High school students across the San Mateo Union High School District can apply for a seven-month program that pairs them with climate professionals, sends them to retreats and workshops, and culminates in a hands-on community project before next spring's graduation season.
Hillsdale High School posted the application notice on its homepage on July 31, directing students in grades 9 through 12 to apply for the Youth Climate Ambassadors program by Sept. 1. Students at all three SMUHSD high schools in San Mateo (Hillsdale, San Mateo High and Aragon) are eligible, along with any high schooler in San Mateo County.
The program is run by the San Mateo County Sustainability Department in partnership with the San Mateo County Office of Education, Peninsula Clean Energy and Citizens Environmental Council. It is not a Hillsdale-specific offering; the school is one of several distribution points for the countywide announcement.
What participants do
Throughout the program, students learn climate science and advocacy skills, attend retreats and workshops, and receive mentorship from local sustainability professionals. The program wraps with Community Impact Projects, where small groups tackle a real-world climate problem in San Mateo County.
Last year's cohort, which graduated in late May, produced projects with direct local ties. One team, including students from San Mateo High and Aragon, installed owl boxes and hawk perches at Phoenix Garden in San Mateo. Another group of four San Mateo High students removed invasive plants at Stulsaft Park to reduce wildfire risk.
"I came away understanding that environmental and climate challenges are deeply interconnected systems rather than isolated issues," Yocelyn, a 10th grader in last year's seventh cohort, said in the program's June 3 graduation recap. "Energy, transportation, food, and waste all influence one another, and effective solutions require coordinated, multi-level approaches."
How to apply
The upcoming 2026-27 cycle will be the program's eighth cohort.
The posted deadline is Sept. 1. The official application page is at smcsustainability.org/education/students/youth-climate-ambassadors.
The San Mateo County Sustainability Department announced on May 28 that applications would open during the summer, following the seventh cohort's graduation.
