Want to help lead local solutions to climate change?

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. Upper Valley residents can apply here: https://vitalcommunities.org/climate-change/climate-change-leadership-academy-2cla/

Jointly run by Vital Communities and the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup, 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 bi-weekly sessions – some in person, some virtual – with expert presentations, group discussion, and collaborative work sessions that explore climate change science, climate migration, mitigation and adaptation strategies, opportunities for local action, project design, and leadership development. The program is free for participants and offers a $200 stipend to make participation easier.

Says Erich Osterberg, 2CLA planning team member, instructor, and Associate Professor of Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College, “The science is clear: we need urgent action to address climate change, not just more talk. 2CLA was developed to accelerate meaningful action right here in the Upper Valley.”

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.

Learn more and apply by visiting: https://vitalcommunities.org/climate-change/climate-change-leadership-academy-2cla/

Please contact Alana Redden at alana@vitalcommunities.org with any questions.