Interested in Signing up for 2023?
Apply by Monday, January 2, 2023 to become a Climate Forward Ambassador!
To apply, please fill out this simple application form.
Somerville residents aged 16 or older are invited to apply.
Application Form
About the Program
In 2019, the Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) launched the Climate Forward Ambassador Program. The program was identified in Somerville Climate Forward, our climate action plan. Our goal is to educate residents about climate change and increase the community’s capacity to engage in climate action.
Following participation in the program, Ambassadors will be better equipped:
- Engage in discussions and decisions about climate change and environmental justice
- Know how to assess the importance and impact of various climate actions within the city
- Engage in City-led climate programs and projects
- Inspire, motivate, and encourage other residents to take action
Who Can Become an Ambassador?
Ambassadors are selected through an application process. Any resident of Somerville – 16 years and older – is welcome to apply. No prior knowledge about climate change is required. The 2023 program will be for a small group of about 25 Somerville residents.
2023 Ambassadors will receive a $400 stipend for participating in program. Dinner will be provided for in-person meetings.
Meeting Schedule
Meetings will be interactive include both in-person meetings and webinars. Meetings will not be offered in a hybrid format. In-person meetings will be primarily dedicated to small group discussions, activities, and project work.
Overview of 2023 Program Curriculum
|
Date
|
Type of Meeting
|
Topic
|
|
February 9th
|
In-person
|
Welcome, introductions, expectations
|
|
February 16th
|
Webinar
|
Climate Change: global and local implications
|
|
March 16th
|
Webinar
|
Introduction to Environmental Justice
|
|
March 23rd
|
In-person
|
Incorporating Environmental Justice and Equity in the Somerville Climate Forward (SCF) update
|
|
April 6th
|
Webinar
|
SCF Update
|
|
April 13th
|
In-person
|
Introduction to projects
|
|
May 11th
|
Webinar
|
Environmental Communications
|
|
May 18th
|
In-person
|
World Climate Simulation and time to work on projects
|
|
June 8th
|
In-person
|
Project presentations and celebration!
|
|
June 15th
|
In-person
|
Debrief and how to stay engaged
|
This program will be shaped in part by the Ambassadors and their interests and concerns.
Participant Expectations
Ambassadors will...
- Participate in the full process: all ten meetings, including the public celebration.
- Engage in respectful group conversations.
- Do one hour or less of homework between meetings.
- Do one activity of their choosing in Somerville related to a Somerville Climate Forward Action Area. This could be holding a small group discussion with neighbors, doing an art project, writing a blog post, engaging in volunteer work, engaging on a policy topic, or any other related project. It could be done collectively.
- Present final projects and participate in the public celebration. 2023 projects will have the unique opportunity to coordinate with the City’s climate action plan update, Somerville Climate Forward.
Ambassador Projects
To complete the Climate Forward Ambassadors program, participants complete a project focused on taking action on the climate crisis in their own lives and communities. The 2023 Ambassador projects will have the special opportunity to coordinate directly with the Somerville Climate Forward update. Participants are encouraged to pursue a project that allows them to explore a climate topic that they are interested in learning more about and to engage with others to spread awareness and interest in climate action. Projects have ranged from engaging family and friends in a climate conversation to creating art about climate change, to doing a mini-research project.
Here are some examples of creative projects that Ambassadors have developed:
Sarah Connolly brought together a group of families to learn about biking safely with kids and to encourage her friends to try it out.
Britney Flores talked to her family and fellow Somerville High School students about what sustainable changes they could make in their lives.
Kelly Lockhart crocheted a visual display of local average annual temperatures to show how the local climate has warmed over time.
Questions?
Contact Emily Sullivan, Climate Change Program Manager, at esullivan@somervillema.gov.
