California State University, Northridge
EN-10: Community Partnerships

For the last three years, CSUN has partnered with CA Climate Action Corps (CCAC) to host Fellows in a climate change/justice focused workforce development program on-campus. CCAC is an AmeriCorps service program and part of a California statewide initiative to address and mitigate the effects of climate change. This climate-focused workforce development program matches Fellows with organizations to mobilize community members to take direct climate action through education, volunteer mobilization, and assessment focused on urban greening, wildfire resiliency, organic waste diversion, and edible food recovery.

CCAC trains and supports Fellows throughout the program to emerge as climate and civic leaders, while helping organizations implement projects to advance climate action that engages community members, cultivates change, and leaves a lasting impact.

The program is rooted in hope for a better tomorrow and offers a Fellowship for emerging climate and civic leaders. Fellows receive personalized mentorship from industry experts, gaining hands-on experience in volunteer mobilization, policy change initiatives, and project/nonprofit management. The program offers professional development guided by experienced mentors and staff while providing valuable connections to a vast network of leading organizations in climate resiliency. The CCAC program includes many benefits such as a monthly stipend, education awards, healthcare coverage, and more.Program website: https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/research/wrpi/Pages/about-us.aspx

The CSUN Institute for Sustainability has a partnership with Food Forward, a non-profit that fights hunger and prevents food waste by gleaning fresh surplus produce and connecting this abundance with people in need. The Institute coordinates two orange picks per year in the 400-tree campus orange grove with Food Forward. We also provide outreach for the program and volunteers for picks. CSUN student volunteers, athletes, and student groups have been actively involved in harvests. This partnership started in 2009 and is ongoing. Since 2009, we have harvested over 150,000 pounds of oranges and donated them to feed local people in need.

On June 1st 2024, The Institute hosted Zest Fest, a community event in the CSUN orange grove, to celebrate the 15 year partnership with Food Forward. This event allowed attendees to harvest fruit for local agencies, visit local non-profits at a resource fair, and play games. The event was attended by approximately 300 people. 

To combat climate change while capturing health and economic benefits, the City of Los Angeles has set ambitious goals to transform its electricity supply, aiming for a 100% renewable energy power system by 2045, along with a push to electrify the buildings and transportation sectors. To reach these goals, and assess the implications for jobs, electricity rates, the environment, and environmental justice, the Los Angeles City Council passed a series of motions in 2016 and 2017 directing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to determine the technical feasibility and investment pathways of a 100% renewable energy portfolio standard.

With great ambition comes great need for actionable data and analysis—so LADWP partnered with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on the Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study (LA100), a first-of-its-kind objective, highly detailed, rigorous, and science-based study to analyze potential pathways the community can take to achieve a 100% clean energy future. As a U.S. Department of Energy research lab with decades of experience in energy systems analysis, NREL offered unbiased, best-in-class expertise and modeling capabilities to help the city navigate its clean energy transition.

The CSUN Director of Energy and Sustainability is a member of the Advisory Group for LA100.
Program info: https://maps.nrel.gov/la100/about#about-the-la100-advisory-group