Steering committee approves $20,000 for Sustainability Institute Climate Fellows pilot

The Climate Action Plan Steering Committee voted to allocate $20,000 in committee funds to launch a Sustainability Institute Climate Fellows pilot, a program designed to recruit up to 10 students from the area’s three colleges to work as a cohort from September through May and implement one or two climate-action capstone projects tied to the city’s climate action plan. Casey, speaking for the Sustainability Institute, said participants who complete the program would receive a $500 stipend.

"What we're proposing is something that we're calling the Sustainability Institute Climate Fellows," Casey said, describing a monthly two‑hour cohort that would connect students with local sustainability leaders and aim to produce projects aligned with the climate action plan. Casey said the institute had crunched numbers and estimated roughly $12,000 would run a single year while the requested $20,000 could fund two years when combined with funds being pursued from the La Crosse Area Community Foundation.

Mackenzie moved to allocate the $20,000 and Steph seconded. During discussion the committee clarified that the $20,000 was intended to cover two years; Casey stated she would recuse from the vote because of her affiliation with the Sustainability Institute. Dorothy disclosed she serves on the Sustainability Institute board and expressed support for the concept. The committee voted and the motion passed.

Committee members discussed recruitment and eligibility: Casey said the first year would focus on college students (18 and older) for liability and training reasons and that the pilot could proceed with as few as five students. She said outreach would use connections at Western, UWL and Viterbo and that the institute planned to coordinate with city staff for logistics. The committee noted potential additional funding sources, and staff referenced IRA direct-pay incentives and rebate money tied to recent solar installations as available resources.

The committee directed staff and the Sustainability Institute to coordinate scheduling and logistics; Casey said she and Carrie Thompson and city staff would follow up to set implementation details. The committee confirmed Aug. 10 as the next regular meeting date.