Chapter Culminates the Second Cohort of Climate Activists

In the past three months, the Activist Academy 2024 program has created a space for young leaders to find a home for their activism, After yet another successful session, the 2024 program has come to a close. However, their activist journeys have just begun. I am more than honored to have experienced this program for a second year in a row and learned alongside 20 new brilliant and passionate young activists, who want the same thing I do for all of our communities - an environmentally and socially just future. An exciting addition to this year's program was introducing Campaign Actions teams. Participants of the Activist Academy will be organizing for one of four major Sierra Club campaigns; Building Electrification, 30x30, Beyond Dirty Fuels, and Clean Transportation. Using the knowledge and skills the participants have learned in the Activist Academy, they will host an action that helps bring us closer to achieving one of the campaign goals. An experience the activists of this year's cohort are thrilled to participate in, to get hands-on organizing experience but also make a direct impact in our efforts to fight climate change.  

 

Why is the Activist Academy so important to young leaders like myself? Because we are a part of the demographics most affected by the impacts of climate change. The Activist Academy is a leadership program designed for young activists eager to engage in the climate justice movement. It aims to equip them with the necessary skills to combat climate change and advocate for climate justice. The inaugural cohorts of 2023 and 2024 primarily consisted of participants from BIPOC communities in the LA and Orange County areas, who are directly affected by local polluters and environmental racism built into communities of color. 

 

 

The Activist Academy has continued to grow into a program that centers the voices of these participants and the communities they represent. Introducing participants to important organizing concepts is next in line with the collective effort we all make to create a community that centers justice in our work but also joy. The program prioritizes time for activities, movement and discussions to allow everyone to build genuine connections with each other. As participant, Ana Cobarrubias describes it, “Participating in the Activist Academy was the perfect crash course into activism that I could have hoped for. Not only did I receive intentional guidance from trainers and mentors but I also gained a community full of minded individuals who inspire me and challenge me to show up as an Activist.”

 

We are excited to see what this year's Activists will do in the upcoming months as they have begun working with their peers in planning an action. These are campaign-specific actions that they will co-create together while working with chapter volunteer leaders, and local national campaign staff. This is something the chapter is proud of as we strengthen our commitment to invest in the next generation of climate leaders, build power in our campaigns, and give leadership opportunities for young leaders to organize with the chapter. 

 

Thanks to the Activist Academy, I am looking forward to continuing my climate work back home in Chicago. I am leaving my internship knowing that so many more people will be inspired and affected by cohorts in the years to come.