Bard’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability are pleased to team up with Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley and Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership to announce the creation of the Community Climate Action (CCA) Scholars Program.
The CCA Program will fund graduate students from Bard to pursue work study opportunities advancing just climate solutions through internships in the Hudson Valley. While enrolled in the first year of their programs, scholars will work on climate solution projects for city agencies or non-profits for 10 hours per week. They will then complete at least a two-month, full-time paid internship on a CCA project in the summer following their first year. There is no cost to the hosting organization for an intern.
“The Hudson Valley is home to cities and towns that are national leaders in reducing global warming pollution at the local level”, said Dr. Eban Goodstein, Director of Bard’s graduate programs in sustainability. “The CCA will attract and deploy talented graduate student support for this work, while providing them hands-on training for careers in local climate action leadership.”
CCA Scholars will be drawn from Bard’s three different graduate programs:
- Policy: The M.S. in Climate Science and Policy or Environmental Policy
- Education: The M.Ed. in Environmental Education
- Business: The MBA in Sustainability
The CCA program moves beyond the standard model of an internship. CCA Scholars will work for their organizations for at least an entire year, with the possibility of a second year of engagement via partnerships around their Master’s Capstone projects. This sustained engagement means both a high level of student contribution to the organization, and an advanced professional development experience for the student.
Bard will work with the Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership (CEE Partnership) to find placements for the students with city agencies and nonprofits. CCA Scholars will receive a stipend for the work, as well as a tuition scholarship.
A key goal of the project is to increase the pipeline of experienced, government-level climate solutions professionals, locally and globally. Bard’s Graduate Programs in Sustainability attract talented students from across the world, and a significant percentage choose to stay, work and live in the Hudson Valley. Matt Stinchcomb, a cofounder and director at Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley, says: “While we must urge the world's leaders to pull the levers of change on a global level, so too must we accelerate local action on the climate crisis. That said, while many local communities have the will, most lack the human resources required to meet this moment. We are pleased to work with and support Bard and the CEE Partnership to help fill that gap.”
Jeff Domanski, Executive Director of the CEE Partnership, is excited by the many symbiotic benefits which will stem from the CCA Scholars Program. “By not only matching early career professionals with resource-limited organizations, but also providing continual project management support along the way, we will ensure that everyone involved will be more knowledgeable and satisfied with the results of the CCA program.” Organizations interested in hosting an intern should send an email to Jeff Domanski at CEE Partnership. Students interested in applying to Bard to become a CCA Scholar should contact GPS Admissions Manager Margo Bogossian.
About Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley:
Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley (PCAHV) provides human, social, and financial capital to ecologically-forward communities in the Hudson Valley who are leading the work to repair our natural systems and tackle the climate crisis. Partners for Climate Action Hudson Valley is a not for profit initiative of the Local Economies Project of The New World Foundation.
About Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability:
The Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability include students, alumni, and faculty working toward a just transition to shared well being on a healthy planet. We change the rules of environmental and climate policy, change the game through sustainable business, and change minds through environmental education. Degrees offered: M.S. in Climate Science and Policy or Environmental Policy / M.Ed. in Environmental Education / MBA in Sustainability, ranked #1 Green MBA by Princeton Review in 2021.
About The Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership:
The Center for Economic and Environmental Partnership was founded in 1996 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization to bridge the gap between economic and environmental
perspectives, and promote evaluation, development, and implementation of policies and programs advancing more sustainable communities. Our work includes helping organizations navigate complex challenges and opportunities, and fostering the next generation of sustainability professionals.
