Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ethos Pathways?
We are a youth-led organization based in North Adams, MA that helps young people explore their purpose, leadership, and future career pathways that are aligned with their values. Through leadership development, community advocacy, and career informed learning, we create programs that empower students to create meaningful change for their communities.
What is The Climate Career Lab?
The Climate Career Lab is Ethos Pathways’ flagship climate fellowship for high school students.
Students explore climate careers, build leadership skills, connect with employers and mentors, and work on real community challenges, all while discovering what comes next for themselves and their communities.
Who can apply?
The Climate Career Lab is designed for Berkshire County high school students, with a focus on supporting young people from environmentally burdened and historically underserved communities. No prior climate, STEM, or leadership experience is required, just curiosity, commitment, and an interest in exploring what’s possible.
Our first cohort is open to Northern Berkshire high school students entering grades 9–11 in Fall 2026.
How are students selected?
Students participate in an application and interview process.
We look for curiosity, leadership potential, creativity, lived experience, and a willingness to engage with community challenges. No prior experience is required.
Do students receive stipends?
Yes. To help make participation accessible, students who fully participate in the program may receive over $3,500 in stipends. Parent/guardian stipends of up to $500 are also available for family engagement activities.
Why climate justice?
Climate change does not affect every community equally.
We believe young people most impacted by environmental and economic challenges deserve direct access to leadership opportunities, mentorship, and careers shaping the future of climate resilience.
What can I expect to experience during the fellowship?
Throughout the two years, students are introduced to a wide range of climate-related careers across sectors, including:
Clean energy · Construction trades · Agriculture · Entrepreneurship · Public policy · Education · Communications · Manufacturing · Environmental advocacy · Infrastructure · Sustainability
Our goal isn’t to tell students what path to take, but to help them discover what type of work feels meaningful aligned with their interests, values, and strengths.
Students will gain direct exposure to these careers through employer site visits, job shadowing, mentorship, and career panels. While we are finalizing the details, example experiences may include visits to our partners at The Berkshire Innovation Center, where students can meet clean-tech startup founders from companies such as Noble Carbon and SolaBlock. Career panel discussions can include candid conversations with urban and environmental planners from The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Additional experiential learning opportunities will include team-building activities connected to Berkshire County’s outdoor recreation economy, as well as visits to local farms and businesses in the local sustainable agriculture sector where students will learn how farmers are adapting to more climate resilient models in response to environmental change. Students can also expect to meet with local leaders in conservation, policy, technology, economic development, and public health.
At the heart of the program is the belief that climate education must be rooted in local context. Students will explore the history of environmental challenges in Berkshire County and examine how these issues continue to shape present-day conversations around climate resilience and community development. This includes learning about local environmental justice issues such as Hoosac River TCE pollution and ongoing community water quality concerns.
Building on this knowledge, the cohort will receive a community microgrant through the Youth Action Project part of the curriculum and work together to design and implement a youth-led project that addresses a real environmental justice issue affecting Northern Berkshire communities.
Do students need to want a “green job” to participate?
Not at all. One of our core beliefs is that almost every career can play a role in building stronger, more resilient communities, whether you’re interested in healthcare, business, trades, technology, education, design, food systems, or public service. We believe sustainability is not confined to specific industries but is more of a practice and mindset that can be applied across every sector of our economy and community.
In short, climate resilience takes all kinds of people.
What makes this different from a typical internship or after-school program?
Students don’t just learn about careers, they build confidence, relationships, leadership skills, and real-world experience through hands-on projects connected to their own communities.
It’s part fellowship, part leadership experience, and part exploration of what comes next.
Two years is a commitment, why is the fellowship two years long?
We recognize a two-year commitment may seem substantial. We intentionally designed the Climate Career Lab this way to create the greatest long-term impact for students, while keeping participation manageable and accessible. While we take advantage of school being out during the summer, we have structured the program to meet once a month on a given Saturday when the school year begins, allowing students to balance participation alongside everything else they have going on in their lives.
Each year serves a distinct purpose. Year one emphasizes broad exploration across careers, sectors, and organizations, building critical thinking skills around sustainable development and environmental justice. We want to show you all options and possibilities for potential climate pathways in your future. Year two shifts to a targeted focus, with added support as students concentrate on specific sectors. This balances giving students time to explore before committing to deeper engagement.
In short, two years gives us enough time to create deep impact while keeping participation manageable, giving students space to explore broadly in the first year then dive deeper into pathways that matter most to them in year two.
What does family engagement look like?
Families are an important part of the experience. Throughout the program, we host workshops, community events, and family-centered activities designed to make climate learning welcoming, accessible, and connected to everyday life.
To help reduce barriers to participation, parents and guardians receive stipends for family engagement activities.
How can schools, employers, or organizations partner with Ethos Pathways?
We partner with schools, employers, nonprofits, and community organizations through mentorship, workshops, sponsorships, career-connected learning, internships, and collaborative programming.
Interested in partnering? Contact us here.
How can I support Ethos Pathways?
You can support our work by becoming a community partner, mentoring students, sponsoring programming, offering work-based learning opportunities, or helping amplify our mission.
Interested in supporting us? Contact us here.
Where is Ethos Pathways based?
Ethos Pathways is based in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, with programming currently focused in Northern Berkshire County and a long-term vision to support young people across the region’s rural and gateway communities.
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