Deadline to apply: May 1st
The key ingredient in successful projects is an effective and persistent local champion. The Climate Catalysts Leadership Program supports the power of individuals and their communities to achieve transformational climate economy progress.
Facing the climate challenge means mobilizing at all levels of experience of organization and leadership. Strong and inspirational leaders are the catalyst or “spark” in what helps unify collective action. Hundreds of large and small communities in Vermont have initiated unique and successful local actions while facing the realities of climate change.
The Climate Catalysts Leadership Program is a 6-month experience that provides new and emerging leaders with opportunities to build peer connections, strengthen leadership skills and receive project development support. Since the program’s inception in 2020, nearly 75 Vermonters have participated in this program sparking innovative projects in their hometowns and beyond.
See bios and project descriptions from each group here and in the interactive map:
VCRD opens applications for the program annually. Read on for more details about applying and what’s involved:
Applicants will have leadership experience ranging from leading projects in their communities to no experience at all. Although candidates will have an individual project or inspiration for a project, the ability to work with a group is more important than level of experience.
An applicant’s idea and/or project may be as a community volunteer, part of paid work, or something they are doing as an elected town committee member. Previous Climate Catalysts have included college students, retirees, planning commissioners, farmers, town energy/climate committee members, teachers and more. Interested participants may also choose to focus on a group project. The program is open to high school aged students and up.
Participants are expected to commit time and dedication to their project and the group’s goals and are required to participate in gatherings. The group will meet monthly in person and several times on Zoom over a period of seven months. In addition there is opportunity to meet one-on-one with VCRD staff for individual project support. Here is the 2025 schedule of meetings. Visit this link for a sample curriculum. The in-person meetings will be held in locations across the state, based on distribution of participants:
Participants should be interested in developing a climate project or building upon a climate project in progress that is both ambitious and achievable. Group projects are possible if those fit the needs of your interests.
Possible projects could include a neighborhood weatherization campaign, a community solar project, energy improvements at a school or municipal building, switching gas vehicles/mowers/heating systems to electric, plans for a climate resilient downtown, starting an energy committee, developing an energy action plan, hosting an e-bike or tool lending library, promoting alternative modes of transportation such as biking/walking/carpool/public transportation, modern wood heating projects, hosting a series of workshops, increasing local food production or whatever else participants imagine that increases community vitality and/or prosperity in the face of climate change.
There is no cost to participate in the Climate Catalysts Leadership Program thanks to generous grant funding. VCRD works to make our programs accessible and meet individuals’ needs in order to participate. We offer stipends starting at $200 with the possibility for additional support based on individual circumstance. Participants should indicate their interest in a stipend on the application, and VCRD staff will work with them to distribute the funds if they are selected to participate.
We accept applications through an online google form. The application is intended to be relatively simple. An informal writing style and/or the use of bullet points is fine. To request reasonable accommodations in filling out the form or for alternative formats (such as a hardcopy or pdf form, video, audio, or other format), please reach out to program manager Laura Cavin Bailey by email at [email protected] or phone/text at 802-234-1646. Video Phone and relay calls are welcome.
VCRD seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for participation in our programs and events whenever possible. We offer stipends to support the ability to participate, in-person gatherings are located in ADA-accessible spaces and our Zoom gatherings have captioning enabled. In the application there is room for sharing information about any additional accommodations that would enable participation.
For more Information
Reach out to Laura Cavin Bailey, Climate Economy Program Manager, at [email protected] or phone/text at 802-234-1646.