Penn State World Campus students are making an impact on climate change at the local level by helping Pennsylvania communities track their carbon footprints and recommend ways to reduce them.
On Earth Day 2024, Penn State World Campus is recognizing the undergraduate and graduate students who have participated in the Local Climate Action Program, a Penn State–led initiative that gives students the chance to apply what they have learned about sustainability to recommend solutions to real-world situations.
Twenty-two Penn State World Campus students have worked with more than a dozen government agencies in Pennsylvania over the past two academic years.
Through the Local Climate Action Program, students are paired with a municipal government or state agency to create an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. The students work with government officials to identify the next steps in reducing the area’s emissions and assist with projects, such as drafting climate action plans, updating rooftop solar ordinances, and developing documentation that the governments can use to apply for federal funding for energy projects.
“The Local Climate Action Program taught me that climate action is possible, and by viewing it from a local lens, becomes much more tangible and achievable,” said Joe Thompson, a Penn State World Campus student who was partnered with Doylestown Borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Online learners working with their fellow students at Penn State
The Local Climate Action Program is open to students studying sustainability-related degree programs offered online through Penn State World Campus and in residence at Penn State University Park. In addition to the 22 Penn State World Campus students, another nine participants have been University Park students.
Students who apply and are accepted work closely with co-directors Peter Buck, a program manager with Penn State Sustainability, and Brandi Robinson, an associate teaching professor in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences who teaches online through World Campus. Students receive course credit while completing the projects remotely.
Penn State World Campus students have been paired with 15 municipal governments, such as State College in Centre County, Doylestown Borough in Bucks County, Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County, and Palmer Township in Northampton County. They have also been paired with Centre County and Bucks County governments and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“The Local Climate Action Program creates an engaging, sustained experience for students to create positive impact in local communities by helping local governments advance their climate initiatives,” said Robinson, who teaches in the bachelor's in energy and sustainability policy program. “Most academic curriculum doesn’t yet prepare students to inventory greenhouse gas emissions or engage in climate action planning, despite this need growing in all sectors of society."
"We’re proud to support local climate efforts in our Pennsylvania communities while training our students for exciting careers in government, the private sector, and more.”
Penn State students helping Pennsylvania and their communities
Kathy Cappelli Breier, who is in the renewable energy and sustainability systems master's degree program, is on a team of three students working with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) this academic year. They are scoping the sources of emissions from the operations of this statewide agency, which is responsible for maintaining and preserving Pennsylvania’s 124 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forest land.
Once the team completes the inventory, they will write a comprehensive report with recommendations to optimize the department's operations with sustainability in mind. They will also give a presentation to high-level managers from the DCNR in late April.
“The experience of researching emissions sources, gathering data, ensuring data accuracy, and responsibly accounting for uncertainty has been one of the most impactful I've had during my master’s program with Penn State,” Breier said. “I hope to continue similar work in the future.”
Sean Nichols, an energy and sustainability policy major, has been assisting Palmer Township in Northampton County with an inventory of greenhouse gases this academic year using data from 2022. He’s also working on a municipal climate action plan, which is in the community review stage.
He said he decided to participate in the program because he was interested in learning how he could help the township and use his knowledge to assist with climate solutions in his hometown in Colorado.
“I am from a small fossil fuel town, and it would be awesome to play a role in establishing some sustainability measures where I live,” Nichols said.
Students gain valuable real-world experience
Kelli Volkomer, another graduate student in renewable energy and sustainability systems, worked with Lower Macungie Township officials in Lehigh County this academic year. She conducted a greenhouse gas inventory and presented her findings to the township’s board in December 2023. She also produced a residential sustainability survey for township residents and conducted an inventory of the township yard waste and composting center’s operations.
“I felt I would gain real-world experience in compiling a greenhouse gas inventory as well as learning how to craft climate proposals and legislation and deal with local government,” said Volkomer, who completed her bachelor’s in energy and sustainability policy through World Campus in 2017. “This experience has been far more rewarding than I ever thought it would be. I've learned so much.”
“The work I am doing in LCAP provides a foundation and direction to know the efforts that matter most and can create the biggest benefit for their community and our climate.”
Preparing for a future role in sustainability
Steve Vitale Jr.’s work in the program aided him after he graduated in 2023 and transitioned to a full-time sustainability role.
He wanted to gain real-world experience, and he was able to obtain that by working with Lower Merion Township. He said he learned how to take greenhouse gas inventories and develop climate action plans, and he learned from observing government and policy planning taking place.
Vitale helped write the township’s climate action plan, which was approved by its board for implementation.
“The LCAP program and my work with Lower Merion Township was an extremely rewarding experience,” Vitale said. “It provided valuable experience in the government policy drafting and discussions, which has helped tremendously in coordinating with multiple stakeholders in the working environment at once to understand and incorporate everyone's input and desires as best as possible.”
Today, Vitale is a sustainability innovation lead for an international pharmaceutical and biotech company, where he runs a program to make laboratories more sustainable places to work.
Making a difference and inspiring action
The students say their participation has given them new skills and the realization that they can make a difference in finding solutions to the challenges presented by climate change.
Joe Thompson, the student who worked with Doylestown Borough, identified the three most significant sources of emissions there — transportation or mobile sources, commercial and industrial energy, and residential energy — and presented his findings last year. The recommendations he made are being considered as Doylestown officials finalize an update to the borough’s climate-friendly comprehensive plan.
“I developed public speaking skills with confident presentations, learned new technical skills that apply outside the classroom, and ultimately, created positive change for a local community,” said Thompson, who is majoring in energy and sustainability policy. “LCAP was the vessel allowing my passion for climate action to blossom.”
Olivia McMahon, a recent graduate in energy and sustainability policy, and another student created an inventory of emissions from the Bucks County community and from its county government operations. They wrote a draft climate action plan based on their findings and presented it to the county’s planning commission.
McMahon continued working with Bucks County for the capstone requirement of her degree program. She helped refine the recommendations from the climate action plan into goals they could work on.
McMahon was part of the Penn State delegation that attended the United Nations climate change conference in Dubai in late 2023. She was one of the presenters for a panel on how youth can tackle climate change at the local level, and she discussed her experiences with Bucks County.
“As I am beginning my job search, I am finding the experience I gained as a part of the Penn State LCAP program invaluable,” she said.
A Penn State education online
Penn State World Campus offers its students a Penn State education online, with a comprehensive selection of more than 175 degree and certificate programs, including offerings in energy and sustainability.
Students have opportunities to participate in numerous programs and activities, such as the Local Climate Action Program, that can enrich their learning experience.
Learn more about the energy and sustainability degree programs offered online through Penn State World Campus.