Engaging Community with Environmental Justice Programs
Overview
In the Bay Area, as throughout the world, under-resourced communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts. Since 2016, CRC has been on the ground, learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, and Belle Haven (Menlo Park). CRC’s outreach cultivates environmental awareness while giving residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs, and community-based organizations and implementing direct interventions, this work creates resilience against climate-related stresses.
At Climate Resilient Communities, we have a clear vision of a future where under-resourced communities are empowered to take action to stay safe in the face of climate change impacts. We seek to advocate for community-driven strategies and priorities, increase collaborative efforts with cities and community leaders, engage communities directly in climate change planning, secure financial support to implement community-based solutions that provide opportunities for residents, and mainstream climate change curricula in schools and youth programs.
Through this fellowship, you will be part of an exciting and growing organization and have the unique opportunity to meet and learn from experienced community leaders. You will directly contribute to building climate resilience in a way that empowers low-income residents and brings the material changes a just world requires.
About the Fellowship
At CRC, we have the Resilient Homes, Resilient Education, Resilient Adaptation, Resilient Readiness, and Resilient Leadership sectors. This summer, Resilient Homes are looking to host afellow, but involvement with all sectors is possible and up to the discretion of the Stanford student!
Resilient Homes:
Since 2016, CRC has been working with Grid Alternatives, Habitat for Humanity, El Concilio of San Mateo County, Rebuilding Together, and other organizations to enroll eligible low-income homeowners in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City in free solar, home repair, and weatherization programs. The program helps residents navigate the many service options available to them and the differing and complex application processes that some of these services require. Through the Resilient Homes program, CRC seeks to bridge the gap between existing resources and those most in need.
This fellow will assist the Resilient Homes Program Manager in overseeing and supervising construction activities across multiple residential sites. In addition to providing on-site support for construction projects, the Fellow will also contribute to administrative tasks, including contacting residents, scheduling, and coordinating services with both residents and the contracting team.
Preferred qualifications:
- A passion and commitment to environmental justice and community-based work
- Willingness to actively listen to community priorities
- Excellent organizational skills, ideally including experience in planning events
- Strong writing and communication skills
- Demonstrated experience in communicating with diverse audiences; excellent human relations skills
- Has access to a personal vehicle for transportation
- Student aged 20+
- Comfortable working at a construction site
Stipend
Undergraduate Cardinal Quarter Fellows receive a base stipend of $8,000 (which includes a $500 cost of living adjustment for the Bay Area) to support living expenses during the 10-week fellowship. Financial aid and supplemental funding ($1,000-$1,500 additional) may be available to students who qualify (learn more here).
Please note that students can apply for no more than three different PCJ fellowship opportunities during a single application round.
This is a full-time (35-40 hours/week), 10-week opportunity during Summer 2025, starting no later than July 7, 2025. All fellows are required to work with their community partners for ten consecutive weeks.
Undergraduates all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities.
Graduating seniors are only eligible to apply during Round 2 (early April) if funding is available and positions are still open. Please note graduating seniors are not eligible for financial aid supplemental funding. Please review our program policies for complete eligibility requirements.
In order to be eligible for a Haas Center-sponsored Cardinal Quarter summer opportunity, undergraduate students are required to be enrolled in both the winter and spring quarters.
Students are required to be in good academic standing. The requirements for good academic standing include: 1) Earn at least 9 units of credit in a single quarter. 2) Earn at least 36 units over the most recent three quarters 3) Maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above.
Additional Fellowship Requirements
This opportunity is associated with Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area (PCJ in the Bay), an initiative to build equitable climate change solutions by supporting partnerships between Stanford students, faculty and Bay Area community leaders. Fellows will be a part of a cohort of other PCJ in the Bay summer fellows placed at sites across the Bay Area.
Additional requirements include
Spring 2025:
- Complete an online program orientation.
- Participate in an in-person Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service workshop at the Haas Center.
- Identify and meet with an academic mentor (Stanford faculty or staff) at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan and share the learning plan with your site supervisor and academic mentor.
- Complete all required pre-orientation forms.
- Attend the spring retreat with cohort peers (date TBD).
Summer 2025:
- Complete a pre-program assessment survey.
- Attend all PCJ in the Bay Fellows cohort activities (more information will be shared about these events in spring quarter).
- Submit a final report documenting your work and reflecting on your learning.
- Correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
- Complete a post-program assessment survey.
Fall 2025:
- Meet with your academic mentor to discuss your fellowship experience at least once.
- Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program.
Frequently Asked Questions for PCJ Summer 2025 Fellowships
Selection Process
Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by the host organizations staff with the intention to award fellowships prior to spring break. Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.
