With 116 colleges, over 2.2 million students, the California Community Colleges system is the largest higher education system in the nation. Recognizing this immense responsibility, the Chancellor’s Office has launched a bold, systems-level effort to catalyze climate action.
With multiple layers of engagement, California Community Colleges have built a systems-level effort to lead the way in climate action. Climate Fellows, Climate Ambassadors, and Student Climate Fellows are selected from within ranks of faculty, staff, students, and administration of the California Community Colleges to lead the work at the stateside level. These climate leaders bring firsthand experience from their campuses to lead systemwide efforts to drive climate solutions at scale. The statewide climate action agenda is focused in five key areas, which include:

1. Curriculum integration for climate education across disciplines
2. Workforce development for blue and green economy careers
3. Community engagement for local climate resilience
4. Sustainable facilities and operations
5. Student leadership and empowerment in climate action
What sets this initiative apart is its reliance on internal expertise and collaboration across disciplines, regions, and roles to build a cohesive and actionable climate strategy statewide.
This dynamic session will dive into lessons learned from the first two years of this program and opportunities to amplify the impact through partnership development. Attendees will hear directly from the Climate Fellows and Climate Ambassadors as they share lessons learned, institutional strategies, and how their campus-level insights are shaping state-level climate initiatives. This session will share resources and explore how the model can be adapted for other states and systems seeking to activate climate leadership from within.
Join us to learn how California Community Colleges are setting a powerful precedent for climate leadership in higher education—through collaboration, innovation, and grassroots expertise.