Jumpstarting a Career in Climate Action

With global temperatures rising and the climate continuing to change at faster rates, the need for a new generation of climate leaders has never been stronger. And the opportunity to make a difference is there: The clean energy sector grew by nearly 150,000 jobs in 2023 alone. Climate Impact Corps is helping to answer the call by getting members invaluable experience in the field and jump-starting careers that change lives. One climate leader who launched his career with the help of AmeriCorps is Aaron, a Climate Impact Corps alum who wrapped up his service in July 2023. 

An Eagle Scout with an environmental studies degree, Aaron has always been passionate about the natural world. When he graduated high school and prepared for college, he knew he could make a difference pursuing a career in sustainability, for both our environment and the people in it. 

“I was taken by how much potential was in this space to create change, and not just change that reduces carbon emissions, but change that has a significant impact on people's lives through poverty alleviation or undoing systemic racism,” he says. 

Having first taken a gap year to work at a recycling plant before attending college, Aaron knew the benefits of getting some professional experience before diving into a new step of his career. So after completing his bachelor's degree in 2022, he joined AmeriCorps and chose Climate Impact Corps for his service. Placed at nonprofit or governmental organizations across Minnesota, members like him gain professional experience while also coordinating projects that make a difference to their communities. 

Aaron served at Great Plains Institute (GPI) in Minneapolis, where he promoted sustainable energy in the Twin Cities in a variety of ways. He supported a research project that proposed an innovative program design to help underserved small businesses install solar energy. Later on, he helped connect lower-income residents in the Twin Cities metro with resources to lower their utility bills and make their homes more efficient, especially residents who live in manufactured or mobile homes. Making connections with residents, business owners, and other professionals gave Aaron many experiences that prepared him for his future career! 

“It was different every day. That's something I really valued about my time serving with Great Plains Institute,” he says. “I was in the middle of a whole bunch of interesting conversations that were happening around the Twin Cities metro about clean energy. And as far as professional development, I met lots of people who are in these jobs. Coming out of my service term, I felt like I could land something in the industry.” 

When the time came for Aaron and his fellow AmeriCorps members to transition into full-time roles across Minnesota, their hands-on experience with Climate Impact Corps helped immensely. For Aaron, his service helped him get hired right at GPI. In fact, the transition to full-time work was so smooth that the only gap between his service ending and his new job beginning was a single weekend! 

"I finished on a Friday and I started full-time that Monday,” he remembers with a smile. 

Today, Aaron works as a program associate at GPI alongside two other Climate Impact Corps alumni. He continues to serve the eleven-county Twin Cities metro area with clean energy resources and education. In fact, he’s already seeing the impact from one of his Climate Impact Corps projects. Tools that he created during his service have since more than doubled the number of homes GPI has been able to reach! 

A year into his full-time career, Aaron appreciates the ways that Climate Impact Corps made a difference both for our environment and for his professional life. He encourages others who are interested in hands-on learning and launching a green career to become part of the next generation of climate leaders. 

“It was a fantastic way to gain experience and start a career in this field!”  

If you’re ready to support climate resiliency in your community, learn more about Climate Impact Corps at ampact.us/environment.