Are you ready to be the change?
As never before, Earth's 6+ billion humans are taking a toll on the ecological systems that sustain us. We know that a dramatic shift in human behavior is necessary. This transformation calls for new leaders from all walks of life who can design ways to live in balance with Earth's natural laws.
The urgency of this ecological challenge means that we cannot wait for public officials at the national and state levels to act. We need new citizen leaders. And we need leaders from diverse backgrounds whose varied experiences and skills hold the wisdom to create holistic environmental solutions.
Although eager to contribute to building a sustainable world, many people are uncertain about where and how to begin. Such potential leaders need vision, skills, knowledge, contacts, real world experience and heightened self-awareness to be truly effective.
Given Acterra’s long history, stellar track record, and location in the heart of Silicon Valley, Be the Change has seized this opportunity to create an expanding cohort of community-based environmental leaders. In Silicon Valley, innovation is in the air we breathe, and Be the Change is harnessing it by linking existing expertise with emerging leaders – and reconnecting human behavior with the other living systems of our Earth.
“Leadership is bringing people together to solve problems that have not been solved before.”
Ronald Heifetz, Leadership Without Easy Answers
Program Description
Starting each September, Acterra's environmental leadership program engages diverse participants - from business leaders to educators to scientists to social activists - in a year-long training program. Offering monthly seminars, workshops, student projects, panel discussions and field trips, the program emphasizes building skills that enable people to act within the organizations where they work, live, worship and play to bring about significant changes in how they relate to the natural world. The program requires a full day each month, plus occasional evening programs and project work time.
Curriculum
The program weaves together six areas of learning, culminating in an individual or group project where participants can apply the skills they are learning.
Visionary Leadership -
learn how to inspire and engage others in creating solutions that balance ecology, economics and social equity.
Environmental Information -
become familiar with Bay Area ecology, our region’s critical environmental issues and key concepts of natural science essential for decision-makers.
Skill Building -
develop expertise in motivating others, conflict resolution, public speaking, meeting facilitation, group dynamics, fund-raising, campaign organizing, etc.
Networking -
meet and learn from key leaders who are active locally: public officials, directors of environmental groups, business managers, academics, etc.
Personal Mastery - hone your sense of purpose, refine skills in self-management, find your work/life balance, and cultivate inner resources to prevent burnout.
Practice -
design and implement individual or small group projects that exercise your developing skills as an agent of change.
Exercising their skills as catalysts and innovators in greening our local communities, the “environmental entrepreneurs” of Be the Change’s pioneer class initiated a variety of creative projects during the 2005-05 program year. Class projects ranged from radio spots about sustainability success stories to managing resources for zero waste, from using solar energy to installing programmable thermostats, from recycling waste and reducing water usage to a full cost accounting of the ecological services of Menlo Park’s Bayfront Park.
2008-2009 Program Calendar:
The program will meet monthly on the dates below. Dates for additional evening and Saturday programs will be announced in the fall.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday and Saturday, October 10-11, 2008 (Retreat)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Friday, January 9, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Be Part of the Solution – Apply to Be the Change!
Application and Acceptance Process:
Each class of Be the Change consists of 25 to 30 individuals who have demonstrated strong competence in one or more fields of endeavor and show further promise as environmental leaders. Written applications are being accepted now, and early submissions are encouraged. Interviews will be conducted in May, June and
July, and acceptance letters will be sent out in August.
Tuition:
Full tuition for the ten-month program is $1,600. Upon acceptance participants pay a $200 non-refundable deposit. The remaining $1,400 may be paid by an employer or other source.
Scholarships:
The application process is “need-blind,” and applications will be evaluated independently of the ability to pay. Once accepted into the program, participants are encouraged to seek financial support from their employer or other sources. Based on a confidential discussion of needs, some scholarships will be available.
Advisory Committee:
An outstanding group of experienced environmental leaders have agreed to participate as advisors for this program. Participants will have several opportunities to meet these advisors during the year. Some will offer lectures on program days, while others will serve as mentors for participants' practice projects.
2007-2008 Class Projects:
California Clean Tech Open: Environmental Excellence − Beverly Alkire
Changing Gears in Palo Alto − Carol Anderson
Exploring Environmental Philanthropy − Kendra Armer
Solar Solutions − Mike Balma
Eco−Traff: Green Search Engine Marketing − Patrick Chen
Upgrade for Plug−in Hybrid Electric Vehicle − Cindi Choi
Atlas of Environmental Impacts − Stella Cousins
Your Home Energy Rating − John Eckstein
Community Squared − Justine Fenwick
GreenStart − Valerie Gardner
Las Lomitas/La Entrada Cool Campaign − Karen Grove
My Global Footprint − Tonie Hansen
Wildwood Goes Green! − Suzanne Lane
Know your H2O − Joan Martel
Green Pavilion − Sam Perry
Reviving the Marine Mammal Center's Pier 39 Sea Lion Docent Program − Karen Rosenstein
USGS Green Team − Jorie Schulz
Making a Positive Impact − Lynn Strand Marks
Meet Your Creek − Marc Sugars
Saving Energy Together: An Energy Saving Workshop for Lakewood Village − Ursula Syrova
Stuff in San Jose − May van Scherrenburg
Clean Tech Open: 2008 Expansion − Annette Walker
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