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Stories

Nakani Bagayoko: Leading Mali's Youth to Fight Waste Pollution

1/17/2023

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By Matilda Peck
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On the front line of Mali’s waste pollution crisis is Nakani Bagayoko, a community advocate and leader who joined SEI’s team last year. Working through a CEE-Change Fellowship Program, Nakani spent several months in our office, inspiring everyone with her drive to create change.
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Getting to work with Nakani was a joy and privilege, as was hearing her story. 


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California Climate Action Corps Fellows Impacting the Climate and Communities

8/2/2022

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By Beatrix Berry
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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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Climate Corps Education Outside Fellow Spotlight: Julia Dunn

11/24/2021

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By Jamie Wollum

Julia Dunn is a Climate Corps Education Outside(CCEO) fellow in the 2021-22 cycle, serving students at Starr King Elementary School in San Francisco. Prior to joining CCEO, Julia studied Environmental Education at Bates College and has held various roles within the field, including working as the School Programs Coordinator at Wave Hill Public Gardens in New York, where she led efforts for STEAM-focused field trip programming. With this extensive of environmental education experience, as well as a passion for disability justice, Julia is a leader within the CCEO cohort. We caught up with her to hear more about her experience and career goals
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When and how did you know you wanted to pursue a job in the environmental sphere?

I’ve wanted to work in this field since early childhood - in large part due to informal science programs like CCEO. For a long time I thought I would be a scientist, specifically a marine biologist, but then in the first year of undergrad I took a class called “Experiential Education in the Outdoors''. I remember unspooling string for young people to weave webs of life around ancient trees and feeling a sense of deep alignment. I think in The Secret Garden Frances Hodgsen Burnett refers to it as “The BIG GOOD THING.” While the field of environmental education requires a ton of shapeshifting, this feeling has remained central to my practice. It powers my commitments to kinship, celebration, and dismantling patterns which isolate people from their inherent worth and belonging. There is so much potential within the environmental sphere for communal and personal liberation -- I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.

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Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Billie Hervas

6/11/2021

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SEI is spotlighting our amazing Climate Corps Fellows who have been working to protect our climate through a wide range of sustainability initiatives. This week we are highlighting Billie Hervas, Education and Training Fellow at the The Energy Coalition.
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Billie Hervas
​Education and Training Fellow, The Energy Coalition

Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
I support the education and training team of The Energy Coalition by assisting in educator and student engagement. This includes presenting online events, creating STEM-based curriculums, and creating content for our social media campaigns.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is working with the rest of the education and training team. It doesn't matter what task I am doing because I generally enjoy working with fun, passionate, and motivated people.
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What is a recent accomplishment that you are proud of?
A recent accomplishment I am proud of is redesigning some of the marketing collateral for TEC's education and training team. Doing so reconnected me with my love for graphic design, and I feel like my work is valuable when the team uses the materials I create.


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Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Benjamin Bravo

6/4/2021

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SEI is spotlighting our amazing Climate Corps Fellows who have been working to protect our climate through a wide range of sustainability initiatives. This week’s Fellow spotlight is  Benjamin Bravo, Preserve Resources Manager at Sonoma State University Center for Environmental Inquiry.
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Benjamin Bravo
Preserve Resources Manager, Sonoma State University Center for Environmental Inquiry
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Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
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As preserve resources manager, I lead the center's invasive species management program, lead the Copeland Creek restoration project, lead a section of the Virtual Field Experiences project, analyze the camera trap data, develop our sustainable forest management plan, and brainstorm security solutions. My work takes place on our three preserves (Osborn, Galbreath, Los Guillicos) and the Copeland Creek on the main SSU Campus.

What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy working with students on restoration and preserve management activities. The students are passionate, loyal, and bring great background knowledge.


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Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Noah Cordoba

5/28/2021

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SEI is spotlighting our amazing Climate Corps Fellows who have been working to protect our climate through a wide range of sustainability initiatives. This week we are highlighting Noah Cordoba, Energy Efficiency and Building Electrification Fellow at East Bay Community Energy.
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Noah Cordoba
​Energy Efficiency and Building Electrification Fellow, East Bay Community Energy

Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
I work on a variety of projects aiming to increase the efficiency of buildings in our service territory. Much of this work aims to accelerate the decarbonization of our building stock through gas-to-electric conversions, particularly in kitchens.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my fellowship is being able to learn from industry professionals who have been incredibly open to sharing their technical and philosophical expertise with me every step of the way.

What is a recent accomplishment that you are proud of?
I'm particularly proud of my work on our induction cooking campaign which aims to promote electric induction cooking as an alternative to gas. We're soon launching a rebate program under this campaign that I designed and will be implementing.

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Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Haleigh Yang

5/21/2021

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SEI is spotlighting our amazing Climate Corps Fellows who have been working to protect our climate through a wide range of sustainability initiatives. This week we are headed to the garden to spotlight Haleigh Yang, Climate Corps Education Outside(CCEO) Fellow at Visitacion Valley Elementary School
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Haleigh Yang
Climate Corps Education Outside Fellow, Visitation Valley Elementary School

Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
As a CCEO fellow, I was fortunate to spend time engaging with students every day (virtually) and guide them on their discovery of the natural world, both in their own urban environment as well as far-off ecosystems!

What is your favorite part of your job?
Kids are truly special and wonderful creatures! They will make you laugh and smile and they provide a wonderful insight on the world if you leave room for them to ask questions. I loved watching my students grow out of their comfort zone, indulge my scientific inquiries, and express their knowledge through artwork, song and dance.

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Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Shona Paterson

5/14/2021

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SEI is spotlighting our amazing Climate Corps Fellows who have been working to protect our climate through a wide range of sustainability initiatives. This week we are highlighting Shona Paterson, Compost and Recycling Associate at Alameda County.
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Shona Paterson
Compost and Recycling Associate, Alameda County

Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
I work to promote waste reduction through the County by engaging employees with individual actions they can take, expanding resources such as composting infrastructure, and researching future strategies for the programs based on best practices across the region.

What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of the job is refining Sustainable Materials Management measures for the new Climate Action Plan because it is rewarding to make decisions that will guide the County waste programs for years to come.

What is a recent accomplishment that you are proud of?
I delivered a series of recycling trainings reaching 40 County employees. Despite the virtual format I worked to make the trainings engaging and interactive. After the trainings I received a number of messages from employees that they found the trainings valuable and had since used some of the resources I highlighted.
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Climate Corps Fellow Spotlight: Katherine Chen

5/7/2021

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Over the coming weeks, SEI will be spotlighting some of our amazing Climate Corps Fellows, who have been driving forward a wide range of sustainability solutions. First up, we are shining the spotlight on Katherine Chen Energize Colleges Fellow at San Mateo County Community College District.
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Katherine Chen
Energize Colleges Fellow, San Mateo County Community College District

Give a summary of the work that you are doing through your fellowship.
Many of my projects aim to bridge our facilities department with the District community, focusing on points of interaction. This includes coordinating the SMCCCD Energize Colleges internship program, managing our team's social media, creating a sustainability literacy and culture survey, designing materials to nudge sustainable or COVID-safe behaviors, and planning workshop events for interns, students, and campus staff.

What is your favorite part of your job?
Even while remote, my favorite part is working with our interns! Being able to meet with each student, learn about their unique interests and goals, and support their growth and curiosity is rewarding beyond measure. Especially within the last year, I feel that being a guide for exploring sustainability career options, professional development, and setting healthy work expectations has been particularly important, and being able to grow through this together is one thing that I'm particularly grateful for.


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