The Tacoma - Pierce County Climate Leadership Cohort is a program where participants learn climate solutions and civic engagement for our collective climate future.
2025 Cohort Dates
ORIENTATION: September 4, 5:30-8PM
TRAINING: September 12-14
WHY
In December 2019, the Tacoma City Council declared a climate emergency in Tacoma and developed the Climate Action Plan (CAP). In March 2021, the Pierce County Council passed the Pierce County Sustainability 2030 Plan. Inspired by these Plans and community input, the Tacoma-Pierce County Climate Leadership Cohort (TPCCLC) connects frontline community members—vulnerable, underserved, and underrepresented residents—with City and County staff, elected officials, and community organizations so they can take climate action in their neighborhoods and communities!
WHAT
Created to foster relationships, support individual development, encourage advocacy, and connect communities, this multi-day program allows cohort members to learn about local climate impacts, emissions sources, civic engagement strategies and solutions through a social justice lens.
WHO
The Cohort is made of frontline community members: residents of Tacoma and Pierce County who have been made vulnerable and/or are historically underserved, underrepresented, including to the first and worst climate impacts.
Cohort members will be offered a stipend of up to $595 for completing the program.
The Climate Leadership Cohort is organized by the Tacoma Tree Foundation on behalf of the Tacoma Office of Environmental Policy and Pierce County Sustainability.
We are grateful for the support of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) in making this year's program possible.
TIMELINE
JUNE 2025
Jun 30 | Applications Open
JULY 2025
July 15 | 4:30-5:30PM | ZOOM Q&A | Register here
July 22 | 4:30-5:30PM | IN-PERSON Q&A | Register here
Aug 1, 2025 | Applications Close
AUGUST 2025
August 14, 2025 | Acceptance Notification
SEPTEMBER 2025
Sept. 4 | 5:30-8pm: Introduction to the program and community-building
Sept. 12 | 4:00-8:00pm: Introduction to local climate change issues, Pierce County and City of Tacoma Governance Structure
Sept. 13 | 9:00am-5:00pm: Social and Environmental Justice Issues in Tacoma
Sept. 14 | 10:30am-5:00pm: Civic Engagement for Climate Action, and Capstone Projects 101
September - November 2025
Capstone Project Development
2 required individual or group mentorship meetings
December 2025
Saturday, December 6 | 1:00-3:30pm Capstone Presentations and Community Celebration
In their own words:
members of the 2023 Cohort talk about their experiences.
Tacoma’s Climate Action Plan and the Pierce Country Sustainability 2030 Plan guide action for healthy, affordable housing, clean, reliable transportation; protections for public health; and green good paying jobs.
PROGRAM AND PARTICIPATION
The TPCLLC is an extension of these Plans and is meant to foster relationships, support individual development, promote civic engagement, and connect community issues, services, and efforts.
Active participation ensures a meaningful and impactful experience for each individual and the cohort. For that reason, cohort members are held to a strict attendance policy. Prepare for and expect to participate in the full program schedule, including presenting your capstone at graduation.
Cost to Participate
While many leadership training programs charge participants hundreds of dollars, the City of Tacoma and Pierce County wish to prioritize accessibility to participation in this program.
Cohort members are responsible for completing all requirements and contributing to their community through the knowledge and training they receive.
This program is meant to develop and equip emerging community leaders to serve Tacoma and Pierce County, and better the lives of their neighbors by engaging with important community issues and decisions.
To reduce barriers and costs to participate, cohort members are offered a stipend of up to $595 upon completion of their responsibilities.
Requirements
To qualify as a frontline community member, applicants should share at least one of the experiences listed under Frontline Community Members. People of all ages are encouraged to apply:
Frontline Community Members:
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
Speak English as a second language
Low household income
Ages 16-26
LGBTQIA+
Living with three or more generations in one home
Living with more than one family in one home
Living with a disability
Immigrant
Experiencing homelessness or housing instability
Completed formal education up to a high school/GED level
First or second generation American
Experiencing food insecurity
Community and Action Oriented:
Be strongly connected to the Tacoma-Pierce County community.
Be action-oriented, working to improve our community.
Build new relationships.
Be eager to learn about community issues and civic engagement strategies.
Embrace anti-racist approach to community problem solving.
Engage respectfully and constructively with others.
Demonstrate a partnership and community-building mindset, with examples of leadership and community service or a strong commitment to future service.
Network with fellow cohort members and community organizations.
Engaged:
Prepare for and complete all assignments and activities.
