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Oct. 24 — Community Environmental Council (CEC) — Students grades 6-12 — Join our free Youth Climate Workshop, more events

by Community Contributor • January 1, 2026 • Comments Off

Students grades 6-12 —

Join our free Youth Climate Workshop

Start your path to climate leadership.

Saturday, Oct. 24, 1–4 p.m.
CEC’s Environmental Hub
1219 State St., Santa Barbara

You don’t have to wait to become a climate leader. If you are a sixth- through 12th-grade student who cares about the future of our planet, put your passion into practice right now. Join the Community Environmental Council (CEC) and 805 Action for a free Youth Climate Workshop to connect with other young people, explore local climate challenges, and discover ways to take action.

In this workshop, we’ll focus on climate policy advocacy and how to create lasting, impactful change. The afternoon will include interactive activities, conversations with local climate leaders, and a panel with Santa Barbara elected officials. The panel, moderated by Ethan Maday of 805 Action, will feature Santa Barbara City Council members Oscar Gutierrez and Meagan Harmon, along with Nadra Ehrman of the Santa Barbara County Board of Education.

Students can ask questions and learn more about how policy decisions affect the environment and our communities. The event will have free food, and CEC can provide community service hours for qualifying students. Students will leave with new friends, inspiration, and tools to start or boost their climate action journeys. A permission slip is required for youth under 18.

Know a student who might be interested?

Send this their way! ?

Other Events

UC Environmental Stewards Statewide Conference Comes to Santa Barbara

October 9–11

UC Santa Barbara’s Corwin Pavilion

6085 UCEN Rd, Isla Vista

Join CEC as we welcome the UC Environmental Stewards Statewide Conference to Santa Barbara this fall. Bringing together climate changemakers from across California, the conference will feature keynote presentations, hands-on workshops, community conversations, and field trips exploring climate resilience, participatory science, and equity in conservation. CEC is proud to serve as the local partner for this gathering. CEC CEO Sigrid Wright will join Mia Lopez, Chumash Cultural Educator and Founding Director of Su’nan Protection, to welcome attendees on opening day. CEC Senior Education and Outreach Director Kathi King will also lead a workshop highlighting how CEC’s Climate Stewards course empowers community members to take climate action. Learn more and register.

Upcycled Coutour Sustainable Fashion Show

Friday, October 16

7–10 p.m.

Community Arts Workshop

631 Garden St., Santa Barbara

Join the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) for an evening celebrating creativity and sustainable fashion. The Upcycled Contour sustainable fashion show will showcase designs made from repurposed materials, exploring the environmental and climate impacts of the fashion industry. The event will also feature perspectives on fast fashion and its connection to climate change, offering attendees an opportunity to learn more about how we can rethink the way we make, wear, and reuse clothing. CEC is proud to serve as a promotional partner for this community event. We will have an info table available and CEC Senior Director of Outreach and Education Kathi King will present on how fast fashion relates to the climate crisis. Learn more.

Drive Electric Ventura

Saturday, October 17

10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Ventura Unified School District

255 West Stanley Ave., Ventura

Join CEC at the Drive Electric Ventura event for a free EV Ride & Drive and resource fair! Whether you’re already considering an electric vehicle or simply curious about what it’s like to drive electric, this event is an opportunity to explore your options, get your questions answered, and experience EVs firsthand. Get behind the wheel for an EV test drive, explore EV models on display, and hear from local EV drivers and dealerships about what it’s really like to switch to electric. You can also connect with community partners for information about rebates and incentives, charging, and other resources that can help make EVs more affordable and accessible. Learn more and register.

Santa Barbara County Regional Climate Collaborative Network Event

Thursday, Oct. 29

9:15 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

The Mission Club

4300 Club House Rd, Lompoc

The Santa Barbara County Regional Climate Collaborative brings its network together in Lompoc for an annual event, celebrating two years of the Guadalupe-Lompoc Initiative and the projects, partnerships, and community benefits it has helped cultivate. The gathering offers an opportunity to reflect on what has emerged through collaboration and explore opportunities for continued learning and coordination across the region. Attendees can also take an optional afternoon tour of Collective Cultures Creating Change, a community garden supported through the initiative. Learn more and register.

Other Opportunities

Share Your Feedback: Help Inform CEC’s Climate Work

We want to hear from you! Take a few minutes to complete CEC’s Community Feedback Survey and share how CEC is doing, what environmental issues matter most, and how you like to connect. Your feedback will help shape how we focus our work, communicate with our community, and create meaningful opportunities for climate action across the Central Coast. The survey is fully anonymous and all questions are optional. Complete the full survey for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card. Take the survey here.

In Case You Missed It: Climate Stewards in Action

A new blog from UC Agriculture and Natural Resources highlights how Climate Stewards are turning climate knowledge into action in their communities. The story follows local Climate Steward Jason Scott-Sheets and his work to launch a stormwater response program that will mobilize volunteers to help protect Santa Barbara’s waterways and beaches after major storms. It also explores how the Climate Stewards program equips participants with science, communication skills and practical tools to build community resilience. Read the full story ahead of the UC Environmental Stewards Conference, happening Oct. 9–11 at UC Santa Barbara.

Save on Your Next Home Heating or Cooling Upgrade

Goleta residents can save more than $200 on eligible home electrification projects through the City of Goleta’s Heat Pump Permit Fee Waiver Program. The pilot program waives permit fees for residential projects installing electric heat pump water heaters and HVAC systems at the time of replacement, including in single-family and multi-family homes. The fee waiver can be combined with other local electrification incentives for even greater savings, but funding is limited to $10,000 and available until exhausted. Learn more.

Where Santa Barbara’s Changemakers Gather

Planning a board meeting, strategic retreat, workshop, or community event this fall? The Community Environmental Council’s Environmental Hub offers flexible, sustainably designed meeting and event space for nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies.

With competitive nonprofit pricing, professional AV, and versatile spaces for meetings, trainings, film screenings, and community gatherings, The Hub provides the perfect setting to bring people together. Every booking also supports CEC’s work to advance climate solutions across the Central Coast.

Explore the space and book your event.

Support Critical Work Like This

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.