California Deploys First Class of Climate Action Corps Fellows for 2021 Summer of Service

Fellows Deployed as Part of California Volunteers First-in-the-Nation California Climate Action Corps

July 4, 2021 – SACRAMENTO – Last Friday, California Volunteers, Office of the Governor announced the deployment of California Climate Action Corps Fellows for Summer of 2021. Over the last two weeks, California Volunteers and partners have hosted a series of virtual events to welcome the summer Fellows of the statewide climate corps, culminating in a pledge ceremony administered by California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. In January, the program launched a pilot fellowship of 59 Fellows who have spent the last six months advancing climate action projects such as urban tree planting, food sustainability, and wildfire resilience in some of the state’s most vulnerable communities. The new Summer Fellowship builds on the pilot term by placing up to 200 fellows for a two-month summer of service in urban and rural communities throughout the state.

“I am thrilled to welcome this new group of energetic fellows from diverse ages and backgrounds who have joined us in service to dedicate their time to their communities,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. “The Climate Action Corps Fellowship is the first of its kind in the United States and can lead the way forward as we look to harness human potential to combat the global climate crisis. Our Fellows are an inspiration for others across the nation to take on climate action in their communities and homes.”

California Volunteers is supported by Governor Gavin Newsom’s vision to lift up all communities in California. Fellows will mobilize and organize climate action at scale in principally front-line and low-income communities across the state. As AmeriCorps members, the summer Fellows will serve 300 hours with local governments, nonprofits, universities, and colleges to support climate action and climate education projects in areas such as edible food recovery, urban greening, wildfire mitigation, community energy, and habitat conservation. Through project-based service work with committed community organizations, Fellows will have a chance to learn real-world climate action skills.

In addition to the Fellowship program, California Climate Action Corps engages people through a variety of levels and activities, from those who have an hour to commit at home to those who can commit a year of service, and everything in between. In partnership with VolunteerMatch, California Volunteers has launched a statewide online volunteer hub of climate-focused volunteer opportunities. Environmental and climate-focused organizations can post service opportunities for local volunteers, allowing every Californian to make a difference in their own community.

Led by California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday, California Volunteers, Office of the Governor empowers Californians to take action to improve their communities. #CaliforniansForAll is a California Volunteers service initiative launched in response to COVID-19 to establish a volunteer corps to support the state’s response to emergencies and disasters.
Source: CA. Volunteers