Program Details
IGEL’s program is a hands-on experience that spans nine months and will take you to four different locales around Georgia. The program focuses on providing leaders with the deep knowledge, advanced skills, and expansive network needed to address Georgia’s environmental challenges now and in the future.
Participants are proven leaders who represent Georgia’s economic, ethnic, geographic, and institutional diversity. It’s essential to represent a wide range of professions, interests, political perspectives, and experiences.
Go beyond the conference room
IGEL takes you beyond the conference room to experience how environmental policies and decisions make a demonstrable impact on our natural resources, our communities, our organizations, and our people in every part of Georgia. As you ride with a farmer through fertile fields, sail through coastal waters, or tour expanding road networks, you’ll gain new understanding of crucial issues and talk with fellow stakeholders about how they’ve handled environmental challenges.
Four Multi-Day Sessions Over Nine Months
IGEL’s core program includes four multi-day sessions that take place in different parts of the state. Each session is designed to educate participants on different environmental challenges and opportunities, with a combination of classroom discussion and hands-on, experiential learning.
1
Session One
North Georgia
April 21-24, 2026
2
Session Two
Metro Atlanta
July 21-24, 2026
3
Session Three
Southwest Georgia
September 22-25, 2026
4
Session Four
Coastal Georgia
November 10-13, 2026
Tuition for private sector applicants:
- S Corporations
- C Corporations
- LLCs
- Other Corporations
- Federal Government
- State Government
- Other States
- 501(c)(6)
Tuition for applicants from these sectors:
- Academia
- 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4)
- Local Governments
Tuition fee covers instruction, course materials, lodging, and meals.
IGEL recognizes that many strong candidates—particularly civic and community leaders—are unable to secure the full amount of tuition…
The Selections committee is delighted to offer a limited number of needs-based partial and full scholarship opportunities to accepted applicants. These scholarships, made possible through generous corporate, foundation and individual gifts, help enhance the diversity of participants in our program. In the past, we have awarded scholarships for specific designations, including
- A selected candidate involved in the forestry industry.
- A selected diverse candidate working in the built environment space
- Selected candidates from Southwest Georgia
- Additionally, the Cox Conserves Community Environmental Leader Scholarship provides full tuition for an employee or member of a nonprofit organization, public agency, government office, or school that is helping to meet a real community need.
Additional partial scholarships are also available. Awards are based upon need and take into account both the resources of the selected applicant and their organization.
Selecting the Ideal Class
Each IGEL class consists of 30 participants from a wide range of professions, interests, political viewpoints, and experiences. All participants are evaluated and selected through a rigorous application process, with many applicants having to apply multiple times before being admitted.
Participants are required to attend all four sessions of the IGEL program.
- Class of 2026 session dates:
- Session 1: North Georgia | April 21-24, 2026
- Session 2: Metro Atlanta | July 21-24, 2026
- Session 3: Southwest Georgia | September 22-25, 2026
- Session 4: Coastal Georgia | November 10-13, 2026
Interested in joining the next class? Some key milestones to keep in mind:
- August 1, 2025: IGEL application process opens
- October 3: Application period ends
- Mid-November: Members of the next IGEL class notified by email (Read the Cancellation and Commitment Policy)
- December 5: Full tuition and Letter of Commitment due
The 2026 application period is Friday, August 1-Friday, October 3, 2025. Click here to view a PDF of the 2026 application.