In conjunction with the observance of Earth Day on Monday, April 22, the states of Illinois, New Mexico and Vermont each announced the creation of its own state-level Climate Corps in partnership with California Volunteers, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. They join 10 states already providing volunteer and paid service opportunities to take climate action. With this announcement, state-level climate corps programs are now available in states representing a third of America’s population — a huge milestone for climate action.
These new states represent a powerful network of leaders committed to engaging more Americans in climate action. The state-level Climate Corps will engage people through a variety of activities and create job pathways for careers in sustainability. Current states that have launched state-level Climate Corps include Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Utah and Washington. Many of these programs have already experienced early success.
Monday’s announcement comes as thousands of new paid service positions are now available through the American Climate Corps. Positions range across a number of fields including energy-efficiency, disaster response and preparedness, and wildfire mitigation. Up to 20,000 people are expected to join in the program’s first year. To learn more and apply, visit www.climatecorps.gov.
Fellows in state-based climate corps programs will earn a living stipend and, after completing a term of service, will be eligible for a scholarship to pay for college or to pay off student loans. Some participating fellows will earn up to $30,000 (prorated for those serving in a less than full-time capacity) by serving their communities. Each state will tailor the program to its specific needs and will determine additional climate activity priorities.
The state-level Climate Corps are supported through a public-private partnership between philanthropy and AmeriCorps. These states will work with the American Climate Corps as implementing partners to ensure participants gain new skills and earn money while serving their community.
“We can’t go it alone in tackling the climate crisis. With these three states launching their own Climate Corps, we’re making climate action a reality in communities representing millions of Americans,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Together, we’re mobilizing and organizing citizen climate action at a scale never seen before — and now we’ll begin to see its impact across the nation.”
