The Planet Forward Consortium of schools is growing. 

New for this academic year are Drexel University, Florida State University, University of New Hampshire, and University of Richmond. They expand the Planet Forward network to 30-plus institutions empowering students to tell stories of communities and individuals moving the planet forward. 

“These partnerships represent more than institutional interest. These schools will work with us to amplify their students’ stories about environmental innovation and action from their campuses and communities. We look forward to these new voices and narratives focused on our planet and our future,” said Frank Sesno, Planet Forward Founding Director. 

“We invite other institutions committed to sustainability to join us in this mission of storytelling and communication.”

This expansion comes as Planet Forward launches a comprehensive storytelling curriculum designed to guide students from initial ideas to publication-ready submissions. All member schools gain immediate access to these educational resources, along with professional editorial support and experiential learning opportunities focused on solutions-oriented environmental storytelling. An abridged version is publicly available on the Planet Forward website, with a full 9-lesson arc available to all member schools. 

“Our new curriculum provides faculty across all disciplines with tools to help students develop essential communication skills while creating meaningful content about sustainability solutions,” said Kim Ossi, Associate Director for Planet Forward.

Consortium school students also can participate in the annual Planet Forward Summit, apply for one of the Correspondent program cohorts, and compete in annual contests like Storyfest. These opportunities are geared toward students from a variety of backgrounds, while providing valuable networking and hands-on learning opportunities.

The four new Consortium members bring diverse strengths to the Planet Forward network. Some are integrating the platform into established courses, while others are building on prior student engagement through competitions and the Correspondent program. Together, they represent the range of ways institutions can leverage Planet Forward’s resources to support student storytelling across disciplines and projects.

• “Planet Forward is an opportunity for our students to share information about their real-world sustainability project work and the collaborative, innovative solutions that UNH students are creating both on campus and in our local communities,” said Elizabeth Burakowski, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor at the University of New Hampshire.

• “I’m really interested in incorporating Planet Forward into my ‘environmental activism through film’ class. It (will) be a perfect fit for our students’ capstone projects and could provide them with valuable editorial support and professional development opportunities they wouldn’t get otherwise,” said Benjamin Kalina, Assistant Professor of Film & Television at Drexel University.

• Florida State University has already demonstrated strong engagement with Planet Forward. Recent Digital Media Production graduate Des Lewis served as a Planet Forward Correspondent in the 2024-2025 school year. Lewis’ short film, “Untrammeled by man: How the Miccosukee Tribe fought the Big Cypress Wilderness Designation” was a finalist in the 2025 Storyfest competition and screened at the 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival.

• “I have enjoyed helping students submit their Storyfest entries in previous years. We look forward to more fully benefitting from being a Consortium member of Planet Forward,” said Andrew Ilnicki, Director of Experiential Education & Emerging Technology at University of Richmond. 

Darcy Gentleman, Ph.D., Planet Forward’s Education Lead, has been vital at connecting with faculty and staff at not just these new Consortium schools, but the entire Pillar and Consortium network. Pillar schools invest directly in Planet Forward and their students are deeply engaged in our mentoring and experiential learning opportunities.

“These institutions are investing in their students’ professional development while amplifying important stories about innovations to help the natural and built environments,” Gentleman said.

Planet Forward is hosted at George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs and is a part of the university’s Alliance for a Sustainable Future, which Sesno also leads. Member schools commit to promoting environmental storytelling on their campuses and encouraging student submissions that showcase solutions and innovations addressing climate and environmental challenges.

“The addition of these four schools demonstrates the growing recognition that storytelling skills are essential for students across all disciplines,” Gentleman said. “Whether students are studying engineering, environmental science, communications, or policy, the ability to communicate complex ideas to public audiences is invaluable.”

Interested in joining the Planet Forward Consortium? Learn more about membership benefits and how to bring Planet Forward to your institution at planetforward.org/our-consortium or contact Dr. Darcy Gentleman at darcy@planetforward.org