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Grow into Climate Leadership this Spring!
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This is the moment to find your place in the climate movement and make a difference at the local level.
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Wednesdays, April 15 through June 3, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. PDT via Zoom
(Plus occasional weekends for in-person field trips)
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You don’t have to be a scientist or politician to make a difference in the climate movement. Real progress happens neighbor by neighbor. CEC’s Climate Stewards Certification Program, in partnership with the University of California Environmental Stewards program, equips everyday people to lead that change, offering a clear path toward meaningful local action.
Over eight weeks, you’ll move beyond eco-anxiety — and gain practical tools, deeper insight, and a supportive community to champion climate solutions. Through a blend of interactive online sessions and in-person field trips, you’ll explore the science behind climate change, understand the human behaviors that shape it, and learn how to communicate in ways that inspire change. The program culminates in a personalized Stewardship Project, giving you the chance to apply what you’ve learned in a way that’s meaningful to you and your community.
The climate crisis won’t wait — and neither should you. Whether you’re a student looking to kick start a climate action career or a retiree wanting to make a positive impact in your neighborhood, there’s a place for everyone in this cohort. Being in community with fellow climate advocates drives collective action, and reminds us we have the power to build a more resilient, sustainable future for the Central Coast together.
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Join our next Climate Stewards course that begins
Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
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Anyone can be a Climate Steward!
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“I don’t want the next generation to inherit a world in crisis — and if we don’t act now, it’s inevitable. We all share responsibility. CEC’s Climate Stewards course was my chance to show up, use my voice, and learn how to make better choices for the planet.”
– Gerrie Clemens, Activist
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As a longtime member of the San Luis Obispo Climate Coalition and committed community activist, Geraldine “Gerrie” Clemens was no stranger to taking action. But she saw CEC’s Climate Stewards course as an opportunity to deepen her impact — to pair lived experience with science-based knowledge, amplify frontline voices, and drive community-wide change.
During the course, Gerrie developed a better understanding of the devastating health and environmental harms caused by oil extraction in vulnerable communities. It was a lightbulb moment. For her Stewardship Project, she set out to coordinate End Dependence Day in San Luis Obispo — an ambitious public education and organizing effort focused on implementing Senate Bill 1137 the landmark law establishing a 3,200-foot buffer between oil drilling operations and homes, schools, and hospitals.
Working in collaboration with local partners, Gerrie connected the global consequences of fossil fuel extraction to local, lived realities while advocating for a just transition to renewable energy. Partnering with the Oil & Gas Action Network, she helped design and build an oil well replica for the event, giving community members a powerful, hands-on way to understand the intersection of climate justice, public health, and social equity. End Dependence Day was a remarkable success, and implementation of SB 1137 went into effect the following year.
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Next Cohort: Spring 2026, April 15 – June 3
Format: Online classes via Zoom and in-person field trips
Frequency: Classes on Wednesdays: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. PDT; three to four field trips on weekends: two hours plus travel time
Cost: $360; 50% 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.
Know a teacher who would benefit from this course?
? Share this opportunity
Instructor: Kathi King
Teaching Assistant: Maeve Merwin
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Help Us Plan For an Upcoming Blood Drive
We’re planning a blood drive in partnership with Vitalant and want to gauge interest from our community. If you are interested in donating, please take a moment to fill out this Google Form — this isn’t a commitment, but will help us determine how many donors we can expect. Your participation could help save lives!
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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
Learn more about Community Resilience Hubs, take our short survey, and use our toolkit to get started today.
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Christopher F. Jones Lecture: The Invention of Infinite Growth
Thursday, April 9, 2026
6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
CEC’s Environmental Hub
1219 State St., Santa Barbara
Join CEC and UC Santa Barbara’s Center for Restorative Environmental Work (CREW) Lab of CLAIR for an eye-opening lecture with author and environmental historian Christopher F. Jones. In his latest book, The Invention of Infinite Growth, he explores how the relentless drive for economic growth is pushing ecological limits. There will also be an opportunity to get your book signed, with copies available for purchase. We invite readers, environmental enthusiasts, and all curious minds to come and engage with key questions about sustainability, Earth’s future, and how the choices we make as a society affect our world. Learn more and register.
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Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival
Saturday – Sunday, April 25 – 26, 2026
Alameda Park
1400 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara
Now in its 56th year, the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival is among the longest-running Earth Day celebrations in the nation and one of the largest on the West Coast.
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The event draws more than 30,000 attendees and 150+ eco-friendly exhibitors for a vibrant weekend jam packed with live music and speakers, CEC’s Environmental Hero Award ceremony, a robust Green Car Show, a plant-forward food court and beer garden, and family-friendly programming. Presented by the Community Environmental Council and CarpEvents. Learn more.
Register to exhibit.
Sign up to volunteer.
Become a sponsor.
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First Thursday with CEC and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Thursday, May 7, 2026
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
CEC’s Environmental Hub
1219 State St., Santa Barbara
Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden for an evening celebrating native plants and local biodiversity. Enjoy a short film, a panel discussion, and guided tours of the new State Street planters, along with light refreshments. As the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden marks its 100th anniversary — celebrating a century as the first U.S. botanic garden dedicated exclusively to native plants — this event will highlight the importance of native plant stewardship and share opportunities to get involved. Come learn, connect with your community, and discover how you can help grow a more resilient, climate-ready California. 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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