Solving the climate crisis can feel insurmountable, but we know that it’s possible – with the right people. Currently, there’s a massive workforce gap in the energy efficiency sector and other green workforce industries. Simply put, there aren’t enough skilled people to fill these jobs. ​

By Gabriella Ulloa-Rodrigues

This semester, exciting things are happening at California State University, Monterey Bay. Two Energize Colleges interns, Andrew Hurtado and Evelyn La, are driving climate projects under the guidance of Daniel Fernandez, Professor in the Department of Applied Environmental Science. ​

By Jessica Carver 

In the heart of Mill Valley, California, a school community was buzzing with excitement, and the air was filled with cheers of triumph. This was a day to celebrate, as Strawberry Point Elementary School accomplished something extraordinary—they became the very first school to earn Platinum Certification in the Zero Waste Marin Schools Program. “This means we’ve been incredible at sorting our trash!” a student leader announced to her community during the all-school assembly. “Let’s keep it going!” ​

By Matilda Peck

On a hot day in August, I wandered through the San Francisco Botanical Garden, slightly lost. I’d come to meet the Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO) Fellows, a group of passionate garden educators, in the midst of orientation for the 2023-2024 school year. Just as I was doubting my navigation, I heard laughter and excited voices up ahead and knew I’d come to the right place. The trail opened to a large clearing where thirty-six CCEO Fellows were gathering for lunch. ​

By Austen Needleman

On a typically sunny San Diego afternoon, I met Dawn Wirts, a 9th grade physics teacher at High Tech High International, to drop off her air quality monitoring classroom kit. She offered me a campus tour and excitedly showed me around the school’s bright entryway, greeting almost every student along the way. During this first visit, the hallways were empty of the environmental murals and activism art that would soon fill them as a result of Dawn’s students’ participation in Energize Schools' annual People and Planet Challenge and Air Quality Program.

By Beatrix Berry

Spearheaded by their co-leaders, Timothy Lee and Trinity Ly, Summit Shasta‘s Environment Club conducted a four-day waste-sorting audit (seeing what waste could have been recycled or composted rather than thrown into the trash) to educate the school community on the importance of recycling and composting. Their resulting campaign was announced a winner of the of SEI's Earth Day Challenge.

By Simone Slykhous

SEI is proud to share about the incredible and inspiring sustainability leaders who serve on our board. Today we are shining the spotlight on Elaine Ikeda, Executive Director of LEAD California. With her 30+ years of experience in higher education, Elaine is serving the public good and building a more just and equitable democracy for all. 

​Elaine K. Ikeda has led LEAD California (formerly California Campus Compact) since 2000. She has 30+ years of experience in higher education — conducting research on volunteerism, service-learning, and community service, and designing retreats, workshops, and learning communities for college faculty, administrators, staff, and students. She has co-authored several journal articles and book chapters on service-learning, community engagement, and student development. She holds a Master of Public Health from CSU, Long Beach, and a master's degree and doctoral degree in Higher Education from UCLA.