River Summer is an ongoing project of the Environmental Consortium.

Piloted in 2005 as a faculty development program, with support from The Teagle Foundation, The Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, and SUNY Stony Brook University, River Summer was an unquestioned success, sparking connections between instructors and disciplines that developed into new approaches to teaching, new collaborations in coursework, the development of new courses, and new research collaborations.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation pledged its support for River Summer with a $200,000 two-year grant for 2006 and 2007, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation awarded the Consortium a one-year $30,000 grant. The 2006 and 2007 programs focused on curriculum development for use not only at the college level but also in middle and high schools.

Barnard College, on behalf of the Environmental Consortium, has been awarded a 3-year, $300,000 grant from The Mellon Foundation for the continuation of River Summer for 2008-2010. Stony Brook University's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences plays a critical role for River Summer, as participants journey up the Hudson River aboard its 80' research vessel, Seawolf