The Climate Center is pleased to announce the award of our World Changers grant by the Community Foundation. World Changers will structure a career pathway for the next generation of climate leaders by providing formative internships.
World Changers invests in the next generation of problem solvers and creative thinkers applying themselves to the challenge of climate change. Once a young person, or anyone for that matter, grasps the complexity and scope of the problem, and is informed of existing solutions to fix the problem, they are engaged, transformed by this new information, and hopeful. If a young person is hopeful, she can dream big and discover solutions that right now are beyond the scope of our imagination.
The World Changers Career Pathways internship is designed to expand and amplify ECO2school’s youth leadership efforts by providing students with formative climate-centric experiences at critical junctures in their high school and college careers. Participating students will receive leadership training, career guidance, and project management experience. This comprehensive approach affords us the opportunity to build bridges between environmental, safe routes and other youth leadership programs.
Our high school internship program gives critical skills and knowledge needed to prepare students for college, career, and life. World Changers Career pathway activities will include a variety of community service engagement opportunities designed to amplify their climate message and increase peer awareness.
College internships will provide students with foundational career experiences, resume building blocks, and local leadership networking. This real world work experience will encourage students to explore career opportunities in Sonoma County businesses, governmental agencies, and community-based organizations.
Throughout their internships, students will gain the confidence to take actions and accomplish tasks that they may not have prior to training. ECO2school has been on a positive growth trajectory for the past six years, and has increased both the number of schools served and the depth and breadth of opportunities offered. The expanded program design will meet the different needs and maturity levels, to challenge students in high school, graduating seniors, and students enrolled in higher education. The long-term impacts of these activities are a more climate-literate Sonoma County that is better able to meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goal, climate-centric leaders who embrace the model of personal empowerment and action wherever they live and work, and a student population that is poised to grow up into responsible world citizens.
