Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area

PCJ in the Bay supports partnerships between Stanford students, faculty and staff and Bay Area community leaders to help build equitable climate change solutions.

Get Involved | Highlights | Partner Organizations | Advisory Board

Why climate change, and why now?

Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to humanity worldwide, including here in the Bay Area. As the effects of sea level rise, extreme heat, and wildfire smoke exacerbate long-standing racial, economic and public health inequities, communities of color are facing the greatest impacts. Addressing these inequities and building community resilience are urgent priorities. At the same time, we need to make drastic changes to our current energy system in order to avoid even more catastrophic impacts in the future. This transition to clean energy must be an equitable one.

What is PCJ in the Bay?

Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area is a new, five-year initiative to engage undergraduate and graduate students in addressing these challenges in close collaboration with community partner organizations, as well as other departments, programs and centers at Stanford.

PCJ in the Bay seeks to:

Build climate resilience and a just transition to a green economy in the Bay Area through sustained community partnerships; and
Expand, deepen and coordinate opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to work toward climate justice in the Bay Area, across all elements of Cardinal Service.

See the current list of PCJ in the Bay partner organizations and Advisory Board members.

Get Involved

To join our interest list please sign up here.

Complete a Summer Fellowship

Work with a PCJ in the Bay partner organization on climate resilience and community engagement projects in a paid summer fellowship. PCJ Fellowships are open to undergraduate and graduate students. Meet the 2023 PCJ Fellows and learn about their projects. Positions for Summer 2024 will be posted in December.

Take a Course

Enroll in a course that is partnering with a PCJ organization. Courses offered this fall:

-EARTHSYS 37Q / CSRE 37Q / SOC 37Q: Food Justice Now! Power and Politics in the Ways We Eat

-EARTHSYS 194 / ENVRES 223: Introduction to Environmental Justice: Race, Class, Gender, and Place

-SUSTAIN 101D: Sustainable Innovations for Disaster Resilience

Work through Community Service Work Study

The Community Service Work-Study (CSWS) Program provides academic year and summer employment opportunities for currently enrolled students who receive financial aid at Stanford. Eligible students work directly with a community partner while getting paid. If you’re interested in working with a PCJ partner, please fill out this short form.

Complete a Community-Engaged Capstone

As you plan for senior year, you may wish to work on a senior capstone, honors or synthesis project to solidify the academic knowledge and other educational experiences acquired during your time at Stanford. Depending on the requirements of your major, you may be able to introduce a community-engaged component, helping to fulfill a community need while meeting your degree requirements. Reach out to Brandon Reynante reynante@stanford.edu to learn more.

Work as a Research Assistant

Our Communities Our Bay is a research project working with frontline communities in the Bay Area to study how air cleaners and other technologies support health during wildfire smoke and climate extremes. They are recruiting four Stanford students to support the project this fall quarter. Learn more.

Join the PCJ in the Bay Advisory Board

Help guide PCJ in the Bay while building leadership skills and connections with faculty and community partners in the process! Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply. The 2023-24 student board members have been selected but the opportunity to join the board will be open again in Spring 2024!

Volunteer

Volunteer directly by making a Cardinal Commitment, or organize your student group to take on a project with a community partner.

For Faculty and Staff

There are many ways for faculty and staff to contribute, including:

Mentoring a student research or capstone project
Advising a student organization leading a project with a PCJ in the Bay partner
Teaching a Cardinal Course in collaboration with a PCJ in the Bay partner
Join the Advisory Board - we seek new members annually in late Fall/early Winter.

To learn more and get involved, contact Brandon Reynante.

Highlights

Cardinal Quarter: In Summer 2022, eight undergraduate and graduate students served as the second cohort of PCJ in the Bay Summer Fellows. Each fellow worked with one of PCJ in the Bay’s partner organizations to advance climate resilience and energy justice. Read their bios.

Cardinal Courses: Since January 2021, students in twelve Cardinal Courses have collaborated with PCJ in the Bay partner organizations, including Climate Resilient Communities, North Fair Oaks Community Alliance, One Shoreline, Sustainable San Mateo County, and Valley Verde.

Cardinal Commitment: In partnership with Sustainable San Mateo County , student organizations researched and documented climate change policy ideas. These policies are now part of the Sustainable Ideas Bank, a resource for Bay Area cities to adopt solutions that have already been implemented elsewhere.

Stanford in Government led a team focused on sustainable energy policies in Autumn 2021
Students for a Sustainable Stanford is led a team focused on social equity policies in Autumn 2021 and Winter 2022.