Climate Career Lab

Your purpose is the path forward. 

The Climate Career Lab is a 2-year fellowship starting in the summer of 2026 for Northern Berkshire high school students interested in climate, sustainability, leadership, and making a difference close to home.

Real-world experiences, local leaders, field trips, and community projects designed to help you find your true north in purpose and careers. We’re building a movement where young people lead the way toward a more just, resilient, and sustainable future.

Applications for the founding cohort are now open.  Apply below ↓

Title

What our student fellows will receive:

  • Real-world experiences

  • Leadership development

  • Career exploration & mentorship

  • A peer student cohort and support network

  • Support navigating what comes after high school

  • Financial support for participation, including student stipends of $3,500 and family stipends up to $500


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Who can apply:

Applications are now open for Northern Berkshire high school students entering grades 9–11 in Fall 2026 who want to explore climate, community, leadership, and what comes next. 

The Climate Career Lab prioritizes students from environmentally burdened communities, including low-income households and Environmental Justice (EJ) neighborhoods. We are committed to expanding opportunities for young people most impacted by climate and environmental challenges, and especially encourage students from these communities to apply. 

No experience needed, just curiosity and commitment.





Program Pillars

Young people are increasingly experiencing climate anxiety and uncertainty about their future. Our work helps them channel those feelings into climate action, leadership, and community impact.

The Climate Career Lab is grounded in three core pillars: youth leadership, community resilience, and workforce development.

Youth Leadership

Students learn that their lived experiences are sources of authenticity and insight. We help young people build confidence and amplify their voices so that they can create meaningful change in their communities.

Community Resilience

Students learn how to connect textbook definitions of climate change to the realities facing their own communities. They explore local climate justice issues and meet leaders across policy, skilled trades, infrastructure, and community development who are actively building climate resilience in the Berkshires.

Workforce Development

Students gain exposure to opportunities within the local climate economy through employer engagement, work-based learning experiences, mentorship, and career-connected education. The program helps students see that there are many pathways into climate resilience work and that we all have a place within it.

Apply Here

Application Process and Timeline 

1. Interest Form
Complete the short interest form below to tell us a little about yourself.  

Optional: Teacher, counselor, parent/guardian, or community nominations are welcome, but not required.

2.  Full application
Selected students will be invited to complete a full application. 

3. Finalist Interviews
Finalists will be invited to a short conversation with our team. 

4. Decision Release
Selected students will be notified and invited to join the cohort in July 2026. 

5. Program Launch
The Climate Career Lab begins August 4–8, 2026, followed by monthly Saturday Academies throughout the school year.


Student Interest Form

For Ethos Pathways’ Climate Career Lab, 2026 summer program.

Formulario en español
Photo of a pair of hands cupped to hold dirt with a small plant growing in it

Know a student who would be a great fit for the Climate Career Lab? Nominate them here:

For more information about Ethos’ program, visit our FAQ Page