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Become a Partner or Sponsor!
Join an inspiring group of young people across California who are working to solve the global climate crisis by taking action.
Are you interested in protecting the beautiful California environment so it will be around for generations to come? Do you like working in a group to solve problems? Are you tired of sitting at your desk and anxious to take action to improve your school and/or community? Then you need to sign up for the Climate Generation Program!
The Climate Generation Program is a project -based competition connecting environmental education materials with climate action projects. It encourages teachers to integrate creative lesson plans or new curriculum into their classrooms to teach about our environment and helps students apply what they’ve learned in class by designing and implementing a project to reduce their school’s carbon footprint. This program makes an impact on the students, their school, their community, and the environment.
California high school classrooms, clubs, and student groups are eligible to participate in the program and help create real solutions to the global climate crisis. Student groups must have an adult sponsor or mentor.
Overview
Why Should You Participate in this Program?
- It’s an opportunity for you and your fellow students to work together as a team to learn about climate change, take action, inspire others, and implement a project that will benefit your school and/or community.
- You may be eligible to receive grant funding for your project.
- You, your fellow students, and your school will receive state-wide and national recognition through publicity and media events.
- If your team submits a completed project report, each student will receive a participation certificate.
- Students who make significant contributions to Climate Generation projects are eligible to participate in the California Climate Champions program and further develop their student leadership skills. Read the details about nominating a Climate Champion
- You’ll have access to:
‒ Climate Generation partner organizations who are available to assist with project design, technical approach, and implementation at your school;
‒ Project planning tools; and
‒ Climate change and environmental curriculum and lesson plans.
How Does the Climate Generation Program Work?
Between October 2011 and April 13, 2012, high school classrooms or organizations need to register to participate in the program. This can be done electronically, using the Registration Form or by mail (see mailing address at the bottom of this page). Classrooms or organizations then select an issue in their local school or community and engage in a climate action project related to one or more of the following topic areas:
- Energy Conservation;
- Renewable Energy;
- Water Conservation;
- Transportation;
- School Operations (e.g., purchasing, facilities, landscaping, waste reduction/recycling, etc.); or
- Awareness/Communication.
A few examples of projects or ideas to consider can be found here. The most important thing is to come up with an innovative, creative project that will help your school or community. Your project report, which will document in writing or video, what you’ve done will be reviewed and scored (see Judging Criteria) by environmental and education specialists. The projects that receive the highest scores will be designated as the 2012 winners.
There is no cost to participate and projects must be completed by April 13, 2012 (project reports must be submitted for judging by this date). The winning projects will be announced in May 2012 and awards will be presented (see information on the awards webpage) in late May or early June (depending on the school's calendar). In order to be eligible for an award, your classroom or organization must accept the terms and conditions of the Climate Generation Program and complete a climate change project that benefits your school and/or local community and the environment.
Or print and mail the Registration Form to:
Judy A. Nottoli
Office of the Ombudsman
California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street, P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, CA 95812
How do you Qualify?
- Complete the registration form by April 13, 2012.
- Accept the Terms and Conditions upon registering.
- Submit a completed project report by April 13, 2012. Review the Judging Criteria prior to writing your report. Submit the report electronically, complete the form, and upload any or all of the following file types:
- Be a high school classroom or student group (e.g., environmental club, community or religious service organization, etc.) located in California. Participating students should all be in grades 9-12.
- Have a school-affiliated teacher or mentor for each climate action project submitted for the competition.
- Text (no longer than 3,000 words or 10 pages including photos, graphs, charts, tables, and attachments);
- Tables, charts, figures, and graphics;
- Photos;
- Video/audio report/podcast (not to exceed 20 minutes in length); and/or
- Examples of collateral, flyers, posters, etc. used for outreach, communication, or education.
What Awards and Participation Incentives are Available?
Up to $1,000 in grants will be awarded to the winning classroom or student group; grant size per winning classroom or organization will depend on project scope and available prize funds.
- Certificates will be awarded to every student who participates in the program.
- Plaques will be given to each winning classroom, student group, or school.
- A press or media event will be held for the winning classroom.
- Students who contribute significantly to Climate Generation projects can be nominated to become a Climate Champion.
- Partners are available to provide technical, and in some cases financial, assistance with your project.
- Scholarships and internship opportunities are available through our partner organizations.
- Promotion of your classroom project on our partner organization websites and/or newsletters.
Additional resources and information can be found under the “Schools” tab above or by contacting Judy Nottoli at jnottoli@arb.ca.gov or (916) 322-7429.
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, heat waves, and flooding. 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 our climate change public outreach campaign, the California Air Resources Board partnered with the British Council to identify 25 California Climate Champions in 2008 and 2009. The California Climate Champions program began as part of the British Council’s larger International Climate Champions Program and is now administered by ARB. In order to engage a larger number of youth in climate action, the Climate Generation Program was launched in 2010. The goal of the Climate Champions and Climate Generation programs 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 Climate Generation program is a wonderful opportunity for young people to show leadership and commitment to one of the most pressing issues of our time and inspire others in their school and local community to take action to limit their impact on our fragile environment. We hope you will encourage your students to participate!
Climate Generation Resources
Want some ideas for projects? We've gathered some ideas and some of our tools to help you on your way towards a cleaner and cooler future! Let's go Climate Generation!
Carbon Footprint Calculator
Try out our very own Carbon Footprint Calculator to see how our lifestyle choices affect greenhouse gas emissions and see what pledges you can take to reduce your impact on the climate.
Grants and Financial Assistance for Projects
You might be surprised when you peruse our Funding Wizard and find ways to either fund your project now with rebates or learn about incentives to further your project and see it grow!
Curriculum and Getting Kids Involved
The topic of climate change and global warming is one that can be confusing, and even frightening for children. The key is to use education as a tool to empower kids to help them understand how they can make changes to help the environment. Knowledge is empowering, and getting kids involved in the classroom is the first step to helping them understand climate change.
Resources
Project Ideas
We put together a list of 10 ideas to get the wheels turning.
School Resources and Links
Self-explanatory, a list of links and descriptions...more help for you!