Youth Education & Climate Equity Fellowship with Acterra, Summer 2026
About Acterra
Acterra is driven by the opportunity to learn and grow together, while achieving high impact through fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions. We harness the individual strengths within our staff and our network to foster a leader-full organization. Our team members are high performers and high collaborators. We encourage creativity and failing forward.
Position Overview and Responsibilities
This position will support Acterra’s Education and Youth Engagement Programs, including the Student Ambassador Program (ASAP) and school-based transportation initiatives such as East San José Bike to School. The Program Coordinator will assist with planning and delivering educational programming, supporting youth leadership development, and coordinating with schools and community partners to advance safe, accessible, and climate-forward learning opportunities.
The Program Coordinator will work closely with Acterra’s education staff and contribute to outreach, logistics, and program implementation efforts that support environmental education, student leadership, and safe routes to school.
The Education Program Coordinator will work with the education team and program staff and will focus on the following responsibilities:
- Support coordination and delivery of youth education programming, including ASAP and school-based transportation initiatives
- Ability to be in person and have access to reliable transportation
- Assist with mentoring and supporting high school students participating in leadership and environmental education programs
- Support the development of Bike to School safety routes, including coordinating with schools, families, and community partners
- Assist with outreach and relationship-building with schools, educators, and partner organizations
- Track student participation, attendance, and assigned activities across programs
- Support logistics and facilitation of virtual and in-person meetings, workshops, and events
- Send reminders and program communications to students and partners
- Attend weekly check-in meetings with Acterra staff
- Support in-person education and Bike to School events, including event set-up, coordination, and on-the-ground support
- Assist with periodic data tracking and reporting to demonstrate program reach and impact
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Serve as a thought partner to education staff by sharing ideas and feedback to improve program effectiveness and accessibility
Desired Qualifications
- Strong written and oral communication skills in English, including drafting emails or texts and communicating clearly with students, families, and partners
- Strong people skills, including empathy, active listening, and the ability to support and engage youth and community members
- Organizational skills, including scheduling meetings, managing calendars, and tracking tasks or participation
- Basic meeting facilitation skills, including the ability to follow an agenda and support group discussions
- Cultural competency and the ability to interact respectfully with individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds
- Interest in environmental education, youth leadership, climate justice, or sustainable transportation
- Comfort working in both virtual and in-person settings, including evenings and weekends
- Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar)
Inclusiveness
Acterra strives to ensure that the organization is welcoming and inclusive. Acterra is an equal opportunity employer that supports and lives diversity in our staffing and values. Acterra does not discriminate as to gender, race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, social background, disability, pregnancy, marital status, political affiliation, or age.
Acterra strives to include persons from traditionally under-represented groups and complies with all applicable national and local laws pertaining to non- discrimination and equal opportunity. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women; people of color; immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming communities.
Acterra complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. More than 50% of our current funding for programming currently supports Low Income or Disadvantaged Communities as defined by CalEnviroScreen. Serving diverse communities is a key principle for Acterra as we develop and grow programming.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions for PCJ Summer 2026 Fellowships
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.
