About
Our Program
ClimAcademy is an online classroom designed to support individuals in their journey as climate activists. Bringing together aspiring activists from around the world, ClimAcademy has created an international community of activists who have the opportunity to learn and grow their climate knowledge and leadership abilities.
Within each course, there will be educational videos, lecture slides that Envoys will go through at their own pace, classroom conversation on our discussion forum, and guided quizzes and assignments that will grow their knowledge of climate change and test their understanding.
Envoys will be guided through the course by our capable instructors, each with years of experience in climate advocacy and capacity building. Upon completion, envoys will receive a certificate of accomplishment that states their proficiency.
Climate Envoy to Climate Ambassador
In this program, we will refer to our “students” as Climate Envoys. An Envoy is someone that is sent before a diplomat to gather information and speak on their behalf. Under the system of diplomatic ranks established by the Congress of Vienna (1815), an envoy was a diplomat of the second class who had full authority to represent the government.
As Climate Envoys, you will each be sent into your communities to gather information about the needs. Throughout the courses, there will be discussion questions and assignments that invite you to research specific issues in your community, speak with neighbors and community leaders, and report on what you learn.
Climate Ambassadors will then execute their project in their own communities, to adapt or mitigate climate change locally.
The Path from Climate Envoy to Climate Ambassador!
Climate Envoys will be taken on a journey throughout their enrollment at ClimAcademy, in order to hone their knowledge about the issues and opportunities of Climate Change, and develop skills in leadership and project management.
In Course 1: Understanding the Baseline, Envoys will learn hundreds of terms related to climate change, and the science of greenhouse gasses. They will learn about the impact it is having, and what they can do.
In Course 2: Developing a Sustainable Economy, Envoys will compare the linear economy to a circular economy, take a close look at who is most impacted by the existing system, and investigate three case studies that can be used to create a new economy that better protects and serves all members of society.
In Course 3: Becoming an Effective Actor, it ramps up by creating a complete project plan throughout the course, with special guidance from mentors, and peer-to-peer feedback. Each envoy will build out a plan to meet the needs of their own community.
By the end of the third course of ClimAcademy, graduates will be ready to implement their project plans. Graduates of Course 3 will have the opportunity to become a Climate Ambassador, another program sponsored by Care About Climate. Climate Ambassadors will receive one-on-one mentorship and support to launch their project in their own communities.
Finally, Ambassadors will return for Course 4: Assessing Success, where we will look at different metrics gathered during their ambassadorship, close feedback loops, and look at how to scale the project to accelerate climate action!
ClimAcademy emphasizes skill development - teaching Climate Envoys skills that are applicable beyond climate advocacy, but also serve as professional development and personal enrichment. No matter where you are on your journey as a climate activist - whether you are just getting started or have been involved in the movement for years - ClimAcademy will support and challenge you towards more just and sustainable activism!
Our Students Success
Our Climate Envoys have gone on to create sustainability departments at their companies, lobby for divestment from fossil fuels, become regional leaders in climate advocacy organizations and champion community waste management efforts.
Envoys who continued on to be Climate Ambassadors executed projects in local communities to offer lectures on climate change, advocate for peace, and attend United Nations and academic conferences to present on their work.
Abdul, Pakistan, organized a beach clean up with classmates from the University of Karachi
Daniel, Tanzania, applied what he learned to his Eco-Tourism Business, where visitors to Mt. Kilimanjaro plant trees and tour the flora and fauna of the area.
Christopher, Nigeria, hosts an awareness day on the UN Sustainable Development Goals at Federal University of Technology - Akure campus
Our students come from around the world! Explore where our first Cohort came from below!
Our History
ClimAcademy was born out of the Online Youth Exchange (OYE), a climate education program based in partnership with the China Youth Climate Action Network (CYCAN) and Sierra Student Coalition. For four years, OYE ran webinars and mentored students from around the world. In 2019 alone, OYE reached 90 participants from 35 countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Nigeria & Madagascar. By the end of the mentorship program, participants made a new friend or two, presented a webinar on an issue of their choosing, and developed a project plan that they could execute in their own communities. Projects range from reforestation to beach clean ups to public awareness activities. From the founding of the program, there had been dreams of expanding the scope of the program to reach more students and provide a more tailored curriculum.
In January of 2019, Sarah Voska and Alvaro Alfaro began actualizing this vision. The two met to hash out an outline for the program’s expansion. After weeks of conversation with one another and other members of the Care About Climate Team, the two spent a weekend hard at work to craft the bones for what is today known as ClimAcademy - a massive open online course (MOOC) that provides an opportunity for more accessible and expansive climate education. Over the course of the next two years, they worked with subject matter experts and curriculum developers to craft a curated lesson plan that focused on professional development, intercultural communication, climate science, and leadership capabilities.