Coping with climate change involves not just state, national, and international leadership but also action in our communities. Although many people want to be part of that action, they aren’t necessarily sure what to do.
Turning those desires into tangible action is the goal of the Climate Change Leadership Academy (2CLA), a program that trains Upper Valley residents to design and lead local solutions to climate change. Applicants are currently being sought for 2CLA 2022, a six-session series running September through December 2022.
Applications will be accepted through August 15.
Jointly run by the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup and Vital Communities, 2CLA 2022 will offer 25 Upper Valley residents the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge, and connections to lead meaningful action on climate change in their communities. The 2022 series will feature six biweekly sessions – some in person, some virtual – with expert presentations, group discussion, and collaborative work sessions that explore climate change science, climate justice, mitigation and adaptation strategies, opportunities for local action, project design, and leadership development. The program is free for participants and offers a stipend to make participation easier; funds can be used to cover the costs of time, child care, elder care, transportation and food.
This is the third time the Academy has been offered since it began as a pilot in 2019. 35 people have graduated, and the projects they have subsequently taken part in or led include:
- Portraits of local farmers using regenerative agricultural techniques that were used in NOFA-VT’s 2021 “Climate Heroes” project and have inspired Vital Communities’ three-year Climate Farmer Stories project involving multiple farms and artists.
- A booklet on climate change and forests published by the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Site
- Initiating and/or supporting new and existing efforts focused on climate change, such as municipal Energy Committees, community resilience committees and teams, recycling, promoting electric vehicles, and implementing community events such as community composting.
- A new pollinator garden in Colburn Park to counteract the stress that climate change places on the insects that help plants grow and propagate.
For 2CLA 2022, the selection committee hopes to recruit participants with a range of knowledge, lived experience, and diverse interests, from across the Upper Valley. We believe that creating a learning environment rich in diversity and full of opportunities to engage with unfamiliar ideas, perspectives, cultures, and people will prepare participants to become change agents in their communities.
The 2CLA 2022 sessions take place bi-weekly, September 20 through December 6, some in person in Lebanon and some virtual, out of respect for current public health guidance and a desire to avoid unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions in traveling to events. Whether in person or via Zoom, the sessions will be highly interactive, offering opportunities for group discussion and peer support. Participants will be expected to attend as many sessions as possible. In addition, participants can anticipate spending at least two hours a week to complete homework and work on their project.
Can this work for you? The Climate Change Leadership Academy is for any Upper Valley resident (as defined here) age 16 or older with an interest in local climate action. 2CLA is FREE, thanks to grant funding. Additional stipends are available to compensate participants for their time, food, childcare, elder care, or transportation costs.