UC Santa Cruz has been awarded a 2024 Catalyst Grant Award to support the campus’s climate action initiatives. Each year, Second Nature, a nonprofit working to accelerate climate action in higher education, provides a total of $75,000 in funding through its America Is All In project. UCSC is one of eleven colleges and universities selected to receive grants of up to $7,500 this year. The projects focus on decarbonization, resilience, and climate justice across campuses and surrounding communities.
“The commitment and innovation demonstrated by this year’s applicants underscore the urgency of addressing climate challenges,” said Tim Carter, president of Second Nature.
At UCSC, the award will support two Sustainability & Environmental Justice Ambassador (SEJA) student workers who will enhance environmental justice visibility and understanding on campus through peer education, design accessible educational modules, collaborate with local organizations, and organize events such as the People, Planet, Power (PPP) Summit to foster community engagement and leadership development.
“Being a part of SEJA and helping to organize the People, Planet, Power Summit allowed me to build connections based on trust, passion, and activism that I value to this day,” said Jude Sullenszino, a SEJA student last year and this year. “The participants of PPP, in the same way, were able to educate themselves in community, which I consider the most important way to learn.”
Visit the Sustainability & Climate Action Plan, and Sustainability Office websites to learn more about equitable and inclusive sustainability and climate work at UCSC and how you can get involved.
