 Seattle, Washington. Image courtesy of Thom Milkovic. SEI’s Climate Corps program has been awarded two U.S. Department of Energy grants with the state of Washington and the City of Seattle. These awards will fund nearly 100 Climate Corps Fellows over 9 years to support the implementation of Washington’s first-in-nation Clean Buildings Performance Standard and the City of Seattle’s Building Emissions Performance Standard.
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By Matilda Peck  Cathy Johnson has been teaching the UC Climate Stewards course to SEI Climate Corps Fellows since 2023. What does it mean to teach climate stewardship? I asked Cathy Johnson, an instructor of the UC Climate Stewards course. Johnson administers the course to SEI’s Climate Corps Fellows as a key component of their professional training. “I want Fellows to finish the course with confidence to talk about climate change,” Johnson said. “And with hope — that they are part of the solution and that everything they do matters, every step, every conversation, every action.”
By Matilda Peck  Anna Oliva at the June 2024 launch of Drawdown’s Neighborhood: San Francisco Bay Area, a climate solutions short documentary series. "My climate story matters and can impact other young professionals beginning their careers,” said SEI Climate Corps alumni Anna Oliva. A year after concluding her Climate Corps Fellowship, Oliva is one of seven Bay Area climate heroes featured in Drawdown’s Neighborhood: San Francisco Bay Area, a climate solutions short documentary series presented by Project Drawdown.
By Matilda Peck  2023-2024 CCEO Fellows gathered during orientation in Golden Gate Park. 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 Juan Miranda, Climate Corps Fellow Juan Miranda is an Energy and Sustainability Associate Fellow for San Timoteo Energy Associates.  Commercial and residential buildings of San Francisco 1. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Commercial and residential buildings account for approximately 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Depending on your organization, buildings could represent the majority or close to the entirety of its carbon footprint. Therefore, decarbonizing your buildings may be the most important step you can take to contribute to global efforts to address climate change and build a better world for future generations. By Nancy MacFarlane, Climate Corps Fellow Nancy MacFarlane is a Energy and Sustainability Associate at Santa Rosa Junior College.  Beaver Dam - Image courtesy of Graham Hobster When you think about ways to mitigate climate change, do beavers and beaver dams come to mind? Maybe not, but have you ever seen a beaver in action or their dams? If so, you probably saw a lush surrounding landscape. Why might that be? Well, the water in the stream or creek slowly backs up behind the dams and covers the land, which then creates a wetland teeming with life.
by Matilda Peck  Climate Corps Fellows at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco February morning began cold and dreary, and SEI's Climate Corps team shivered together on the stairs of the California Academy of Sciences. However, with each Fellow arriving for the annual Climate Corps Fellow Retreat the weather seemed to improve. By the time Naomi Lichtenstein arrived, a Program Associate at Earth Team, the sky was almost as sunny as their outlook. “I was really excited to meet the other Fellows,” said Lichtenstein. “I hope to learn more about their fellowship experiences and what they hope to do afterward.”
By Emily Mallen  In SEI’s Climate Corps Education Outside Program (CCEO), we plant the seeds of science and ecoliteracy to grow environmental leaders in two big ways — with the students we teach and with the cohort of 31 early-career, environmental educators we place in outdoor classrooms on school campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area. To support our educators as they enter the field of environmental education, we provide a rigorous training and professional development program. This semester, our educators have already participated in 88 hours of training! As we prepare them for their work in schools, we offer instruction on a wide range of topics from lesson planning, equitable teaching practices and best practices in the outdoor classroom, veggie gardening, community engagement, and more.
Join us as we take a look at some of the highlights from this semester of the CCEO training program! By Matilda Peck  September was an exciting time for the Climate Corps program, as we commenced the 2022-2023 program year with over 100 new Fellows. The cohort of emerging environmental leaders attended our two program orientations, signature events launching the classic Climate Corps (CC) program, and the specialized track, Climate Corps Education Outside (CCEO). Fellows had the chance to get to know one another, fostering community while building the skills of a sustainability professional. Climate Corps Orientation 85 Fellows attended CC Orientation this year, hailing from California, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, and North Carolina. Those who were able, gathered in Preservation Park in Oakland, CA, where we held our first in-person Climate Corps Orientation since before the pandemic. The excitement of coming together was palpable, and further encouraged by opportunities for small group discussions and workshops.
The goal of CC Orientation is to prepare Fellows to implement sustainability and resiliency projects at their respective host organizations. Afterwards, each Fellow goes on to support a local government, nonprofit, or for-profit businesses, gaining real-world expertise in sustainability project implementation. This year, community was a major theme in preparing emerging professionals for the work ahead.
By Beatrix Berry  California Climate Action Corps Fellow Jhakarin with site supervisor Nancy From wildfire mitigation workshops, to education on waste diversion regulations, California Climate Action Corps Fellows have been hard at work in their communities. SEI has partnered with California Volunteers and Bay Area Community Resources to support the California Climate Action Corps(CAC) program. The current program year has been filled with success stories and positive impacts as this powerful cohort of fellows have supported their communities in climate action and solutions.
CAC Fellows are placed throughout California and work primarily with communities who are being disproportionately impacted by the changing climate. In Redlands, California, three fellows, Calhoun, Bryan and Jenny, are currently working on the University of Redlands farm. In the area surrounding their site, there is little to no tree cover and therefore very limited shade. As a result, in the changing climate, their community and community members struggle to stay cool. These three fellows are working to cool down their community by increasing access to trees that can be planted by those who live in the area. Calhoun, Bryan and Jenny, have worked hard to raise saplings and organize events to give them to the community for free. Jenny and Bryan are returning fellows and have been able to continue their impact this year. In a recent event they gave away 2,230 tree saplings to their community. |
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