Our sustainability vision

We are empowering the next generation of climate advocates to lead the charge for a greener future, because education is one of the most powerful tools for creating a sustainable tomorrow.

Our vision is to create global citizens who understand the challenges of a carbon-constrained world and are driven to create real environmental and social change.

We believe our educational handprint – the transformative experiences our students engage in – will equip them to create lasting, systemic change. That’s why we’re making significant investments to make DIS more accessible, so students who are passionate about climate action aren’t held back by financial barriers. At the same time, we’re reducing our own carbon footprint and embedding sustainable practices across the organization, making sure our actions align with the values we instill in these future climate leaders.

Shrinking our carbon
footprint, expanding our educational handprint

DIS Green Education Fund

We’re committed to making education more accessible and empowering students to become sustainability leaders who create real change in their careers and communities.

The Green Education Fund is a bold, three-year initiative that will expand scholarships for students pursuing sustainability-focused studies at DIS and also fully fund participation in the Arctic Experiential Studies: Greenland Summer Session.

Green scholarships

Investing in future change-makers

Green scholarships will fund students pursuing a career with a sustainability focus in areas such as politics, activism, research, business, and related fields.

This initiative is a 30% increase in our scholarship pool and directly supports students committed to addressing critical environmental issues, equipping them with the knowledge to create lasting change in areas like renewable energy, conservation, and sustainable business practices.

Learn more about our green scholarships

Fully-funded summer
session in Greenland

Education as climate action

The Green Education Fund covers the full cost of the summer session in Greenland, where students will see firsthand how the climate crisis affects an entire nation and its people.

This is a competitive session of students from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about changing the direction of our future.

Learn more about our Arctic Summer Session

Additional green actions at DIS

Reducing our carbon footprint

We are committed to reducing our overall carbon footprint by adopting renewable energy, optimizing operations, and promoting local and regional travel options whenever possible.

We are actively exploring sustainable travel options, including advancements in aviation technology and alternative transportation methods. We also encourage students and staff to make lower-carbon travel choices whenever possible.

Increasing Carbon Literacy

Carbon Literacy is the knowledge and capacity required to create a positive shift in how we live, work, and behave in response to climate change.

All DIS staff participate in a Carbon Literacy Training to gain the inspiration and dedicated time to identify actions that contribute to our goal of being carbon neutral and to strengthen students’ awareness and skillset for a sustainable lifestyle.

Collaborating within study abroad

In collaboration with peers, DIS was part of the work group to develop guidelines for Advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals through Education Abroad.

DIS has also joined the Climate Action Network for International Educators – CANIE, in recognition of the need to strengthen and accelerate the response of our sector to the climate crisis.

More information

: Students accepted to or applying for the spring 2026 semester may apply for the green scholarships. Decisions are announced two weeks after the submission deadline.

Read more about green scholarships

: All academic, housing, food, and travel expenses (excluding flight to/from home) will be covered by DIS.

: Yes, the Arctic Summer Session will be 6 credits. How these transfer back to your home institution may vary; check with your study abroad office to learn more.

: Our commitment to sustainability has grown stronger over the years. While our previous goal focused on achieving carbon neutrality through emission reductions and offsets, we’ve come to see a greater opportunity for impact. Carbon offsetting has limitations—it often addresses emissions indirectly and temporarily without driving the deep, systemic changes needed for a low-carbon future.

After thoughtful discussions with sustainability experts and within our organization, we’ve chosen to take a more transformative approach. Rather than investing in offsets, we’re directing even more resources toward what we do best: using education as a force for climate action. While we’ll continue efforts to reduce our operational emissions, we’re prioritizing programs that empower students to become the climate leaders the world needs.

: As an educational institution, our greatest contribution to a carbon-constrained world is our educational handprint. Our mission has always been to empower students to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges, and now, instead of paying for offsets, we’re investing in our students – equipping them with the knowledge and skills to create real, lasting change.

Rather than relying on an offsetting system that only balances out emissions on paper, we believe that investing in our students’ education will lead to long-term solutions for reducing carbon footprints and promoting environmental stewardship.

Moving away from offsetting also means that rather than simply handing over money to an external project (the case for traditional offsetting models), we will actively invest in empowering today’s students … because they are tomorrow’s leaders.

: We are in the midst of defining what to measure and how to track it. We are looking at tracking student engagement, project outcomes, and long-term contributions to a more sustainable future. That could include following alumni involvement in sustainability efforts, evaluating student-led projects, and ensuring this investment drives real change.

Transparency matters to us, so we’ll share regular updates with our partners, showing how investing in education moves the needle on sustainability.

: We hope our approach sparks conversations within the study abroad field about how we can use international education as a catalyst for lasting, meaningful change. By prioritizing funding for students to engage in transformative experiential learning opportunities, we want to inspire others to adopt more innovative and impactful sustainability strategies.

Our sustainability vision

DIS Green Education Fund

Additional green actions at DIS

More information

When can students start applying for the green scholarships?

What expenses are covered for the Arctic Summer Session?

Will students receive academic credit for the Arctic Summer Session?

How has your sustainability strategy evolved over the years at DIS?

How is investing in students’ education more impactful than offsetting carbon emissions?

How will the impact of these educational investments be measured?

What conversations and actions do you hope the Green Education Fund inspires within the study abroad field?