From September through November, the California Youth Climate Policy (CYCP) Leadership Program’s third cohort continued building confidence, community, and capacity as they dove deeper into the school board policy process. After a strong summer orientation and retreat, students have spent the fall sharpening their advocacy skills through three topical workshops designed to help them move from ideas to action.
September Workshop: Coalition Building & Intro to Policy Actions
Cohort 3 began the fall by exploring how to build meaningful coalitions and how school board policies work. Students mapped out their networks, refined their campaign focus areas, and identified potential allies, from peers and trusted teachers to local community organizations.
Alumni guest speakers at the September Workshop
Students also heard from CYCP alumni guest speakers Matilda Meyer, Kareem Hosan, and Ananya Gupta, who shared how they approached coalition building during their campaigns. They shared many words of wisdom and Ananya emphasized the power of student voice, reminding youth to reinforce their lived experience: “You can say: we are students here; we talk to other students; we know what our student body wants. This is bottom-up leadership, and people respond to that.”
Student takeaways highlighted how grounding coalitions in trusted relationships builds momentum: “A key takeaway I had was the value of starting to network with people you already have a good relationship with. From here, you can reach out through their connections and have a solid foundation for a coalition.”
October Workshop: Presenting to School Boards + Campaign Metrics
In October, students learned what makes an effective school board presentation and how to measure progress in their campaigns. Guest speakers Katinka Lennemann and Tarun Rajesh shared practical insights from their own experiences advocating before school boards.
Katinka walked students through the early stages of outreach and how to earn support from key district leaders, while Tarun offered guidance on communication, follow-through, and navigating nerves during board presentations.
Students especially appreciated the candidness of the conversation: “It was nice to know I’m not the only one who struggles with getting emails back. Hearing how alumni approached communication was so helpful.”
Student leaders, mentors, and facilitators closing out the October Workshop.
November Workshop: Presentation Prep, Peer Review & Board Support
By November, Cohort 3 was ready to begin preparing for their formal presentations. Students gathered to refine their campaign slides, receive peer feedback on their policy drafts, and practice communicating their key messages clearly and confidently.
Breakout groups offered space for collaboration, encouragement, and mutual support through peer review. Many students noted how inspiring it was to learn from peers who are at different points in the advocacy process: “I loved talking to other youth about the actions we’re taking, and the guest speakers were so inspiring. My takeaway was that bold and consistent communication is important, but doing so as a partner, not an adversary, builds stronger relationships.”
Program Momentum: What’s Ahead
Cohort 3 Program Timeline
This fall, Cohort 3 showed remarkable growth in leadership, communication, and policy readiness. Many students are already engaging with district leaders and drafting their first school board resolutions and presentations, with some scheduled to present as early as December.
As the program moves into the final stages, students will continue preparing for public comments, refining policy proposals, and scheduling their board presentations into late December and January. With strong mentorship, peer support, and a foundation of practical knowledge, Cohort 3 is well on its way to driving meaningful climate action across California high schools. Student leaders have one more workshop in December before they graduate from the program in January.
The CYCP team is incredibly proud of their progress so far and is excited to see how the student leaders’ campaigns evolve in the months ahead!
