Beyond the Classroom: How EPM Mentorship Programs Bridge Academic Learning and Professional Practice
When the Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management launched EPM Connect in 2022, the vision was simple: create meaningful mentorship connections between current students and experienced environmental professionals. What started as a pilot program pairing students with members of the program's External Advisory Committee has blossomed into a comprehensive initiative that's becoming an vital part of the EPM student experience.
A Growing Network of Professionals
The program's External Advisory Committee, consisting of a group of senior environmental professionals based in Sacramento, the Bay Area and Washington DC brings decades of experience across government, nonprofit and private sector work. The Committee works with program leadership to provide strategic industry guidance, disseminate partnership opportunities, guest lecture in courses and provide career insights to students and alumni.
From the start, EPM Connect has prioritized thoughtful matching. Students and mentors are paired based on shared interests in topical specializations, from sustainable agriculture to environmental justice, as well as industry pathways and geographic location. This intentional approach helps create a strong foundation for the mentorship relationship.
Expanding to Meet Demand
The enthusiasm for EPM Connect quickly outgrew initial expectations! In fact, 82% of the student body opted to participate this year. Recognizing the demand, program staff expanded the mentor pool to include alumni and other dedicated environmental professionals interested in giving back and supporting the next generation of leaders. These additional perspectives have enriched the program and allowed for even more intentional matching.
To ensure these relationships thrive, EPM Connect developed mentorship guides that help pairs navigate their time together effectively, based on the student's progress in the program. These resources encourage students and mentors to establish clear goals and help them make the most of this experience.
Introducing Quarterly Workshops to Enhance Professional Development
This year brought an exciting new dimension to EPM Connect: quarterly workshops exclusively for program participants, led by mentors who bring real-world expertise directly into the learning environment. These sessions complement one-on-one mentorship by creating opportunities for cohort-wide learning and discussion around critical professional skills.
The fall workshop highlighted the program's potential to bridge academic learning with professional practice. Keiko Mertz, Policy Director of Friends of the River and a 2020 EPM graduate, led a session on identifying greenwashing and bias in environmental communications.
Keiko's workshop challenged students to sharpen their analytical skills by examining environmental information through multiple lenses. Drawing from her current work, she walked students through a real-world case study, demonstrating how experienced professionals evaluate claims, proposals, and data in the field.
The interactive format pushed students to actively engage. In small group breakout sessions, participants analyzed various sources of environmental information, considering questions that working professionals grapple with daily: What incentives might be shaping this narrative? What power dynamics are at play? What crucial information might be missing from this report? These are the questions that separate surface-level understanding from the deep, critical thinking that effective environmental policy demands.
Building Skills That Last
First-year student Miya Kaiser captured the workshop's impact: "Keiko's workshop helped us develop a discerning mindset when evaluating environmental regulations, proposals, solutions, and the like. By reflecting on her own first-hand experience and facilitating thoughtful discussions, we learned how to approach these items with a more trained and critical eye. For many of us just starting our environmental professional journeys, this is a skill that requires practice. I am grateful for the opportunity to build that skill through her workshop."
Miya's reflection underscores what makes EPM Connect valuable: it recognizes that becoming an effective environmental professional requires more than technical knowledge. It demands the judgment to evaluate information critically, the networks to navigate complex institutional landscapes, and the wisdom that comes from learning directly from those who've walked the path before.