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Why Encourage Your Students to Become Climate Champions?

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. See links for climate change curriculum here.

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!

Finding California's Climate Champions

Leaders from around the world recognize that climate change requires global solutions. But it's not just a problem for governments to tackle - it's an issue that requires everyone's help. After all we are each responsible for carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to climate change.

We're inviting young people from California who are concerned about the issue, interested in communicating about it and committed to taking action to become Climate Champions. As champions, they will work within a network of people in their schools, neighborhoods, and across the world to help reduce the causes of climate change and raise awareness of what everyone can do to make a difference.

Through a competition, young Californians (in grades 9-12) will demonstrate that they have what it takes to develop local projects to raise awareness about climate change, and to engage their peers and communities in the effort. Up to 20 of the best entries will become California Climate Champions.

Over the course of the competition year, the Champions will not only help with local, national and international projects but will also be called on to work with the media or communicate in other ways about climate change.

One of the activities to be arranged for the California Climate Champions is a "climate camp" that will be held in California in June, 2009.

You can view our flyer for this year's competition. Be sure to keep checking back to this website to find out what the champions are up to, and for information about next year’s program.

What will the Climate Champions do?

California Climate Champions will participate in a range of activities and events, including developing a project that will raise awareness of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in their community, meeting with climate change experts from various fields, giving media interviews and participating in an online community where others from across the state, country and the world can be engaged. This network will be great for exchanging ideas on how to communicate about climate change, learning about what others are doing and building a statewide network of communicators.

Champions’ projects should span the time period beginning with their selection in February 2009 and concluding in August 2010. There will be a number of exciting duties to perform during this period:

1. At least one California Climate Champion,will be selected to represent the United States during an all-expenses-paid trip to Edinburgh, U.K., in late February 2009. The Edinburgh event, which is primarily a project planning workshop but expected to also include educational and social activities, will provide an opportunity to meet Climate Champions from other countries.

2. Developing a plan to spread the word about climate change in their neighborhood, school, church/mosque/temple, hometown or state. For example, champions might want to set up a school network, start a "greening" project or talk to important people in their community about bigger plans to spread the message about climate change - these are just a few possibilities!

3. Taking part in a Climate Champions Orientation Day in April 2009.

4. Taking part in a climate camp in June 2009, where they will meet the other Champions, learn more about climate change and work on their projects

5. Meeting with media representatives to help spread the message to a bigger audience, and participating in climate change related events in California.

6. Via our website, with the other champions, supporting Champions that go on international trips, by helping shape messages and engaging others

7. Expanding the network of climate champions to engage more and more peers in helping communicate about and act on climate change.

8. Helping shape the Climate Champions 2010 program, which will be open to young people from all across the country who will follow in the preceding champions’ footsteps to get the message out.

For more information, please contact Annalisa Schilla of the California Air Resources Board at aschilla@arb.ca.gov or (916) 322-8514, or Meghan Steed of the British Council at meghan.steed@britishcouncil.org or (310) 481-2920.

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.

Image Credit
Author: rochelle, et. al.
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