Environmental Justice Engagement Fellowship with Climate Resilient Communities, Summer 2026
Overview
In the Bay Area, as throughout the world, under-resourced communities are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change impacts. Since 2016, Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) has been on the ground, learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced communities in San Mateo County (East Palo Alto, North Fair Oaks, Belle Haven (Menlo Park), San Bruno, South San Francisco) and Santa Clara County (in the neighborhoods of Eastside San Jose and Alviso in San Jose). CRC’s outreach and community engagement 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 Education and Resilient Homes are looking to host fellows, but involvement with all sectors is possible and up to the discretion of the Stanford student!
Resilient Education:
This fellow will assist with CRC’s Youth Climate Collective (YCC) program for summer 2026! This will be the program's fourth year, and the YCC cohort will include ~30 high school students attending weekly weekend workshops for 10 weeks. Each workshop introduces students to climate change-related issues, jobs in those fields, and strategies to extend their learnings into the real world.
Our intern would help us support the YCC students with curriculum development, event planning, and workshop fulfillment throughout the summer in places like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Marine Science Institute, and the San Francisco Opera House.
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
- Speaks fluent or conversational Spanish
Program Details
PCJ in the Bay fellowships are Cardinal Quarter opportunities through the Haas Center for Public Service. This is a full-time (35-40 hours/week), 10-week opportunity during Summer 2026, starting no later than July 6, 2026. Doctoral students with a 50% summer assistantship may be eligible to work part-time (16 hours/week). All fellows are required to work with their community partners for ten consecutive weeks.
Please note that students can apply for no more than three different PCJ fellowship opportunities during a single application round.
Eligibility & Requirements
Please review our program policies for complete eligibility requirements.
Undergraduates of all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities.
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. Graduate level students must be enrolled at least in spring quarter.
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 2026:
- Complete a pre-program assessment survey.
- Attend the spring retreat with cohort peers (date TBD).
- Complete an online program orientation.
- Participate in an in-person Principles of 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.
Summer 2026:
- 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 a reflection on your learning.
- Correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
- Complete a post-program assessment survey.
Fall 2026:
- 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.
Stipend Information
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).
Students in a 2-year Masters program will receive a stipend of $9,500. Students who have begun their coterm programs (i.e., paying graduate tuition) will also receive a stipend of $9,500. Doctoral students on a 50% assistantship can work up to 16 hours/week and will receive up to $4,500 for a part-time fellowship. Doctoral students without a summer assistantship can work full-time and will receive a stipend of $11,000.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions for PCJ Summer 2026 Fellowships
