UConn Extension’s Chet Arnold, Juliana Barrett and Bruce Hyde are part of a team that received funding from the University as part of the Academic Plan Proposal Awards. Other team members include: Mark Boyer (Geography), Maria Chrysochoou (Civil and Environmental Engineering), Sylvain DeGuise (Pathobiology), and John Volin (Natural Resources and the Environment).

This project will create the UConn Climate Corps, an undergraduate program built upon a new 3-credit course and a subsequent 3 -credit practicum during which students will assist Connecticut communities in adapting to climate change. During the internship, student teams will work closely with Extension faculty mentors to directly engage town officials; the students will collect and present information that will be used by towns as they plan for climate resiliency. The Climate Corps will contribute significantly to the Sustainability and Resilience Strategic Area of the Academic Plan, serve as a high profile facet of the University’s public engagement portfolio, and provide a real world service learning experience and work force development for high-achieving students in environmentally related programs, including the Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, and Environmental Engineering programs.