Vital Communities and Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup Invite Applicants for New Climate Change Leadership Academy

 Vital Communities and the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup invite community members to apply for the first ever Upper Valley Climate Change Leadership Academy. The six Academy meetings between October 2019 and April 2020 will include expert presentations, group discussions, and collaborative work sessions on the topic of climate change. Academy participants will also develop and launch climate-change service projects in their communities.

Interested community members can apply online before September 15 at vitalcommunities.org/adaptation. Applicants do not need prior knowledge about climate change to participate. There is no fee to apply. Once selected, participants will pay a $30 enrollment fee to cover the entire six-month session; scholarships are available.

“A lot of people want to do something about climate change, but it can be hard to figure out what,” says Erich Osterberg, associate professor of earth sciences at Dartmouth College and a member of the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup. The new academy will offer participants practical ways to turn that desire into action, he says.

The Upper Valley Climate Change Leadership Academy will meet the second Wednesday evening of each month (except December) in Lebanon. Participants are expected to attend all six meetings and must attend at least five to graduate. The Academy wraps up in April with a public presentation of participants’ projects, which may include art, public education, community workdays, and any other activity that generates positive community impact related to climate change.

“The Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup has hosted semiannual forums for years, recently with support from Vital Communities,” says Sarah Brock, energy program manager at Vital Communities. “We’re excited to try this new approach that will help people take their concern for climate resilience and turn it into strong climate leadership for their communities and the Upper Valley.”

Details and a brief application are available at vitalcommunities.org/adaptation.