Reflect on and share their own perspectives, purpose, strengths, and growth areas.
Communicate with Tacoma Tree Foundation about any questions about the program.
Accept the idea of “non-closure”, including that learning about complex topics like climate change, social justice, and civic engagement is a lifelong experience and will not be completed in a short training series.
Have fun!
F.A.Q.s
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The 2020-2021 update to Tacoma’s climate action plan embodies input from over 1,000 community members, the collective knowledge of City and local organization staff, and community priorities embedded in established plans and policies, some of which are listed below. Contributors to the 2030 Tacoma Climate Action Plan include individuals, community groups, nonprofit organizations, other local governments, and businesses.
2030 Tacoma Climate Action Plan (adopted 2021)
Anti-Racist System Transformation Policy (adopted 2020)
2019 Climate Emergency Declaration
2019-2020 Tacoma Community Survey
2018 Affordable Housing Action Strategy
2015 Transportation Master Plan (amended 2018)
One Tacoma Comprehensive Plan (amended annually)
Tacoma 2025 Strategic Plan (adopted 2015) -
Frontline community members include those that have been historically underrepresented, underserved, or made vulnerable, including to the first and worst climate impacts. Frontline community members may have one or more of the following backgrounds:
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
Speak English as a second language
Living with a low household income
Ages 16-26
LGBTQIA+
Living with three or more generations in one home
Living with more than one family in one home
Living with a disability
Immigrant
Experiencing homelessness
Completed formal education up to a high school/GED level
Other -
You are eligible to apply and participate if you demonstrate yourself to be a member of the Tacoma community as well as a frontline community member (see description above).
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Content will be based on community input during and beyond the climate action planning process between 2020-2021, the latest facts and science, the expertise of program partners, and the input and interests of cohort members. Planned curriculum is subject to change:
Introduction to the City of Tacoma
Tacoma climate change impacts, emissions sources, and solutions
Sustainable and equitable community transportation
Housing justice, including affordability, supply, choice, health, community identity, and climate
Civic action, including strategies, tools, and planning
Other -
Emergencies and other demands that require our attention happen. With good reason, one absence from a training or other cohort activity may be excused where other make-up work is completed satisfactorily. Active participation by all members ensures a meaningful and impactful experience for each individual and the cohort as a whole. For that reason, cohort members are held to a strict attendance policy. Applicants to the cohort should plan for full participation when they apply.
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The City of Tacoma will provide translation and interpretation services as needed to deliver oral and written materials equitably.
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Cohort coordinators will work together to offer support for members to participate.
In addition, coordinators are prepared to provide:
Translation/interpretation services
Food to support activities
1-1 and small group support as needed
Connections to mentorship and other learning opportunities -
This pilot program will follow state and local health regulations and be mindful of other safety
guidelines. Updated resources for information include:
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
Washington State Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -
Grantee: the applicant to this program grant is responsible to develop and then coordinate all major
activities with the City of Tacoma Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability; coordinate training
and demonstration project implementation with support from partners or speakers; and educate, train,
and support cohort members as outlined throughout this document
Cohort members: are community members who are selected through a competitive application process to participate in program trainings, networking, and demonstration projects; they are responsible to complete homework, attend trainings, participate in graduation, participate in possible hands-on learning or service projects, and plan, implement, and report on their demonstration projects
Training partners or speakers: are organizational staff or community members who are responsible to
join pre-training preparation meeting (networking), coordinate by phone and email, prepare
presentation and participation, deliver presentation and participate in training, and follow-up with
participants and the grantee; they may support cohort member demonstration project planning and
implementation
City of Tacoma Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability: City staff are responsible to
coordinate program planning and implementation with the grantee, including all major activities, such
as activity and timeline planning; participant (partner, speaker, and cohort member) recruitment;
curriculum, agenda, and material development; communication, collaboration, and networking;
training; budget management; program tracking, evaluation, and reporting; and other administrative
activities. -
Cohort members will be given regular opportunities for feedback, at times anonymously, to inform training content, practices, and partnerships as well as demonstration project work. Cohort members should understand the shared program planning role of the Coordinator and the Office of Environmental Policy and Sustainability in delivering their feedback. Cohort members are encouraged to approach staff they prefer to engage with to deliver their feedback, whether in a virtual setting or not. In addition, the Cohort can organize feedback or requests as a group.
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Please contact Aaron Yang at aaron@tacomatreefoundation.org

STAFF CONTACT
Julia Wolf
julia@tacomatreefoundation.org