Climate Action Plan Implementation & Regional Climate Collaborative Coordination

Organization: County of Santa Barbara
Openings: #1
Work Schedule: Hybrid, 1 day in office (Tuesday)
Project Description:

The Sustainability Division collaborates across County departments and regionally to create opportunities that empower and connect people to enhance the environment and our quality of life. The division is guided by the County’s Climate Action Plan, which seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from County operations and community-wide. We are a small team focused on delivering innovative and collaborative programs and projects. We work to foster an open and fun environment, even while working primarily remote.

• Support implementation of the County’s 2030 Climate Action Plan (CAP), including research, technical writing, community engagement, and grant development.
• Advance CAP goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from County operations and the unincorporated community, targeting a 50% reduction by 2030.
• Contribute to initiatives that deliver environmental, economic, and community benefits, including reduced energy costs, improved air quality, increased use of renewable materials, and progress toward greater equity.
• Assist with coordination and implementation of the Santa Barbara County Regional Climate Collaborative, including support for committees, initiatives, and events.
• Facilitate collaboration across sectors by engaging with nonprofits, public agencies, educational institutions, and businesses to advance regional climate mitigation and resilience efforts.
• Support efforts to strengthen regional alignment by helping foster shared understanding of climate risks, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and advancing actionable climate solutions.

Sustainable Goleta: Furthering Goleta’s Climate Action and Resiliency, Clean Energy, and Equitable Outreach

Organization: City of Goleta
Openings: #1
Work Schedule: Hybrid, 2 days in office (Tuesday, Thursday)
Project Description:

Goleta’s Sustainability Division strives to create a healthy, resilient, and sustainable city by addressing a range of special projects and programs. The Sustainability Division within the Planning & Environmental Review Department creates and implements policies and programs for the City and supports efforts to incorporate sustainability into City operations and decision-making. A CivicSpark Fellow would help build capacity in a variety of projects to help the City address climate action and resilience challenges in an equitable manner. The City’s Old Town area specifically is impacted by a higher pollution burden than the rest of the City and has been identified as a Disadvantaged Community under the EPA’s CalEnviroScreen 4.0. Specific projects and goals include:

• Implement Plastic Pollution Reduction Ordinance and associated community outreach (Plastic Free Goleta);
• Support the City’s new initiative, Climate Ready Goleta, to build resiliency and increase the City’s preparedness for climate change and compounding coastal impacts;
• Integrate equitable public outreach in all projects;
• Support implementation of the City’s Strategic Energy Plan Implementation, including efforts to further EV infrastructure, renewable energy, and battery storage, and implement the City’s Heat Pump program (Electrify Goleta);
• Strengthen regional coordination with other jurisdictional staff and CivicSpark Fellows.

Addressing Housing Access & Climate Resiliency in the San Joaquin Region

Organization: San Joaquin Council of Governments
Openings: #1
Work Schedule: Hybrid, 3 days in office (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Project Description:

The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) is a planning agency that carries out planning and programming functions on a regional scale.

Goals: Support planning and implementation of regional housing and climate resiliency activities.

• Increase Organizational Capacity: Expand staff capacity to support growing regional planning, outreach, and implementation efforts across housing and climate resiliency initiatives.
• Support Regional Housing & Climate Resiliency Planning: Assist in advancing planning and implementation activities that address regional housing needs and climate challenges.
• Strengthen Community Access & Inclusion: Improve access to information and decision-making processes, with a focus on engaging impacted and underserved communities.
• Enhance Partner Collaboration: Support coordination and engagement with local and regional partners to develop and implement plans and policies aligned with regional goals.
• Build Internal Knowledge & Implementation Capacity: Increase staff capacity and knowledge to effectively advance SJCOG’s housing and climate resiliency programs and initiatives.

Advancing Transportation Improvements in the San Joaquin Region

Organization: San Joaquin Council of Governments
Openings: #1
Work Schedule: Hybrid, 3 days in office (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Project Description:

The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) is a planning agency that carries out planning and programming functions on a regional scale.

Goals: Support implementation of regional transportation priorities, focusing on transit and active transportation.

• Support Regional Transportation Priorities: Advance planning and implementation of transit and active transportation initiatives.
• Increase Organizational Capacity: Expand staff capacity to support growing transportation planning, outreach, and implementation efforts.
• Improve Community Access to Transportation Options: Increase awareness and accessibility of local and regional transportation options, with a focus on impacted and underserved communities.
• Strengthen Partner Collaboration: Engage local and regional partners to develop and implement transportation plans, projects, and policies aligned with regional goals.
• Enhance Transportation Program Delivery: Build staff knowledge and capacity to effectively implement transportation programs and deliver projects.
• Support Integrated Regional Planning Efforts: Contribute to broader regional initiatives that connect transportation with housing, climate, air quality, and workforce development priorities.

Encouraging Sustainable Travel Through Transportation Demand Management Strategies

Organization: San Joaquin Council of Governments
Openings: #1
Work Schedule: Hybrid, 3 days in office (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
Project Description:

The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) is a planning agency that carries out planning and programming functions on a regional scale.

• Support Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Implementation: Advance strategies identified in the 2025 study to improve regional transportation efficiency and sustainability.
• Increase Organizational Capacity: Expand staff capacity to support growing demands in transportation planning, outreach, and implementation activities.
• Enhance Community Access & Inclusion: Improve access to information and decision-making processes, with a focus on engaging impacted and underserved communities.
• Strengthen Regional Collaboration: Engage local and regional partners to develop and implement transportation plans and policies aligned with regional goals.
• Build Internal Knowledge & Implementation Capacity: Increase staff expertise and capacity to effectively implement TDM programs and initiatives.

Energy Efficiency and Climate Resiliency: Outreach, Engagement and Education

Organization: County of Santa Barbara, Sustainability Division
Openings: #1
Work Schedule: Hybrid, 1-2 days in office (Tuesday)
Project Description:

The County of Santa Barbara Sustainability Division is housed within the Community Services Department, which includes Parks, Libraries, Arts & Culture, and Housing & Community Development. We are a small team focused on delivering innovative and collaborative programs and projects. We try to foster an open and fun environment, even while working a majority of time remotely.

• Advance energy efficiency and electrification in homes—both in single-family and multifamily households.
• Increase 3C-REN’s capacity to serve residents—and renters especially—across the tri-counties (Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo).
• Strengthen and build the local workforce through free trainings and events on topics relating to energy efficiency, high performance buildings, and electrification.
• Empower residents to take everyday actions to reduce carbon emissions and increase household resilience to the effects of climate change.
• Use the Resilient Central Coast campaign to reach residents in the County of Santa Barbara.
• Produce reports to track metrics and platform use data and evaluate engagement, with the opportunity to recommend campaign and platform changes.