Student Environmental Activist Training

Student Environmental Activist Training (SEAT)

Protect the Planet • Build Leadership Skills • Make New Connections

Sacramento Area Gen Z: Rising to the Climate Challenge

✅ Middle School

✅ High School

✅ College (Undergraduate)

Learn how to be a leader in the fight against climate change!

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Program Benefits

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Protect the Planet

Learn how to make an impact in the environmental justice movement.

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Build Leadership Skills

Add valuable skills and experience to your college & job applications.

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Make New Friends

Meet other like-minded students and mentors in a safe space.

2023 Session Information

Summer 2023

Free 8-Week Program

June 26th – August 17th

Mon. & Thurs.

4:00 to 5:30 PM

Fall 2023

Free 8-Week Program

September 13th – November 4th

Wed. 5:00 to 6:30pm

Sat. 3:00 to 4:30pm

Guest speaker information coming soon!

What is the Student Environmental Activist Training Program?

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The Student Environmental Activist Training (SEAT) is a free program open to middle, high school, and college students in the Sacramento area.

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SEAT consists of a 10-unit curriculum designed and is offered by 350 Sacramento, a local, grassroots environmental non-profit.

Program Goals

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Goal #1

Education & Training

Provide education and training around key civic, leadership, social justice, activist, and community organizing skills and concepts that aren’t traditionally covered in schools.

 

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Goal #2

Connection & Support

Create a support network for students to create and collaborate across environmental, climate, and social justice clubs at their schools.

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Goal #3
Leadership Opportunities

Connect students to volunteer opportunities, workforce development programs, and exposure to local groups working to advance environmental, climate, or social justice. Students will have a chance to hear from guest speakers including other nonprofits, community and social justice advocates and organizations, and green workforce development programs in the Sacramento area.

In the past, 350 Sacramento has hosted an in-person Youth Camp For Climate Action over the summer to connect students with a shared interest in learning about environmental activism across Sacramento. We hope this program can provide students an opportunity to learn and connect with one another, and go on to create activities in their own communities.

How does the SEAT program work?

Each unit consists of 2 educational modules, with varying formats including presentations, discussions, and workshops. This program doesn't require homework. We just ask for active participation - this is an interactive learning space to empower, not overburden.

Each unit also includes 1 community module, with varying formats including community-building activities, guest speakers from our partner organizations, networking spaces, and local events.

The SEAT program is offered as both an after-school program and a summer program. The frequency and structure of modules may vary with each full session (10 units) of the program.

Check out the Sample Curriculum
An example curriculum for 350 Sacramento's 10-unit Student Environmental Activist Training program
UnitEducational Module AEducational Module BCommunity Module
1: Baseline, introductions and climate change1A. Introductions, housekeeping and communal expectations, science of climate change1B. Social/political drivers of climate change, introduction to environmental justice1C. Ice breaker activity
2: Environmental and social justice concepts2A. Environmental justice as it relates to waste, pollution, extractive economic model2B. Sustainability, energy, reciprocity, the history of environmentalism, equity and anti-oppression2C. Creating anti-oppressive spaces
3: Approaches to change3A. Frames of individual action and collective action3B. Local agencies, utilities, and opportunities to affect local change3C. Guest speaker: Resources for Independent Living (RIL) - The social model of disability
4: Local political processes4A. City government processes and methods of engagement4B. County government processes and methods of engagement4C. Guest speaker: Social Justice PolitiCorps (SJPC) - Crowdsourcing local politics
5: Civic skills5A. News and media literacy5B. Public comment, office visits, and engaging with elected officials5C. Guest speaker: GRID Alternatives - Solar workforce development
6: Activist skills6A. Power mapping, community building, and equitable base building6B. Facilitation, effective communication, clarity, structure, and security culture6C. Club recruitment and networking workshop
7: Building a movement, not a moment7A. Burnout, information overload, and sustainable organizing7B. Transparency, democratic leadership, and shared decision making7C. Developing a club constitution workshop
8: Campaigns8A. Goal setting, campaign development, targeting focus8B. Event planning, long term strategy, evaluating success8C. Documentary screening
9: Engaging the public9A. Storytelling, sharing experiences, and creating a narrative9B. Social media and online activism9C. Guest speaker: Sunrise Movement Sacramento - Accessible graphic design for organizing
10: Press, brand, and perception10A. Engaging with journalism10B. Media pressure tactics and strategies10C. Celebratory event

Hear from a Program Coordinator and one of our SEAT graduates!

We gave a presentation about SEAT to the Sac Youth Commission!

Learn more and share!

To learn more about the Student Environmental Activist Training (SEAT) program, please fill out the interest form or contact Katie McCammon.

Our Partner Organizations

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GRID Alternatives:
GRID is a leading voice in low-income solar policy and the nation’s largest nonprofit solar installer, having trained over 44,000 participants in solar installation and serving families throughout California, Colorado, the Mid-Atlantic region, and tribal communities nationwide. https://gridalternatives.org/

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Sunrise Movement Sacramento:
A youth-led group of environmental activists in association with the national Sunrise Movement. https://sites.google.com/view/sacsunrise/home

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Fridays For Future Sacramento:
A group of young environmental activists founded in the spirit of the international Fridays For Future movement. https://fridaysforfuturesac.org/ 

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Resources for Independent Living:
Promotes the socio-economic independence of persons with disabilities by providing peer-supported, consumer-directed independent living services and advocacy. https://www.ril-sacramento.org/

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Social Justice PolitiCorps Sacramento:
Crowdsourcing politics, a collection of social justice advocates and organizations that track, report on, and mobilize around local government happenings. https://www.socialjusticesac.org/

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Showing Up For Racial Justice Sacramento:
SURJ Sacramento mobilizes white people to show up in solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led movements in Sacramento in ways that are helpful to those movements. https://surjsacramento.org/