Climate Career Corps
Let’s help youth take part in solving the biggest crisis of our time.
Our Climate Career Corps is a multi-year program that prepares youth for the workplace while developing green skills through education, work experience, and mentorship. Youth learn about ecology, climate science, and environmental justice while gaining work experience in climate-related internships and enrichment activities.
The Climate Career Corps launched in summer 2022 and has grown to over 339 young people gaining valuable work experience in green careers. The program was founded with our partner Nature in the City and has quickly become Enterprise for Youth’s largest employment portfolio. The Climate Career Corps deepens and expands our long history of placing young people in environmental stewardship internships.
Why it matters
Young people are deeply motivated to address climate change, and the growing green economy offers meaningful career opportunities.
Equity & Pathway
Through hands-on experiences in parks, sustainability, and environmental stewardship, youth gain early exposure to climate careers, building skills, confidence, and pathways into a rapidly expanding sector.
40+ years of supporting 200+ interns
in climate careers and powering the next generation of climate leaders
99%
completion rate
78%
are low-income youth
88%
are communities of color
87%
of our youth face at least one barrier to employment
339
Climate Career Corps Internships provided
53%
of our youth speak a language
other than English at home
“Because of Climate Career Corps, I didn’t just learn about climate work, I experienced it, and now I see a future where I can be part of the solution. I’m pursuing a degree in Political Economy and exploring options as an Environmental attorney.”
-Nolyn Wong, Parks Program Assistant, Summer 2024
“I have learned how to be a better leader, activist, and environmentalist with this job [at Buena Vista Park]. So much so, that I want to pursue a career to continue taking care of the Earth. With my next job I will take my go-to attitude and put it to work so I may succeed at my goals of life. This job was exciting, and despite its labor I enjoyed talking to people and the plants!”
-Delara Armijo, Climate Career Corps Intern, Summer 2021
Youth Growing Green
The Climate Career Corps is designed for youth to accelerate solutions to climate change and acquire green skills for future success in any job they choose.
Climate Career Corps youth interns will
Gain direct work experiences in a range of climate-focused organizations
Learn about environmental issues
Gain appreciation for the value of nature in our cities
Build green skills that can be applied to their professional and personal lives
Inspire and help build a movement that fuels climate solutions
Impact their local environments and see the immediate outcomes of their efforts
By partnering with a range of organizations, youth interns contribute directly to conservation efforts, participate in projects focused on environmental policy and advocacy, and learn more about corporate efforts to build sustainability into the business model.
Join Us
You can also sign up in person by stopping by our Career Lab location or at one of the schools where we run workshops and trainings!
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Balboa High School
Philip and Sala Burton Academic High School
Gateway High School
Ida B. Wells High School
Independence High School
KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory
Mission High School
Thurgood Marshall Academic High School
Green skills are not just marketable but essential skills.
“We expect to see millions of new jobs created globally in the next decade driven by new climate policies and commitments.”
– LinkedIn 2022 Global Green Skills Report
85%
developed an understanding and appreciation of the natural environment
97%
developed good collaboration and teamwork skills
98%
learned professional communication skills
100%
felt they accomplished needed work on public lands
“I never really considered working outdoors / gardening as a possible career option prior to this experience, and while I still have my heart set out to work in the technology industry in the future, I can definitely see myself incorporating how to be green in my future occupation.”
– Joanne, Climate Career Corps intern in Golden Gate Park
47.5 acres & 1,063 yards
of shrubs, weeds, invasive plants, and vegetation removed from public pathways, seating areas, and roads.
33 truckloads & 359 bags
of compost, trash, and recycling removed from our parks
Climate Career Summit
A roundtable discussion with climate professionals and activists
Each summer, all youth participants engage with climate leaders who are making positive impacts on the planet. The Climate Career Summit facilitates discussions around important climate action topics while exposing youth to career pathways that have positive impacts on preserving our planet.
Calling all changemakers!
July 9, 2025 | 4:30-5:45 PM via Zoom.
Connect with professionals who are making a real impact in climate and community change across diverse fields - from policy and community organizing to public health, arts, and business. You'll hear their career stories, learn about the values that guide their work, and discover how their unique experiences shape what they do every day.
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Katherine Catalano, Arctic Defense Campaign
Agustin Bernabe, Leaders 4Earth
Gabbie Listana, San Francisco Youth Commission
Shayna Hirshfield-Gold, City of Oakland Sustainability & Residence Division
Brandy Hyatt, Energy Solutions
Sarah Atkinson, SPUR
Watch the 2024 Summit Highlights
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Chris Busch, Director of Environmental Initiatives at Apple
Finn Does, Eco-Justice Advocate & Co Chair of the Bay Area Youth Climate Summit
Martha Guzman, Regional Administrator at US Environmental Protection Agency
Michelle Lim, Order Fulfillment and Supply Chain Sustainability & Program Management Office Manager at Agilent
Roy Parado, Field Sales and Marketing at Plenty Unlimited Inc.
Eliane Rendon, Jefa de Carrera de Agricultura Sustentable y Protegida at the Universidad Tecnológica del Sur del Estado de Morelos
Yuri Sadiki Torres, Green for All National Organizer at Dream.Org
Support the Climate Career Corps
We are actively seeking new funding sources to support our expanded vision.
Sponsor a green internship and change a young person’s life. Reach our community, and make an impact on the planet.
Enterprise prepares youth to work and makes it easy for you to host by handling all administrative duties.
Mentor youth, conduct mock interviews, conduct a workshop, speak on a career panel, or join our Advisory Board.
2025 Intern Hosts
Bay Area Video Coalition
City Grazing
Friends of Alemany Farm
INTERSTICE Architects Inc
Laurelate Inc
Nature in the City
Refuse Refuse
San Francisco Environment Department
SF Recreation
& Parks
National Parks Service
SF Planning Department
Shotwell Paper Mill
Sutro Stewards
Thank you to our funders
Ann & Gordon Getty
California Academy of Sciences (via Reimagine SF: Rapid Response Fund)
California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA)
Capital Group
Community Challenge Grant
Golden Gate National Parks Service Conservancy
Mary Crocker Trust
San Francisco PUC
Waverley Street Foundation
Yerba Buena Partnership