Have Fun,
Build Community,
Take Action,
Together!
It is up to all of us to protect the future for the next generation.
Why Cool Teams?
Climate change and social division are threatening to drastically and irrevocably damage life on planet Earth. By connecting people with each other and the solutions, we are building a powerful movement from the ground up that will drive change from the top down.
Quick story: After being invited to the Petaluma 7-11 Lions Club for their 7:11 a.m. breakfast meeting to give an overview of Cool Petaluma, club president Ron Hammer told our Campaign Director, “I believe we cannot get to a better place with the carbon and climate problems without people getting involved from the ground up.”
Our Cool Team program brings neighbors or friends together so that we can take care of each other while we take care of the planet.
How do you get started?
Enthusiastic community members step up and join one of our free half-day trainings to become Team Leaders. They then gather their neighbors or friends and kickstart community climate action by making a fun, welcoming environment for people to get curious, explore ideas, and take action together.
Having a co-leader can make your experience easier and more enjoyable. Here is a fun video about the importance of welcoming your early adopters as co-leads as demonstrated by crazy dancers!
Two types of teams:
Cool Block Team - Their is real magic in starting a block-based team. Getting to know your neighbors can add real value to your life: from the joy of having friends next door to the security of knowing you can count on each other in emergencies to the convenience of sharing tools and food easily. It can also lead to collaborative projects like tree plantings, community gardens, traffic calming, garage sales, and block parties.
Cool Friends Team - Not everyone has the perfect set up for the Cool Block program. Some people live in apartment buildings with high turnover rates. Some people have small children making it hard to hang out with anyone other than your play group friends. Some people are just way too shy to overcome the hurdle of knocking on neighbor's doors. We don't want any of these real-life factors to prevent participation, so we are testing out friend-based teams. If you have a play group, book club, work team, or random group of friends you'd like to bring together so you can enjoy each other's company while you take care of the planet, this could be a great place to start!
To build strong connections and cover important topics, the team will spend time together over several months. The team can decide how often they want to meet. Most groups meet once or twice a month.
Think of this like a social club for building a planet-friendly community. It is meant to be enjoyed. We can have fun and be productive at the same time!
How it works:
Phase 1: Building Resilience - Starting off with community building and emergency prep, Team Leaders kickstart the creation of a more resilient neighborhood. This phase one will take the Team Leader about 2-4 hours per week for the first 5-6 weeks.
Phase 2: Becoming Planet-Friendly - The group goes on to discuss the next four topics, strengthening connections while inspiring individual and collective actions that lead to a more planet-friendly life. This phase two will take the Team Leader about 1-2 hours per week for the next 8-12 weeks, depending on how quickly the team moves through the program.
Team Leaders are responsible for organizing phase one, but the team shares responsibility for organizing phase two.
In just half a year, you and your team will accomplish SO much! Many teams then choose to continue on into larger community projects or quarterly gatherings.
Quick tips:
If you think you don’t have enough time to do this, remember that time spent as a Block Leader will be fun and social and way more valuable than another evening spent watching TV. 😉
If you think you are too shy to approach your neighbors, use this as an excuse to get to know them and enjoy a sense of community for years to come! ❤️
