While the scale of action required to address climate change is daunting, it is also an opportunity to build strong local community capacity. The Climate Stewards Academy (CSA) was first piloted by EFC in 2023 through funding from the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Prince George’s County Stormwater Stewardship Grant Program. This residential training program was developed to identify, educate, and empower community members as climate champions capable of leading adaptation and resilience efforts within their communities.
Building on the pilot’s success, Phase 2 launched in 2025 to include three new cohorts and laid the foundation for building an alumni peer network. CBT’s Outreach & Education Grant Program is funding the third phase of the CSA program, slated to begin in fall 2026. Phase 3 represents the next stage in CSA’s evolution and is focused on deepening its impact while continuing to build long-term sustainability for the program. Phase 3 is designed to not only train the next wave of local climate stewards but to also create a self-reinforcing ecosystem of community leadership, knowledge transfer, and small-scale restoration throughout Prince George’s County.
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