Climate Action Leaders

Campus Compact is a national organization that supports community and civic engagement in higher education and works with colleges and universities all over the United States to leverage the power of higher education to support the greater good. The Campus Compact Campus Climate Action Corps is a climate action initiative focused on building the capacity of campuses and their community partners to affect behavioral and technical change leading to energy efficiency and improved at-risk ecosystems through the implementation of local solutions for underserved households and communities nationwide.

We seek 20-25 energized and passionate leaders to become Full-time (1700-hour) AmeriCorps members who will serve as Climate Action Leaders. CCAC Climate Action Leaders will serve at one of our campus host sites across the nation. For a complete list of current host sites, please see our interest form HERE .

CCAC Climate Action Leaders will work closely with CCAC staff, their host site supervisor, AmeriCorps members, community partners, and campus staff and students to design and implement a community-driven Climate Action Plan. CCAC Climate Action Leaders serve as the team lead at their campus host site. They will develop campus and community partnerships to increase energy efficiency and improve at-risk ecosystems for underserved households and communities. Climate Action Leaders will recruit and coordinate campus and community partners and volunteers to support CCAC activities.

Position Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and facilitate environmental education events in underserved communities to provide strategies for reducing energy use and carbon emissions.
• Develop and disseminate outreach materials.
• Launch public awareness campaigns to highlight individual energy costs and conservation strategies, home energy assistance programs, and CCAC opportunities.
• Conduct basic home energy assessments with low-income households and in campus dorms.
• Provide households with energy conservation strategies and resources that reduce carbon emissions and increase cost savings
• Implement low-tech interventions to reduce energy use and increase cost savings for underserved households based on community needs (e.g. weatherization, LED light bulbs, window-insulation inserts)
• Serve as a home energy navigator, educating low-income households on government programs and assisting households to apply for rebate and subsidy programs
• Plan and execute a community-driven project that improves a local at-risk ecosystem (e.g. removal of invasive species, tree planting, installation of rain gardens)
• Participate in specialized green job career development
• Increase green career development training resources that generate workforce pathways for CCAC AmeriCorps members and the wider community, at times

Term of Service: The term of service will run from August 26, 2024 through July 31, 2025. As Full-time AmeriCorps members, CCAC Climate Action Leaders must complete 1700 hours during the service term.

Location: CCAC Climate Action Leaders will be placed at one of our campus host sites across the nation. Our host site locations are still being finalized. If you would like more information,  please see our interest form HERE  and a CCAC representative will contact you.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be at least 17 years old
• Must hold one of the following citizenship statuses: U.S. Citizen, National, or Lawful Permanent Resident
• Must be located in or willing to relocate to a host site area (CCAC is unable to offer relocation assistance at this time)
• Must pass a national service criminal history check
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; high school diploma or equivalent is required
• Valid driver’s license and car, and/or dependable transportation
• Must have a personal commitment to climate action and environmental stewardship
• Motivated team leader with exceptional organizational skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and comfortable with public speaking

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience engaging community partners and/or college students
• Experience with outreach, volunteer recruitment & management, or event planning
• Experience in environmental education, environmental stewardship, sustainability, or home energy efficiency

Benefits:

CCAC Climate Action Leaders will receive AmeriCorps benefits, including a living stipend and Segal Education Award.

• Service Type
• Total Hours: 1,700
• Total Living Stipend: $18,700
• Education Award: $7,395

The living stipend will be distributed evenly in bi-monthly installments and is taxable income. The Education Award is contingent upon the successful completion of the program and can be used to pay for college or technical school or to pay back qualified student loans.

Additional benefits include:

• Health care coverage, if applicable
• Childcare assistance for qualifying members
• Student loan forbearance and interest payments for qualifying members
• Professional development, including green jobs training, support in developing a personal career action plan, and an enhanced professional network

About AmeriCorps: AmeriCorps is the federal agency connecting individuals and organizations through service and volunteering to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges.

About Campus Compact: Campus Compact is a coalition of colleges and universities dedicated to advancing the public purposes of higher education and an intermediary sponsor for an AmeriCorps VISTA program. We support our member institutions—helping them build the knowledge, skills, and capacity needed to enable a just, equitable, and sustainable future.

Campus Compact does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, height, weight, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member), or any other basis prohibited by law.