CivicSpark Fellowship: Second Priority Deadline is August 15th!
Visit our website to learn more and apply to become a CivicSpark Fellow! Like us on Facebook to get the latest news and to see what our fellows are up to.
|
Fellow Community Service Projects
|
|
Our fellows are continuing to work on their volunteer engagement projects throughout the month of July and August. Through these projects, fellows have the opportunity to engage with their local community members. The integration of the fellows within their respective regions allows them to become known and trusted members within their community and creates social cohesion. It is now more important than ever to have our fellows assist in strengthening their communities and creating a positive and lasting impact in both the social and environmental aspects.
|
 Art and Frog Fun in Humboldt
Fellows Jamie Zouras, Pierce Schwalb, and Amanda Le had a successful art journaling and frog catching workshop at the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This workshop was the first of two planned workshops at the Refuge. The goal is to help raise environmental awareness around Humboldt County, as well as expose community members to the mental health and relaxation benefits associated with nature-inspired art journaling. Kids used dip nets to scoop frogs out of a pond and into well-appointed terrariums. A Herpetologist (frog scientist) helped kids identify frogs they caught and answered many good questions. Back at the Refuge's Visitor's Center, participants got messy with oil pastels and watercolor paints.
|
 Gardening in Sonoma County
Fellow Lauren Lum helped to coordinate a volunteering event between the Leadership Institute's Resilience Rising Leadership Academy and Farmster, non-profit project of The Leadership Institute for the Ecology and the Economy. The Resilience Rising program, through its three week program, gives students ages 14-18 an opportunity to hone their leadership and advocacy skills around issues of environmental justice, social equity and economic justice. Farmster partnered with the Leadership Institute to host the students and put them to work on the five acre farm. The day was meant to introduce the students to the issues of being a farmer today and show them the value of justice-oriented farming.
|
 Garden and Movie Day in Emeryville
Fellow Fei Mok volunteer engagement project will consist of a community garden day on August 19th at the Emeryville Center of Community Life. Volunteers will be helping to plant and set up the learning garden before students arrive on campus. Pixar will be co-hosting the event with a screening of Wall-E after the event.
|
 GRID Installations
Various fellows in the Bay Area, including fellows Gilian Corral, Amaury Berteaud, and Megan Waters, are working with GRID Alternatives to volunteer on their solar installation projects. Some fellows are working towards the goal of achieving their certification as Team Leader, learning valuable solar installation skills along the way. They are also working with the Volunteer Coordinator to volunteer for job fairs, door-to-door canvassing, and other outreach events.
|
 |
Regional Resilience in the Sacramento Region
Fellow Lora Elliott is working on two projects, which focus on building regional resilience in the Sacramento region by investigating connections between urban and rural areas. This year, Lora worked with the Sierra Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Partnership (Sierra CAMP) to draft a report with guiding recommendations to California state agencies for improved conditions in rural areas as they work toward updates to the statewide climate adaptation plan, Safeguarding California. Additionally, she explored the regional equity of funding for California Climate Investments, and the impact of defining Disadvantaged Communities with different definitions, drafting several fact sheets communicating the findings. Finally, she is nearing completion on a white paper for the Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation (ARCCA) intended to educate local policymakers and decision makers on the urban-rural connection and ways communities can act together to make climate change adaptation and mitigation more beneficial with existing resources.
|
Fixture Retrofits in Benicia
 Bay Area fellow Roman Johnson has played an integral role integrating a variety of sustainability projects related to energy, water, and fuel efficiency in the City of Benicia. Recently, the City restructured its water/sewage bills and in order to alleviate the burden of imminent hikes, Roman is representing Benicia to provide complimentary bathroom fixture retrofits through a program called Every Drop Counts, as well as a food waste reclamation project for downtown restaurants. In addition, Roman is implementing a Green Business Program and is the facilitator of Benicia's Green Team, which is in the process of finalizing projects such as an Environmental Preferable Purchasing Policy, a renewable diesel conversion program, and has just embarked on implementing an internal city compost system. Roman is also partnering with Benicia Community Gardens to assist in food forest installations, outreach campaigns, and developing a residential compost pick-up and education program.
|
Sustainability Progress in Southern California
Fellows Mike Kloha, Mackenzie Bolger, and Bree Swenson have been hard at work at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), developing and tracking 25 sustainability indicators across the 191 cities and 6 counties in the SCAG region. These indicators cover a wide range of sustainability topics, including GHG reduction and climate action planning, active transportation, energy, water, waste, and urban greening. The fellows are currently working with SCAG's mapping team to produce an interactive, web-based map that will show sustainability progress across the region and enable local governments to collaborate on sustainability efforts and improve their own policies and programs. The fellows are excited to unveil a version of the map in the coming months!
|
Question of the Month: "What social issues are you most passionate about and how do you get involved?"
|
Annika Ragsdale, Sacramento Region
A: "In regards to social issues, right now I find myself most concerned with poverty and income inequality in America. I was lucky enough to grow up in a middle class family in the Bay Area, but having moved several times around the state since, I've realized how incredibly privileged my up-bringing was. During my year of AmeriCorps one of the focuses of my volunteering has been to bring free services to lower income communities. Though I know there's so much more to be done, I'm glad my time as a volunteer can still be helpful in little ways."
