Building and Diversifying the Climate Resilience Workforce through Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Training (UC Santa Cruz)

UCSC, in collaboration with MBCAAN and regional partners, is implementing a multi-tier climate workforce initiative to build durable adaptation capacity in the Monterey Bay region.

The initiative establishes an end-to-end pipeline that prepares undergraduates, supports graduate applied fellows, and upskills current practitioners whose work directly influences climate resilience implementation. All components are co-developed with Tribes and underserved communities and are intentionally aligned with MBCAAN governance so that training investments serve real, near-term regional needs. More than 180 emerging and current practitioners are participating across scholarships, externships, applied placements, and certificate programs designed to accelerate regional climate resilience.