This summer, our Activist Academy Leadership Program came alive as we proudly celebrated the culmination of our third cohort. I am continuously inspired by the activists' passion, creativity, and commitment to climate justice. From learning about campaigns, building organizing skills, to hosting actions for our campaigns, these activists emerge as leaders. The Activist Academy doesn’t just grow individual leaders—it strengthens the Sierra Club as a whole. By training and mentoring new organizers, the program ensures we are building the pipeline of leaders who will shape the future of the Sierra Club and the broader climate justice movement. Below are two of the incredible actions they pulled together this August.
Power to the People: Turning Up the Heat on Climate Justice
Activists organized a powerful event centering the intersections of climate, clean air, extreme heat, building electrification, and tenant protections.
- Advocating for Justice: Organizations like SAJE, SCOPE, and the Switch is On joined this event, sparking conversations with community members. Speakers shared how their work is interconnected, underscoring that when we center community voices and collaborate across issues, we win.
The space was filled with joy, deep questions, and a sense of solidarity. It was a clear reminder that climate solutions are strongest when rooted in community power
30x30: From the Inglewood Oil Fields to Ballona
Another highlight of the summer was a unique bike and bus tour that connected local struggles and victories across Los Angeles. Coordinated with the chapter 30x30 Committee and the Ballona Coastal Group, the event brought together groups including the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, Baldwin Hills Conservancy, Nature Nexus, and Roots in Motion.
Participants learned how fights to end oil drilling, expand access to green spaces, and protect wetlands are all interconnected. The day was both educational and joyful, reminding us that conservation, accessibility, and justice go hand in hand.
Building a Legacy of Leadership
The Angeles chapter is committed to investing in the activist academy—where most of the participants are people of color from frontline communities already facing the worst effects of environmental racism and climate change. Year after year, the Activist Academy proves that when we equip and invest in activists, we’re not just training organizers—we’re investing in our movement. In our collective fight to combat climate change and protect our right to clean air, water and land.
What inspires me most isn’t just the success of these events—it’s the transformation happening in the lives of the activists themselves. Graduates of the Activist Academy are:
- Plugging into our Sierra Club groups and campaigns
- Stepping into careers in conservation and environmental justice.
- Leading as confident community organizers, using the skills they’ve honed here to fight for climate justice.
This is the ripple effect of investing in people. One program, one cohort, one action at a time—together, we’re building long-term power for our communities and the planet.
Hope and Action
At a time when a federal administration is gutting environmental protections, selling off public lands, and fighting life-saving climate policies, programs like the Activist Academy give me hope—and proof—that grassroots power can and will lead the way forward. This summer showed us that hope isn’t passive—it’s active, joyful, and deeply communal. When we invest in activists, we don’t just create change for today; we set the stage for a just, sustainable future.
Your support makes it possible. I thank you and look forward to your ongoing support of the Activist Academy and to being part of building the movement for climate justice.