After taking CEC’s Climate Stewards course in 2023, Jessica Prichard, senior manager of school and community programs at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, launched a field-trip program called “Champions for Change: Environmental Stewards Unite!”

Gunnar’s role as a political staffer impacts the entire State of California, but is shaped by the issues affecting the 37th Assembly District, which spans all of Santa Barbara County and the southernmost portion of San Luis Obispo County. Gunnar is a liaison between constituents and the state, helping individuals access resources and ensuring their voices are heard.

CEC Climate Steward alumni Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison for the National Ocean Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and Emiliano Campobello, a professional artist, are collaborating on a forty-foot-long mural depicting the Central California coastline, to be displayed at Adams Elementary School.

Climate Steward alum and Lompoc resident Laurie Mohning is teaching people how to take small “bites” out of “the elephant in the room”: plastic waste. Her Stewardship Project evolved into a podcast called The Plastic Elephant, designed to provide tips for people on how to reduce the amount of plastic that they put into the waste stream.

Climate Steward alum Dass Richardson used the principles she learned from the course to spread awareness about the importance of native pollinators.

CEC Climate Steward alum Christina Hernandez leveraged what she learned in the course to create bilingual educational resources about climate change for youth and families.

Maureen Ellenberger, a member of the Society of Fearless Grandmothers Santa Barbara, and Ana Rico, a CEC Community Ambassador and mother of three, met in CEC’s Climate Stewards class. They became fast friends, bonding over their shared passion for empowering the next generation to become leaders of climate action.

Johnny Alonzo, a restoration ecologist at UCSB, participated in CEC’s first-ever cohort of Climate Stewards. For his Stewardship Project he designed a comic-book-themed app called “Enviro Hero” that encourages eco-friendly actions to earn points redeemable for rewards such as discounts at environmentally minded businesses.

A busy mother of two, Lisa’s career was centered on community outreach and government relations for the natural resources industry. As messages about climate change became increasingly alarming, she wanted to do something, even if it meant jeopardizing her career.