The Cornell Climate Stewards Program helps communities mitigate climate change and increase their resiliency to climate impacts
by providing research-based training, resources, and support through a volunteer Extension program.
Training
The twelve-week curriculum includes interactive lectures, discussion, resources and readings, case studies, and group activities to master important concepts related to climate change science and solutions. The modules cover these important topics:
- Module 1: Orientation to Climate Stewards
- Module 2: Intro to Climate Change Science
- Module 3: Intro to Climate Change Impacts
- Module 4: Working with Local Governments & Communities
- Module 5: Intro to Mitigation
- Module 6: Local Community Mitigation Strategies
- Module 7: Intro to Adaptation
- Module 8: Local Community Adaptation Strategies
- Module 9: Communicating Climate Change Effectively
- Module 10: Local Climate Steward Volunteer Projects
- Module 11: Presenting Volunteer Project Plans
- Module 12: Evaluation & Recognition
Volunteer Component
After completing the training, volunteers need to fulfill 40+ hours of work working on a local climate change community project in their community in order to become a certified Cornell Climate Steward. Volunteers can work individually or in a group and can focus on an assessment or planning project, grant writing, CSC certification action, or an education program. During the twelve-week program, trainees will identify a local project that is needed in their community related to the Climate Smart Communities Program, and work with other local volunteers and municipal officials on their planning, mitigation, adaptation, or education project. Examples of projects could involve helping their municipality adopt the CSC pledge or form a climate change task force, working on a watershed management plan, conducting a riparian buffer project, or working with the local library system or school district on a climate change education program. All of these projects can also help a municipality earn points towards their CSC certification. A volunteer must log 40 hours of time working on their project in order to receive their certificate as a Cornell Climate Steward. This program is modeled after other successful Extension Master Volunteer programs, including the Master Gardener and Master Naturalists program, where hundreds of thousands of volunteers have been trained across the United States.
Learn more about climate change science, impacts, and solutions through the Resources section of the website.