by Madison Fragnito
The NC Climate Ambassadors Program is a free two-day training program that provides you the opportunity to learn about the latest impacts of climate change on North Carolina communities, and which solutions are available to you right now to make a difference.
Whether you are an individual interested in accessible everyday actions, a group looking for action-strategies that align with your goals, or a business seeking environmental advocacy training for employees, the Climate Ambassador Training will provide the tools and support you need to become an effective change maker.
North Carolina Climate Ambassadors are a diverse community of 110 North Carolinians from various backgrounds all seeking to build community and achieve sustained climate action and solutions. Our ambassadors include physicians, architects, teachers, clergy, students, professors, nonprofit leaders, government leaders, corporate sustainability directors, and community members. They can include you, too!
This training is open to everybody! You do not have to have any environmental action or advocacy experience or training to become an ambassador. Our training is designed to be engaging and educational for both beginning advocates and experienced environmental leaders. The range of ambassadors’ experiences and interest areas are what makes our ambassador network dynamic and productive. In your training session and local network you may meet high school and college students, neighbors, educators, business owners, and individual activists. The more connections you have, the better you can build relationships and sustain community action.
North Carolina-Focused
The NC Climate Ambassadors program focuses on the impacts of climate change on North Carolina environments and communities. We take a holistic perspective on climate impacts that includes education, advocacy, and environmental justice.
You will receive an overview of past climate disasters and successful action in North Carolina as well as detailed updates on what is currently happening in the state. The training is regularly updated to promote opportunities to act and advocate for solutions at the individual, work, congregation, or policy level on the most current issues. There is a spectrum of advocacy opportunities and this training will help you find where your action goals can be best engaged!
Community
This training program stands out for its strength and resiliency through community. After becoming a certified NC Climate Ambassador, you are entered into an online network of all climate ambassadors across the state. Ambassadors are working on a wide range of climate action initiatives on the individual, local, and state levels. The network includes an action-sharing platform that allows you to create a profile, provide project status updates, and browse a dashboard of local and state events, projects, and strategies other ambassadors are engaged in. In addition to the social sharing platform, you will be connected to a monthly newsletter updating you on the latest climate news in North Carolina, upcoming action events with CleanAIRE NC, new outreach resources, and an invitation to our monthly ambassadors’ meeting!
The Climate Ambassadors monthly meeting is a great opportunity to talk about your accomplishments, learn from others, gather resources, network, and gain climate action momentum! Keeping up with your action goals can be intimidating, but with the strength and encouragement of the ambassador’s community, you are given all the tools and encouragement to take the next step.
Rachel Woods is a co-founder of Clean Air Holly Spring, an advocacy group which aims to promote a healthy breathing environment for their local community. Their team is composed of youth, community members, and educators all passionate about communicating the necessity for clean air and encouraging local action. Their initiatives include an idling reduction campaign, community outreach events, and hosting an air monitoring study!
Rachel became a Climate Ambassador in 2021 to strengthen her advocacy and engagement efforts. She recalls, “We relied on resources from CleanAIRE NC to get us started. You are in the game, working locally, with marginalized peoples, communities, and in the General Assembly. You have a little bit going on everywhere and we are grateful for an organization like that. The resources you have provided us will only enhance the work we do locally and support us.”
All you have to do is sign-up!
Our next live Climate Ambassador training will be held online on March 23 – 24, 2022 from 4:00 – 5:30 pm. An optional Q&A discussion will be held 5:30 – 6:00 pm each day.
