Currently in its third year, the Local Climate Action Program partners Penn State students (from any campus, any major, undergrad and grad) with local government officials from around Pennsylvania to complete local scale climate action planning.  In the fall semester, we support students’ as they complete a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory for the community – from collecting and interpreting data all the way through publicly presenting it to city councils.  In the spring, students continue that partnership to advance climate planning – usually by way of drafting climate action plans and completing emissions forecasting scenarios using inventory data.  We’ve worked with more than 30 communities around the state ranging from tiny boroughs to Bucks County and bigger cities like Scranton, Erie, and Allentown. In the next four years, local scale climate action will be particularly critical to ensuring we continue to make progress on emissions reduction goals in the US.

Courses are largely online with some regular synchronous requirements for engagement with faculty and cohort as well as community partners in local government. Students must apply to be considered.

Interested in learning more?

Find out if LCAP is a good fit for your academic and professional interests by coming to this Zoom info session to learn more.

Thursday, February 27, 7-8 pm (EST), Online

Register here:  https://psu.zoom.us/meeting/register/PW8fQu4PTlyk34BP7krDvQ

Not quite sure what this might really look like?  Looking to learn more in the interim before the info session? Here are some recent news stories about the program and the experience students have.  At least 4 students who’ve completed the program so far have gone on to related career paths after graduation.  Their experience learning about carbon accounting and climate policy are coming in handy!

• Empowering People to Address Climate Change, One Community at a Time
• Environmental Group Partners with Penn State on Township’s Greenhouse Emission Report
• Local Climate Action Program Connects Students with Local Governments
• Penn State Students are Helping PA Communities Reduce Carbon Footprint
• Penn State Students Help Local Communities Tackle Climate Change

Contact Peter Buck (peterbuck@psu.edu) and Brandi Robinson (bjn151@psu.edu) with any questions.