Stories from the Community
This webpage provides a series of stories from residents, business owners, workers, and others, who have shaped — or been shaped by — the implementation of the Transformative Climate Communities Program (TCC). Their purpose is to be illustrative, but not exhaustive, of how TCC has touched the lives of community members.
Documenting these stories is part of UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation’s evaluation of groundbreaking progress in six TCC communities: Fresno, Ontario, Stockton, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Northeast San Fernando Valley, South Los Angeles, and Watts.
To learn more about our work in Fresno, Ontario, and Watts, check out this video:
Green Together (Pacoima, Northeast San Fernando Valley)
Hands-on training gives residents skills needed to join the solar workforce
Leadership council members connect existing community networks
Free solar power fosters community trust – and saves wallets
Clean air ambassadors use data to advocate for healthy air
Climate planning and community engagement from the ground up
Ontario Together
Solar industry training provides a ladder to clean energy work opportunities
TCC builds capacity of local health activists to take on climate change
Free transit passes improve the curb appeal of taking the bus
Solar installations unlock cost savings for low-income homeowners
Workforce development specialist helps residents re-imagine their futures
Vista Verde welcomes its first residents
Business incubator program provides community and inspiration
Grassroots engagement model empowers residents to serve as local leaders
Health initiative inspires residents to get well and give back
South Los Angeles
We recently partnered with the South LA Eco-Lab and stories from their community will be coming soon…
Stockton Rising
Motivated energy savers in Stockton receive no-cost energy-efficient appliances
Externship program provides Stockton youth with experience, skills, and income
Leadership program builds a multigenerational network of climate action ambassadors
Community-supported agriculture goes beyond food to build a healthy community
Solar installations bring financial relief to low-income homeowners
Stockton youth learn the ropes of environmental justice advocacy
Transform Fresno
Trucking program provides training ground for Fresnans to launch careers as commercial drivers
Welding graduates secure higher paying construction jobs and save for the future
Community engagement builds capacity and buy-in for shared electric bikes and cars
Catalyzing the growth of a longstanding food distribution program
Planting seeds for careers through urban farming
Anti-displacement engagement spurs advocacy, awareness, and government action
Removing barriers to clean energy careers
Outreach and Oversight Committee members guide TCC implementation
Watts Rising
Veteran activist leads displacement avoidance, helping residents stay in Watts
Business-oriented workshops and mentorship support social entrepreneurship in Watts
Street Team ambassadors build community, capacity and confidence
Planting trees and the seeds of green careers in Watts
No-cost solar program reduces energy bills and relieves residents from heat
Watts Rising partners pivot to address pandemic
Residents harvest new skills at community farms
Check out the latest progress reports: Green Together, Ontario Together, Stockton Rising, Transform Fresno, and Watts Rising.
Team
- Principal investigators: Jason Karpman, Megan Mullin
- Researchers: Elena Hernandez, Samantha Astudillo
- Graduate student collaborators: Emma French, Linda Mitchell
- Strategy and communications: Colleen Callahan, Lauren Dunlap, Mara Elana Burstein
Funding Acknowledgments
TCC is funded through California’s cap-and-trade program and administered by the California Strategic Growth Council.
Photo above: Youth painting at the Prende el Sol Community Event hosted by the Green Together Collaborative in October 2022. Courtesy of the Green Together Collaborative
News & Media Mentions
Stockton Rising: A $35 million project for a greener city (Stocktonia 12/17/24)
Report: Transformative Climate Communities Program Is Transforming People’s Lives (Streetsblog Cal 7/31/24)
Community-driven climate action spurs economic benefits (LCI 7/22/24)
This State Program In Underserved Communities Is Becoming A Nationwide Model For Climate Action (LAist, NPR affiliate 5/31/23)
Investments in Local Climate Action Empower People on the Ground (LCI 5/31/23)
Climate Solutions from the Ground Up: The Importance of Place-Based Approaches (New Security Beat 8/16/22)
Watts Leads on Local Solutions to the Climate Crisis (Streetsblog Cal 6/17/22)
California Is Making Big, Hyperlocal Investments to Fight Climate Change — and It’s Working (LCI 6/15/22)
TCC Build Resilience During Pandemic (LCI 5/26/21)
UCLA Helps Launch California’s TCC Program (LCI 4/1/20)