Annika is a Humboldt State University graduate with a degree in Environmental Science with a focus on energy and climate science. She became interested in the environment growing up in Pleasanton, CA, where she was surrounded by oak forests. She felt a deep attachment to nature that carried with her into adulthood. That same attachment drives her concern about climate change and fossil fuel based energy production.
|
Margot Stert, Bay Area Region
A: "The social issue I'm most passionate about is gender equity in sports, particularly within the sport of ultimate frisbee (yes that's a real thing, I promise). Ultimate is unique because the amount of playing opportunities and media representation has been fairly similar for both men and women, until the recent male-only professional leagues created a gap between genders. To address this disparity, I joined the 2015 All-Star Ultimate Tour, where some of the best college female athletes traveled across the country to play elite women's club teams and to showcase women in the sport. Outside of that, I coach a college women's team and actively promote women in the community."
Margot is from Upland, CA and graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2015 where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a concentration in Geography / Environmental Studies. She intends to further her career in the sustainability field with a focus on renewable energy resources.
|
Kelly Ryan, Southern California Region
A: "A social issue that stands out from all the rest, to me, is discrimination of any kind (race, sexual orientation, gender, etc.). It really uneases me when I hear stories of people being denied anything from basic human rights to the right of just being present somewhere just because of who they are or who they have chosen to be. I try and get involved with this issue by going to various local rallies or education sessions on the subject as well as supporting companies who support equal rights for all."
Kelly is a recent graduate of Santa Clara University with a BS in Environmental Studies. Growing up in Redondo Beach, Kelly's love of the ocean and its changing ecosystems fueled her passion for preserving the environment and promoting sustainable living. She intends to stay within the environmental policy field and help local governments combat climate change and create sustainable solutions to benefit present and future generations.
|
|
|
Alyssa Collins, Sierra Nevada Region
Warm weather, hikes, and barbecues. It is that time of the year. One of the best times of the year in the Sierra is the summer, and there's nothing like going into the start of summer....
Gilian Corral, Bay Area South Region
It's 8:22 AM and the sky is cool and clear. I park my Prius across the street from the GRID Alternatives work site. I'd carefully selected my outfit the night before to maximize comfort and sun protection: jeans I'd be ok ruining, tennis shoes, light cotton long sleeved shirt, movie star-wide sunglasses....
Arya Moalemi, Southern California Region
"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." John Muir is quoted as saying this, or something similar. This quote was found via the Sierra Club, and I would expect that they would have the most accurate variation....
Melanie Chu, 2014-15 Sacramento Region Alum
Around this point last year, I was going through all the contemplative "what ifs" that had been jumbling in my head - a typical existential crisis period for all 20-somethings....
Read these Great Stories and more at http://civicspark.lgc.org/blog. |
|
|
CivicSpark 2016-17 Fellow Recruitment Webinars
CivicSpark is recruiting fellows for the 2016-17 service year! Our second priority deadline is August 15th. Please help us spread the word about the program to anyone who may be interested in applying.
If you'd like to learn more about the program, please join us for our last informational webinar on the CivicSpark Fellowship to gain more information about the program, the recruitment process, and the new CivicSpark Water Action Fellowship!
- Wednesday, August 24 at 12:30 pm PST
|
Are you working on climate change in California? Join us for the 2nd California Adaptation Forum on September 7-8, 2016 in Long Beach!
Registration is now open for the 2nd California Adaptation Forum - the premier convening of leaders, practitioners, and advocates to gather, discuss, debate, and consider how we can most effectively respond to the impacts of climate change. Register by August 12th and receive $50 off regular registration rates!
Scholarships and Full Forum Program Now Available!
In an effort to make the 2nd California Adaptation Forum as diverse and inclusive as possible, scholarships are now being offered to assist attendees in their ability to participate in this exciting and valuable event. Applications are due by August 5, 2016. Click here to check out all the exciting sessions lined up for this year's Forum!
|
|
About CivicSpark
CivicSpark is a statewide Governor's initiative AmeriCorps program implemented by the Local Government Commission in partnership with the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. Eight regional hubs host 48 Fellows across California, building capacity for local government agencies to address climate change. The 2015-16 service year started on Oct. 19th, 2015 and will go through Sept. 2016.
|
|
|
|
|
