CLIMATE PROFESSIONALS CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

Want to integrate climate action into your career?

No prior experience or education in climate-related issues needed.

The Fall 2021 cohort runs from
September to November 2021.

      • 12 weekly 90-minute discussions (day & time TBD)
      • 8-10 hours/week (discussion, readings, & projects)
      • Personalized, actionable capstone project
      • 100% virtual — join from anywhere in the world!

Fall 2021 Timeline

      • Applications close Aug. 15 @ 11:59pm EST
      • Selected applicants emailed Aug. 22
      • Onboarding calls starting Aug. 30
      • 12 weekly discussions Sept. 13 – Nov. 29

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Our virtual, cohort-based certificate program has one goal: to empower you to take informed climate action in your workplace, community, or social network. We’ll introduce the terminology and context needed to become climate literate, and most importantly, tangibly demonstrate how to integrate that valuable knowledge into your workplace. What will you do during this program?

  • Engage with our curriculum: Our team has sought out diverse perspectives and curated reputable resources about: (1) the causes & impacts of our changing climate; (2) strategies to address climate impacts; and (3) ways to become an effective climate communicator. Our content combines academic texts with a variety of other media types and sources.
  • Engage with your cohort during 12 weekly discussions (90 minutes each): Join a Climatepedia facilitator & your peers to deepen your understanding of each week’s topics and explore how they impact your field of interest. We’ll center our conversations and activities within an environmental justice framework and train you in effective climate communication techniques.
  • Design your own capstone project: This is your pathway to climate action! With support from our team, you’ll combine your existing interests, career goals, and new climate knowledge to act on the unique climate action opportunities that you choose to tackle. At the end of the program, cohort members will present their plans to their peers at a showcase event. 
  • Create a professional network within the climate community: We’ll help you navigate and discover jobs, people, and organizations that are working on climate change topics.

On average, participants should expect to commit an average of 8–10 hours per week to our program. Over these 12 weeks, participants will become climate literate, develop awareness about the science and social context surrounding climate change, learn how to navigate academic and government-created sources, and communicate uncertainty.

Who Should Apply

Are you a professional wondering what you can do about climate change? Are you interested in integrating climate into your current career, or taking action within your community? We’d love to meet you! No prior experience or education in climate-related issues is necessary to apply.

Climate Professionals Certificate Program participants are:

  • Diverse individuals from across the US and the world who share the common goal of learning how to move the needle on climate action.
  • Working professionals in a variety of fields.
  • Committed to 8-10 hours of engagement per week for the 12 weeks of the course.

To ensure a high-quality, individualized experience, our program is restricted to a limited number of participants per cohort. Please reach out to info@climatepedia.org if you have any questions!

HOW MUCH IS THIS PROGRAM

The cost of Climatepedia’s Climate Professionals Certificate Program is $1,200.

Climatepedia strives to be an organization that prepares individuals from all backgrounds for climate action, and we recognize that cost may be a barrier to participation in our certificate program. If you are driven to take climate action in your community, please apply! Our team will do our best to accommodate the financial needs of selected applicants.

WHY CHOOSE OUR PROGRAM

  • We’re action-oriented. Research shows that learning about climate change doesn’t automatically translate into climate action. We’re here to support as you make that leap from knowing to doing. 
  • You’re learning with peers, not in a virtual vacuum. We believe learning with a community is far more impactful than learning in isolation. Because our discussions are highly participatory — not lecture-based — you’ll have a chance to create context and connections between our curriculum and your lived experiences. This “flipped classroom” model allows us to spend more time on tough concepts and practice new skills in a supportive, synchronous setting. 
  • Our curated curriculum centers diverse voices. Our leadership team holds PhD or Master’s degrees in fields related to climate science, engineering, policy, and planning from Columbia University, UCLA, Duke, Yale, and more. We’ve navigated through the overwhelming amount of climate resources out there, and chosen multimedia that are accessible, reputable, and engaging for different styles of learning
  • You’ll be plugged into Climatepedia’s growing alumni network. Our network of 120+ alumni have gone on to create sustainability-focused organizations in their communities, pursue advanced degrees in climate-related fields, and work in the fields of climate science, engineering, economics, and policy. In the alumni community of practice, you can continue to find support & connections as you continue taking climate action after the end of our program. You’ll receive ongoing invitations to future showcases, guest speaker presentations, and workshops. 

Testimonials from Our Alumni

“Not only did the Climatepedia certification program provide me with vital information needed to understand climate change, but it also gave me a tremendous amount of hope for the future of the planet and humanity as a whole. Being part of this program helped me realize that there are so many others like me who are passionate about the environment and the people who live in it. In the endless battle between fear and hope, knowing you are not alone is a game-changer.” 

– Vivian (Coeur d’Alene, ID)

 

“The Climatepedia Certificate Program is a great opportunity to gain awareness of climate change and its impacts. So many aspects of climate change are left undiscussed by the public at large, but this program provides an excellent comprehensive education on the topic. In this day and age especially, people need to be more conscious of what and how we communicate, educate, and advocate to truly make a difference. This program focuses on not just the science itself, but the communication of it, and as such I highly recommend joining Climatepedia’s program. Completing the curriculum gave me the tools to become a more effective and knowledgeable scientific communicator and helped me in my efforts to be a voice of change as an environmental activist.” 

– Tarynn, (Los Angeles, CA)

 

“I do not have any science background but I am really interested in science. However, because of limited resources and this pandemic, I can’t go to university. Thanks to Climatepedia I had the opportunity to intern, share, and learn about climate change!

When I applied for a research assistantship, I didn’t have much to put on my resume, but I just told the truth about myself: I am an illustrator and an intern with Climatepedia. Unexpectedly, I was chosen out of 460 people. Right now, my research team is studying the awareness of young people about climate change and renewable energy in Indonesia.

We also use Climatepedia’s curriculum as our foundation for surveys. When I shared this curriculum, some of my fellow researchers said it looks like three college credits packed into one program.”

– Erika, (Jakarta, Indonesia)* 

 

“Before starting this internship, I only knew about the basics of climate change. I didn’t feel educated enough about climate change science or climate policies to have an in-depth conversation about it with others. Through this program, I was able to discuss various climate change topics with other passionate climate-aware individuals during the weekly video calls. Learning from my peers was deeply inspiring and ultimately helped me feel more comfortable having discussions about climate change with others. I enjoyed learning from the multimedia curriculum that featured many articles, videos, and podcasts carefully curated by the supportive mentors. This program has provided me with the skills and knowledge necessary to communicate climate information to people with different climate beliefs and has also empowered me to apply climate action in my communities – both at school and at home.”

– Emily (San Francisco, CA)*

“The certificate program dives deep into multiple aspects of climate change and it truly works to create a well rounded picture of what is known to be this generation’s greatest challenge.”

– Carlos (Rosarito, Mexico)

 

*Edited for brevity