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From Climate Anxiety to Community Power.
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Federal funding rollbacks call for bold solutions, local leadership, and grassroots climate action.
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There’s no better way to step up than by joining CEC’s next Climate Stewards course,
starting Tuesday, January 27.
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As federal policy and funding rollbacks threaten decades of environmental progress, it’s never been more important for all of us to step up, care for our neighborhoods, restore our ecosystems, and protect the places we love.
CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program empowers individuals from all backgrounds to advance bold climate solutions right at home. High school and college students, recent grads, teachers, community members, non-profit staff, business owners, retirees, and more are all invited to join us as we take collective action to move forward meaningful climate progress.
During this eight-week course, you’ll connect with a growing network of changemakers, learn how to effectively communicate about the climate crisis, explore local solutions and challenges through field trips and lessons, and develop a Stewardship Project to move the needle in your own community. As CEC kicks off its Year of Active Hope in 2026, we encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to find your voice in the climate movement.
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Join our next Climate Stewards cohort that begins January 27, 2025.
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Anyone can be a Climate Steward!
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“If I could continue to participate in the Climate Stewards program, I would repeat it again! The support needed as we continue to move through a time of heightened climate anxiety is increasing. Being in a community of Climate Stewards provides much needed camaraderie and unity.”
– Lauri Kamiel, Advocate
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CEC Climate Steward alum Lauri Kamiel turned her climate anxiety into action by stepping into advocacy and education in her Thousand Oaks community. “From my HOA removing carbon sequestering trees to the government rolling back environmental protections, I saw so much destruction happening around me,” Lauri said, “I needed to do something.”
She enrolled in CEC’s Climate Stewards program to gain credibility, build community, and speak up for the environment — and found the course so valuable, she repeated it twice! For her first Stewardship Project, Lauri led a Firewise certification session for her HOA, in response to the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire, promoting wildfire preparedness while protecting tree canopy. For her second project, Lauri developed a detailed recycling presentation using local waste management resources. She hopes to refine it in collaboration with Athens Waste and present it to community groups.
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Next Cohort: Winter 2026, January 27 – March 17
Format: Online classes via Zoom + in-person field trips
Frequency: Classes on Tuesdays: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. PST; three to four field trips on weekends: two hours plus travel time
Cost: $360; Scholarships are available to Central Coast residents who express financial need. For 2026: nine scholarships are available for K-12 teachers in Santa Barbara County.
Instructor: Kathi King
Teaching Assistant: Ali Hanson
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New Scholarship Funding for K–12 Teachers!
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Great news! We’ve been selected as a subawardee on a UC Santa Barbara grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. As part of this partnership, we have funding for nine full scholarships for K-12 teachers who enroll in a Climate Stewards course during 2026 while funding lasts.
If you’re a classroom educator — or you know someone who is — this is a fantastic opportunity to participate with a full scholarship. K-12 teachers can indicate their eligibility directly on the course registration form.
Know a teacher who would benefit from this course?
? Share this opportunity
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Give the Gift of Climate Action
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Do you have a friend, family member, or colleague who is passionate about building a greener, more sustainable world? This holiday season, give the gift of new knowledge, hands-on experience, community connection, and
climate-positive impact.
Our Climate Stewards course helps participants turn passion into action and make a real impact — just in time to kick off CEC’s Year of Active Hope in 2026. Contact Kathi King at kking@cecmail.org to purchase a spot.
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Become a Resilience Hub and Help Your Community Prepare for Disasters
The California Central Coast faces growing challenges from extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding, and poor air quality. Community resilience hubs — trusted local spaces like schools, libraries, community centers, and churches — can provide aid and resources before, during, and after these events. CEC can help activate your site to:
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Provide clean air during smoke events
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Act as cooling locations during extreme heat
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Distribute food
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Serve as an emergency shelter or hub for emergency services
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Facilitate disaster preparedness training and neighborhood organizing
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Host off-grid charging during power outages or shutdowns
Take our short survey to learn more and get support or use our toolkit to get started today.
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Webinar: Near-term Strategies for Unlocking Industrial Electrification
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. PT
Zoom
Dr. Eric Masanet and Dr. Leah Stokes will be joined by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Senator Martin Heinrich (NM) for a discussion on one of the most immediate and practical opportunities to cut U.S. industrial climate pollution: electrifying low- and medium-temperature process heat used in manufacturing. They’ll share new analysis showing that commercially available technologies can cut climate pollution by 20–30% across key manufacturing sectors. We’ll also examine where electrification remains challenging and how targeted federal and state policies can expand adoption. Tune into this webinar via Zoom to understand the opportunities, economic landscape, and policy levers that can make U.S. manufacturing cleaner, healthier, and more competitive. Learn more and register.
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Support Critical Work Like This
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Recognized as a 2020 California Nonprofit of the Year and a City of Santa Barbara Climate Hero, CEC is led by CEO Sigrid Wright, 2022 Congressional Woman of the Year. See our most recent impact report to learn how we are serving California’s Central Coast by advancing rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis.
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Learn more about how you can invest in CEC’s work to accelerate regional climate solutions at cecsb.org/donate.
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