New Climate Corps club empowers youth action
Climate Corps started as a summer program, dedicated to educating people about the climate and has recently created a new club. Students are invited to join the club - ages 15 to 21 - at 237 Hill Street, Santa Monica.
Addy Fiore/The Samohi
The club had its kickoff meeting on Feb. 7, which consisted of meaningful group discussions, snacks and community building. Surrounding the building was colorful signs, focused on promoting activism in the climate, how to be more eco-friendly to the environment and previous projects from their program.
The club is an offshoot of a pre-existing Climate Corps program, hosted by Climate Action Santa Monica (CASM). Climate Corps was a summer program that started in 2016 to get younger people in the community engaged in climate activism. Participants would have to go through an application process to get admitted, however, this new club is open to all. This club was designed to run throughout the school year and is a new model to bring in more student leadership for action they want to see happen.
The club had its kickoff meeting on Feb. 7, which consisted of meaningful group discussions, snacks and community building. Kate Davies (’25), a student at Samo who is actively involved in climate action, touched on her reasons for joining the club.
“I care a lot about the environment and I want to have an impact. This seemed like a really good way to meet people who are very interested in the environment and build that community and help,” Davies said.
According to science, radical changes must be made by 2030 to reverse the damage done to the climate. This year, the club’s focus is on promoting sustainable commutes to school and trying to get big energy users to switch to greener practices. Brooklyn Duncans (’24), who graduated from Samo and is now a student at Santa Monica College (SMC), explained why she’s so passionate about the climate and the Climate Corps Club.
“I decided to join this club because I wanted to help the Santa Monica community get more involved in helping the climate,” Duncans said. “I want to encourage more carpooling because I love carpooling!”
CASM Climate Corps collaborates on projects involving efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the changing climate. Makeda Bullock Floyd, who graduated from Samo in 2018, is the program lead and explained some of her overall goals for the club.
“We’re creating a community and there’s so many spheres of community and the more that we can connect the better. It’s not a competition between us and the clubs at Samo, if anything it’s collaboration, let’s connect these little pockets and get more done and have fun doing it,” Bullock Floyd said. “It’s not just about the club itself, it’s about creating a network of community.”
Floyd also expanded on what sets Climate Corps apart from other environmental clubs.
“One thing that sets us apart is just the very nature that it is open to students from any high school or college in the area. At our kickoff, we had students from about five different high schools and one college student. There were lots of different schools represented and just the ability to network across a larger community is really great,” Floyd said.
The club has a specific niche in advocacy. Currently, a few members are planning to weigh in at the city’s next budget meeting, which occurs twice a year. These budget meetings help shape the city’s spending in the years to come.
“It’s a big opportunity for us to say that climate is a big priority to us, to the community. I think it’s great for young people to have that experience, I know I would’ve loved to have that experience,” Bullock Floyd said.