This page last reviewed May 5, 2009
California Climate Champions 2009!
This is a wonderful opportunity for young people to show leadership
and commitment for one of the most pressing issues of our time. We hope
you will encourage any qualified students that you know to participate!
Who Can Apply? Young Californians in grades 9-12 can apply to become California Climate Champions for 2009!
What Will the Champions do? California
Climate Champions will develop and implement an individual project to
raise awareness of climate change. And they will participate in a
wide range of other activities between February 2009 and August 2010,
including:
- California Climate Champions Orientation Day in April 2009
- "climate camp" in June 2009
- online peer networking
- talking with the media about their activities
- attending/speaking at various climate change meetings and events.
In addition, two of the champions represented the United States at a project planning workshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, February 23-27, 2009, where they met international champions from across the globe and help shape ideas for global projects in addition to learning more about each other’s individual work.
Signup for our listserv to get updates about the competition and the program!
Background
Climate Change is one of the most important challenges facing the world. The increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and changes in land use has led to dramatic changes in the Earth's climate, including warmer average temperatures and more frequent severe weather events like droughts and hurricanes. The vast majority of scientists agree that to avoid radical changes in our climate in the future, we need to act together, now.
The first step is to help people think about climate change as a problem that affects us all and realize that collectively we can make a difference. Getting young people involved early is critical for creating the generation of climate-conscious citizens that are needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Since young people influence the behavior of their peers, parents, families, and communities, it’s important to identify and encourage young leaders on the issue of climate change.
As part of its climate change public outreach campaign, the California Air Resources Board has partnered with the British Council to identify up to 20 California Climate Champions for 2009. The California Climate Champions program is part of the British Council’s larger International Climate Champions Program. The goal of the this program is to create a network of young people in California and around the world who are committed to undertaking projects in their communities that both raise awareness of climate change and actually reduce the global warming pollution that causes climate change.
The California Climate Champions program is a wonderful opportunity for young people to show leadership and commitment for one of the most pressing issues of our time. We hope you will encourage your students to participate!
Contact Information
For more information, please contact us at climatechampions@arb.ca.gov or call Annalisa Schilla at 916-322-8514.
The California Climate Champions program, sponsored by the California Air Resources Board and the British Council, is one of a number of similar initiatives established in many countries around the world. Learn more about the International Climate Champions Program.