The California Youth Climate Policy (CYCP) Leadership Program launched its inaugural cohort in 2023, followed by a second in 2024. Both cohorts created transformative opportunities for students to engage in climate policy work and helped the program evolve by incorporating student feedback. Together, these first two years established a strong foundation for empowering youth to lead climate action in their schools and communities.Ten Strands, in partnership with UndauntedK12 and the Sierra Club, is proud to announce the launch of the third CYCP cohort.
Introducing Cohort 3
This new group of youth climate leaders reflects the program’s ongoing commitment to fostering student leadership in climate advocacy and policy. Building on the momentum of the first two years, Cohort 3 brings together a diverse and motivated group of students ready to take action.
Cohort Breakdown and Insights
The selection process for Cohort 3 was highly competitive, underscoring the dedication of California’s youth to advancing climate solutions. This year, the program welcomed about sixty students from across the state, representing a wide range of grade levels, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and school types. Their passion, perspectives, and potential will help shape the next wave of youth-driven climate leadership in California.
Cohort 3 Accepted Applicants
The cohort showcases strong geographical diversity, with youth climate leaders representing ten of the eleven California County Superintendents’ Service Regions, spanning across forty-one school districts and sixteen counties.
In addition to geographical diversity, the third cohort of the CYCP Leadership Program embodies a rich tapestry of backgrounds, experiences, and personal narratives. The cohort is composed of about four freshmen, eleven sophomores, sixteen juniors, and thirty-one seniors, each bringing unique perspectives to the table. Among the student leaders, about 59 percent of students identify as a person of color, reflecting the program’s commitment to inclusivity. While the majority of participants attend conventional public schools (about 81 percent), the cohort also includes about 8 percent of youth leaders from public charter schools and about 11 percent of students enrolled in private education, further enriching the diversity of educational experiences within the group.
Cohort 3 Racial Demographics
Cohort 3 Accepted Students School Type
This diversity enriches the cohort’s collective perspective on climate issues, ensuring a wide range of experiences and insights that will fuel their policy initiatives and advocacy efforts.
Mentorship and Support
Mentorship is a cornerstone of the CYCP Leadership Program, providing essential guidance as students navigate their advocacy campaigns. As with the first and second cohort, the Sierra Club continued to play a pivotal role in recruiting a team of skillful mentors who are dedicated to supporting the new cohort. These mentors bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise in climate policy, advocacy, leadership, and navigating the formal education system, and they have already begun to provide invaluable support as the students begin their CYCP journey. The mentor role is crucial in helping youth leaders refine strategies as they develop and implement their projects, reflect on their growth as leaders, and achieve their goals. This year, 52 percent of mentors returned to the program and are mentoring for a second or third time; 24 percent mentors are program alumni and 24 percent are new to the program.
Highlights from the CYCP Orientation and Retreat
In July, CYCP facilitators launched the program’s opening retreat with a new format. In previous years, the retreat spanned two full days; this year, facilitators began with an orientation to help students connect, meet mentors and interns, and learn the structure of the program before diving into knowledge-building sessions. After orientation, students reconvened later in July and August for immersive retreats focused on climate policy and advocacy. Through interactive activities, including ecological simulations, CalEnviroScreen data analysis, and systems thinking exercises, students strengthened their understanding of the climate crisis and practiced tools to engage their peers and communities.
The retreat also centered on emotional resilience and community building. Students explored their personal connections to climate issues through nature-based reflections and the Climate Ribbon exercise, sharing grief, anger, and hope about the crisis. These conversations created space for solidarity and optimism, reminding participants they are not alone. As one student reflected, “I felt really comfortable with everyone in the breakout rooms and the subjects we were talking about. I usually don’t have a space to share my feelings about our planet and the future fully, and I really appreciated the time I spent in them to connect with others and understand their feelings as well.”
The retreat culminated in a panel of alumni from Cohorts 1 and 2, who shared their experiences and insights from running climate advocacy campaigns. Their stories of triumphs and challenges provided valuable lessons for the new cohort. Addie Luong, Cohort 2 alumnus, urged students to “Be open minded to the new connections that you’ll make. I remember giving my public comment and at the end of the board meeting, all the board members were reacting to the things that my coalition said in our public comments, and they were making connections to their own lives. It was just really cool to see how everyone has their small little connections to the environment and to climate change. They just don’t talk about it until someone brings it up. I think you can truly bring out the best in your community and bring so many people together if you just voice what it is you care about. Don’t be afraid, because you’re doing amazing things. I’m excited for all of you.”
From left to right: Kieran Beckham, Ava Litz, Jerry Yang, and Addie Luong
Cohort 3 students and mentors found the panel particularly inspiring, with one noting, “I LOVE that you brought in previous CYCP alumni as speakers and highlighted not only their journeys, but those whose campaigns are still in progress, haven’t been passed, etc. Really great example of how much change can be enacted over the course of a year alone, and how continuous the process is.” The session highlighted the power of youth-led initiatives and the critical role of supporting young advocates with resources and mentorship to make impactful changes in their schools and communities.
Overall, the retreat provided a solid foundation for the students’ success in the program, equipping them with the knowledge, inspiration, and support needed to drive meaningful change during the rest of the program. One student expressed their enthusiasm, sharing that by the end of the program, he hopes to feel accomplished, and even though he was nervous to apply for CYCP, he is excited to learn more now that he has started. Another student reflected that she hopes to feel influential and inspired to get other people started in climate action. With this newfound confidence and passion, students are well prepared to embark on their climate advocacy journeys.
At their first workshop on August 28, Cohort 3 students reflected on their spheres of influence, shared findings from their field research, and began narrowing their campaign focus areas. They explored coalition building by identifying potential allies and strategies for growing support, and learned about designing outreach materials to engage their peers. The evening closed with reflections and reminders to continue developing their Personal Leadership Plans and campaign templates, marking an important first step toward transforming ideas into action.
Next Steps for CYCP’s New Cohort: September Workshop
The next phase of Cohort 3’s journey is continuing the monthly workshops, where students will come together to sharpen their advocacy skills and explore strategies for driving climate action. Guided by mentors and supported by peers, they will begin translating their passion into concrete plans for policy engagement and community impact. The next workshop will guide them into exploring school board policy actions, where they will learn the difference between resolutions, policies, and regulations and begin applying these tools to their advocacy goals.
As this new chapter unfolds, the CYCP program continues to demonstrate how youth leadership can shape California’s climate future. Cohort 3 brings fresh ideas, diverse perspectives, and unwavering commitment, making them poised to build powerful momentum, turning learning into action and vision into change.
