The Climate Action Collective is a scholarship-based, immersive leadership climate community for high school students interested in climate change and community activism. The Collective serves as a launchpad for dialogue, community action, leadership skills, and knowledge of the natural environment and history of New Jersey. Participants will explore connections between food, agriculture, and climate change, through reading, discussions, activities, and farm work.
Participants will also volunteer at the City Green Farm Eco-Center in the farm and garden spaces, where they learn about regenerative agriculture and connect with City Green’s volunteer community. Youth will also visit key, local community and conservation organizations, as well as ecological sites. Throughout the Crew’s time of service-learning, participants will collaborate on group zine about a specific topic related to climate change and agriculture/food systems. At the culmination of this program, participants are honored at a community film screening that engages the public in climate and food systems education and action.
Qualifications:
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Students must be either a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior in high school as of September 2026
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Students must be from Passaic County or Bergen County
We are looking for students who are:
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Passionate about the environment and their community
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Interested in taking action in their community
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Driven and responsible
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Ready to take their learning to the next level
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Willing to collaborate with other high school students
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No prior knowledge or experience is required to join the Collective.
What is the commitment for participating?
Location: This program is in-person at City Green Farm Eco-Center, 171 Grove St., Clifton, NJ, with some off-site field trips. Duration: June 17 to August 20, 2026. Due to the short nature of the program, participants are required to be available during the entire duration. Priority will be given to students who are available for the entirety of the program. Full schedule can be found on the application.
Is there compensation?
Yes! Participants will receive a stipend and volunteer hours, received upon successful completion of the program.
Application Requirements
In order to have a complete application, all students must do the following:
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Fill out the application form
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Have a Recommendation Form submitted on their behalf
Applications for the Climate Action Collective are due April 24, 2026 at 11:59PM.
Reach out to opportunities@city-green.org with any questions!
See Work and Examples From Past Climate Collective Cohorts
2025 Climate Action Collective
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Compost zines
Members of the Climate Action Collective cohort were tasked to create a zine that expresses their thoughts, feelings, and knowledge about composting and its importance to the environment.
Zines are mini booklets that are self-published and circulated on social media, on websites, or in limited print books and papers. Zines focus on topics that are not usually covered in mainstream media.
Each member took their own approach to presenting their theme and relevant information--some created comics and illustrations, while others used poetry, music, and storytelling.
View the compiled zines HERE.
2024 Climate Action Collective
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climate zines
Members of the Climate Action Collective cohort were tasked to create a zine that expresses ideas or issues they are passionate about, all related to climate change.
Zines are mini booklets that are self-published and circulated on social media, on websites, or in limited print books and papers. Zines focus on topics that are not usually covered in mainstream media.
Each member took their own approach to presenting their theme and relevant information--some lay out the facts simply, others use more metaphorical approach through poetry writing or storytelling.
This collection of zines was initially presented at the Climate Gallery Walk on October 9, 2024 at the City Green Farm Eco-Center in Clifton, NJ. View the compiled zines HERE.
2023 Climate Action Collective
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Climate toolkits
The toolkit topics are major themes of the Collective curriculum. Each participant selected a topic to research and created a toolkit full of history, current events, action steps, and resources.
These toolkits are intended to educate community members about climate change issues and solutions, with the aim of inspiring action and hope in the wake of the climate crisis.
This collection of toolkits was initially presented at the Climate Gallery Walk on October 11, 2023 at the City Green Farm Eco-Center. View the compiled toolkits HERE.
Read about the inaugural Climate Gallery Walk in The Clifton Times! This article by Rachel Castelino features the students of the 2023 Climate Action Collective, along with their work and presentations for this concluding program celebration.
2022 CLIMATE ACTION CAPSTONE PROJECT
Seven high school students from Passaic and Bergen Counties participated in the Youth Climate Action Capstone Project. This year long independent learning opportunity empowered students to create projects include building community fridges to minimize food waste, implementing composting programs to use at a school garden at Cresskill High School, creating sustainable school lunch systems by replacing plastic utensils with compostable ones, educating individuals on their carbon footprints through informational flyers, and presenting food system workshops to students at the Boys and Girls Club of Clifton.
View their projects here!