Climate Leaders Fellowship is a 12-week virtual program that trains high school students (ages 14–18) to design and implement local climate action projects in their communities.
Why Join the Climate Leaders Fellowship?
- College & Career Ready: Build leadership credentials and measurable outcomes that strengthen applications.
- Start Now: Make environmental impact in high school, not years later.
- Accessible: Open to all motivated students, no prerequisites or prior experience required.
- Affordable: Pay-What-You-Want model
- Minimum: $0 (full scholarships available)
- Suggested: $500
- Average: $125
- No student turned away for financial reasons
- Faster: Achieve measurable results in just 12 weeks.
- Impactful: Create projects that benefit real communities.
- Recognized: Eligible for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.
Who Runs the Climate Leaders Fellowship Program?
Climate Leaders Fellowship is operated by the Rustic Pathways Foundation (501c3 nonprofit) in collaboration with Stanford University’s Deliberative Democracy Lab (a research center focused on civic engagement and decision-making).
CLF was co-founded by leaders from Rustic Pathways and Stanford University.
Co-Founders
- Shayne Fitz-Coy — CEO, Rustic Pathways. 15+ years of experience in education and youth development. Meet Shayne
- Dr. Alice Siu — Associate Director, Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab. Expert in political communication and deliberation; ensures curriculum quality.
- John Hsu — Director & Co-Creator, Climate Leaders Fellowship. Leads program design and student engagement.
Meet the Climate Leaders Fellowship team
How It Works
Program Format
- 100% virtual
- Weekly live cohort sessions + self-paced local project work
- Online mentorship and peer feedback
- Time commitment: 2–3 hours per week
- 1 hour: Weekly live session with your cohort
- 1–2 hours: Local project work and online activities
Requirements
- Computer and reliable internet access
- English proficiency (conversational level)
- Available globally — no geographic restrictions
The Climate Leaders Process (12 Weeks)
Phase 1: Build Your Foundation (Weeks 1–4)
- Identify local climate challenges
- Analyze resources and potential partners
- Understand community needs
Phase 2: Develop Your Leadership (Weeks 5–8)
- Design solutions
- Get feedback from peers and mentors
- Build local partnerships
Phase 3: Create Your Impact (Weeks 9–12)
- Implement your action plan
- Measure and document results
- Share your success
What You’ll Achieve
Every student completes a 12-week project with measurable community impact.
Recognition Opportunities
- Certificate of Completion (all graduates)
- Climate Leadership Award (top projects per cohort)
- Presidential Volunteer Service Award (25+ hours logged)
- Letters of Recommendation (upon request)
Project Requirements
- Address a local climate/environmental challenge
- Include measurable impact goals
- Engage at least 10 community members
- Complete within 12 weeks
- Submit final impact report with data
Proven Global Impact (2021–2025)
Launched in 2021, CLF has grown from 57 students in 8 countries to over 3,221 students from 57 different countries.
Climate Leaders Fellowship has also hosted in-person summits in Guatemala and Denver, Colorado.
Students
- 3,221 students enrolled from 57 countries
- 1,251 students completed the program (from 26 countries)
- 39% completion rate
- 35,840 attributable service hours, and counting
Environmental Impact
- 60,000+ lbs waste diverted from landfills
- 25,000+ trees planted worldwide
- 500+ community projects completed
Recognition
Average Net Promoter Score: 67 (Excellent — measures how likely students are to recommend the program)
Success Stories
The ReBottle Project — Texas, USA
Jessie Choi (17) prevented 15,000 single-use plastic items from entering landfills by partnering with local cafés.
Climate Summit ’24 — Turkey
Three fellows organized a 2-day summit bringing together 60+ youth leaders and experts.
Community Waste Management — Washington, USA
Isha Mehrotra (17) diverted 5,000+ lbs of hard-to-recycle waste through campaigns and community drives.
“You don’t need prior experience with climate activism to join. The fellowship provides an excellent introduction for beginners while offering valuable structure and motivation for those already involved in environmental work.”
Ella Perin | Durham, North Carolina
For Schools & Communities
School Partnerships
- Integrate CLF’s model into classrooms
- Align with environmental science, leadership, or service-learning curricula
- Provide guided pathways to measurable climate impact
Community Partnerships
- Support local sustainability challenges
- Connect motivated fellows to real-world projects
- Deliver outcomes in 12 weeks
Benefits for Partners
- Documented environmental impact for reporting and recognition
- Scalable, student-led projects
- Global network of educators, mentors, and youth leaders
Fellowship Advantages vs. University Programs
- Accessibility: Global participation, no prerequisites
- Affordability: Pay-What-You-Want model
- Real-World Impact: Projects implemented during the program
- Time Efficiency: 12 weeks vs. 9 months
- Global Community: Students from 57 countries across multiple time zones.
“The fellowship helped me discover that I could make a real difference in my community. I was an introvert, but connecting with students from around the world pushed me outside my comfort zone and sparked ideas I never would have thought of on my own.”
Sanjay Kumar | Johor, Malaysia
How to Apply
Application Timeline
- Applications open: July 1, 2025
- Priority deadline: September 21, 2025
- Final deadline: October 1, 2025 (or when full)
- Program dates: October 10, 2025 – December 9, 2025
Next Cohort Starts: October 10, 2025
Cohort = Your class of 200 fellow students from around the world
- Complete the online application (15 minutes)
- No prerequisites or prior experience required
- Rolling admissions until cohort is full
- Cohort size: 200 students maximum
- Admission decision within 1 week
Climate Leaders Fellowship 