, including lessons on scoping problems, identifying stakeholders, defining alternative solutions, developing relevant outputs, and creating an advocacy plan. The workshopping portion will focus on applying these lessons: Participants will complete assignments to advance their environmental policy ideas and present them each at each session for feedback from peers and Academy instructors. By the end of the program, participants will have a concrete environmental policy solution and deliverables, and will have pitched their solution to a real decisionmaker.
Eligibility
For the Environmental Policy Accelerator, we are looking for individuals or teams of up to 4 who have a promising idea for an environmental policy problem that still needs refining. For example, you or your team may still need to narrow your idea, assess its feasibility, identify key stakeholders, or develop an advocacy strategy.
Qualified applicants include subject-matter experts on environmental issues (e.g., environmental engineers, environmental tech start-up founders, environmental policy communications professionals, and environmental lawyers) with specific ideas for broader policy change based on their expertise. They may also include community members advocating for a specific environmental policy change in their local municipality (e.g., community member applicants might have a new idea for how their city can handle composting).
This course is an introductory program, so it is best suited for those with little or no policy experience. Applicants with significant past policy experience (e.g., past experience working in a policy role or a master’s in public policy) are likely to be too advanced for this program.
All applicants also need to meet the following eligibility requirements for the program:
- Applicant(s) must be at least 21 years of age by the start of the program.
- Applicant(s) must be fluent in English.
- Applicant(s) must live in the United States or are US citizens or permanent residents living abroad.
If you are applying as a team (maximum 4 people), you only need to submit 1 application. You will be asked to share names and contact information for all team members.
Where and When
The course will take place virtually over 6 sessions on Tuesdays from 9-11am PT / 12-2pm: July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 29, and November 3.
Successful applicants are expected to attend all sessions and complete all assignments to graduate from the program and receive a completion badge; our attendance policy allows participants to miss no more than 1 hour of programming.
Application Schedule
Admitted applicants will be notified by late May/early June 2026. A subset of applicants may be asked to complete interviews in late May.
Environmental Policy Accelerator FAQ
We will update the following FAQs as we receive additional questions about our accelerator. If your question is not answered here or in the materials above, please contact aspenpolicyacademy@aspeninstitute.org.
What is policy?
Great question, and one we will be exploring through much of the accelerator. In general, policy is defined as a “course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual.” It is a set of rules that an organization or individual agrees to follow. Both governments and companies (and many other actors) set policies, and those policies have the potential to affect all of our lives. The goal of this accelerator is to expose you to the value of policymaking, and to teach you how to impact policy yourself.
How broadly do you define environmental policy?
We define “environment policy” broadly. Environmental problems could include those related to climate change, renewable or clean energy, conservation, or sustainability.
Why are you running this accelerator?
We’re running this accelerator because we see many individuals and teams who have a promising but still somewhat vague idea for a policy solution to an environmental problem. These individuals or teams need support to refine their ideas, understand how to engage key stakeholders, and develop effective advocacy plans. Our goal is to provide that guidance and help turn good ideas into actionable, impactful policy efforts.
What are the benefits of participating in this program?
This program offers you and your team free coaching from policy experts to advance a policy idea, while learning and applying our framework for policy impact. By the end of the program, participants will have a concrete solution and a set of deliverables to pitch to a stakeholder. You’ll also gain insights from other cohort members and have ongoing access to opportunities and resources offered to Academy alumni.
How do I submit an application as a team?
Teams (maximum 4 people) should submit 1 application. In your application, you will be asked to share names and contact information for all team members.
Can I apply more than once?
No. For fairness, applicants should only apply once. You are therefore not allowed to apply as a part of 2 different teams.
Do I need to apply as a team?
No, you do not need to apply as a team for this accelerator. You may apply as an individual. Both team and individual applications will be given equal weight.
Will the accelerator be run in person or remotely?
The accelerator will be run remotely.
What is the expected time commitment and requirements for this program?
In addition to the 6, 2-hour sessions, we also expect participants to spend 8-10 additional hours a week completing required readings and assignments. All participants will be expected to develop a suite of policy outputs by the end of this program and pitch a concrete solution to an actual decisionmaker.
What is the attendance policy?
Since this program is run free-of-change, we require that participants abide by our attendance policy to miss no more than 1 hour of programming over the course of the accelerator, barring an emergency or medical illness. Participants will also be required to complete assignments outside of class hours.
If participants miss more than 1 hour of programming or do not complete required assignments, they will be required to pay a $500 fee to cover staff time for running the program.
How much does the accelerator cost?
The accelerator is free-of-charge for all participants. However, if you or any team member enrolls in the program and misses more than the required time or fails to complete required assignments, you or your team members will be required to pay a $500 fee per person to cover staff time for running the program.
Can we continue to work while participating in the accelerator?
The accelerator is part-time (6, 2-hour sessions from 9-11am PT / 12-2pm ET on July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 29, and November 3). We expect full attention and attendance during the sessions, and participants will be required to complete readings and assignments outside of class that we expect will take an additional 8-10 hours a week. As long as participants are able to fulfill these obligations, we welcome your participation while continuing to work.
I am on a visa. Am I eligible to apply to the accelerator?
Yes. Because this program is for people who want to impact US policymaking, you must either live in the United States now or be a US citizen or permanent resident living abroad. If you are a US citizen or permanent resident and will be abroad during the course, you are eligible to apply if you are available to attend the course on 6 Tuesday sessions from 9-11am PT / 12-2pm ET on the following dates: July 14, July 28, August 11, August 25, September 29, and November 3.
I am a student/recently graduated. Am I eligible to apply to this program?
You are able to apply to our programs as long as you are 21 and meet all the other program-specific criteria listed in the eligibility section.
I would like to join your accelerator to learn more about policy, but I don’t have experience working on environmental issues. Can I still apply?
All applicants must have a somewhat developed policy solution to an environmental problem. Strong candidates will either have subject-matter expertise on environmental issues or be community members with lived experience seeking to address an environmental challenge in their local state or municipality.
I already have significant policy experience. Am I eligible to apply to this accelerator?
This accelerator provides an introduction to policy work, and is likely not a fit for those with significant previous policy experience (e.g., past experience working in a government policy role). If you (or members of your team) already have a significant policy background, we encourage you to explain in your application how you will benefit from this program. Please note that we may prioritize applicants with less policy experience if the course is oversubscribed.
If you feel you have too much experience to enroll in this accelerator, we may have opportunities to engage you as a policy mentor or on future in-house projects. Please email us.
How do I write a policy memo?
There is no one way to write a policy memo, and there are many resources online that provide tips on writing policy memos. The appropriate structure depends on the problem you are trying to solve. In general, a few tips:
Your memo needs to define the problem, using evidence as appropriate to support your position, lay out your proposed solution, and identify major obstacles to the implementation of your solution.
To be effective, your memo also needs to be written extremely clearly. For some advice on clear writing, see this blog post from Y Combinator. We also recommend this post by Paul Graham.
While not required, many strong applications will tie the applicant’s experience in environmental issues to the problem they identified or to the solution they are attempting to apply.
