Launching in January 2020, the Community Advocates Leadership Academy (CALA) will grow regional leaders to be a strong and effective advocate for the natural environment while making meaningful progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in their advocacy and public service.

Our goal each year is to form a cohort of 20-25 people who represent the ethic, geographic, generational, gender, and economic diversity of the region and live in or serve San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties’ communities.

Please spread the word – We are actively recruiting for 4 more applicants who live or service San Jose and 4 more applicants who live or serve San Mateo County. Learn more about CALA here.

Accepted applicants are distinguished by their 

• Commitment to be a more effective changemaker in the public, private, and/or nonprofit sector. 
• Desire to work across sectors toward a vision for the region to be a resilient, equitable place where wildlife thrive, everyone has natural beauty to enjoy, and communities live in balance with nature.
• Desire to explore and address systemic oppression to increase the power of communities who historically have been disempowered.

The new 6-month course will allow for a learning environment based on equitable collaboration, where participants will have meaningful opportunities to share their stories, push back on learnings, and engage in real talk that will help their cohort understand their perspectives on the issues covered. People who graduate from the program will be able to: 

• Articulate their personal mission statement and their theory of change.
• Identify the next leadership role they will pursue. 
• Recognize how bias prevents certain voices from being heard. 
• Articulate actions they will take to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in their civic leadership role. 
• Influence key decision makers through the use of power mapping. 
• Organize a convening for a targeted audience, that accomplishes a stated goal, and leaves participants feeling heard. 
• More effectively advocate for the natural environment as the primary aspect or contributing component of their advocacy work. Strategically leverage a rich connection and shared experience with their cohort of changemakers. 
• Weave timely issues and perspectives into their repertoire of advocacy approaches via twice yearly CALA update events. 

Classes begin in January so tell your friends, family, and associates now.  Learn More and Apply Today!