FAQ
About the Academy
What is the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy?
Maryland's Climate Leadership Academy is the nation’s first state-sponsored institution providing continuing education and executive training programs specifically designed for state and local government officials, infrastructure executives and community/business leaders.
How does the Academy relate to the Maryland Commission on Climate Change?
The Academy will support the work of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, serving as a tool that establishes a community of climate smart local government and infrastructure leaders. The Academy’s programs and planning efforts are informed by an advisory council that includes senior leadership from numerous Maryland state agencies in order to ensure continuity and coordination with the Commission.
How will the Academy help build better climate awareness and capacity?
Through extensive partnerships and guidance from a body of Maryland leaders and nationally recognized experts, the Academy's programming will be coordinated with universities and community colleges throughout the state, as well as other convening organizations, to deliver training programs statewide. The Academy will advance professional competencies in integrating climate change into decision-making across sectors and occupations, and will help ensure that decision-makers across sectors and Maryland communities are appropriately trained and educated to successful integrate climate change into their operations and activities.
How is the Academy governed and administered?
The Academy is governed by the State of Maryland through an advisory council and an administrative contract with the Association of Climate Change Officers.
Who is the Association of Climate Change Officers?
The Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization for executives and officials worldwide in industry, government, academia and the non-profit community. ACCO’s mission is to define, develop and support the functions, resources and communities necessary for effective organizational leadership in addressing climate-related risks and opportunities. ACCO administers the Certified Climate Change Professional® (CC-P®) other credentialing programs. For more information about ACCO, please visit http://www.ClimateOfficers.org.
Who creates the curriculum offered by the Academy?
The Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO) facilitates the development of Academy curriculum by convening experts and academics selected based upon subject matter, occupations and target audiences.
Who teaches the courses?
All courses offered through the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy will be taught by a combination of Maryland academic institution faculty, experienced practitioners and technical experts.
Advisory Council & Partners
What is the purpose of the advisory council?
The advisory council was formed to ensure broad contribution to the Academy’s strategic planning and curriculum development efforts. State agencies and leaders, as well as experts from nationally recognized organizations, play a key role in ensuring that the Academy’s programs are effectively designed and delivered.
How was the advisory council formed?
The State of Maryland and ACCO have sought out several dozen organizations in shaping the advisory council. Additional individuals may be added to the advisory council as the Academy develops.
Existing & Future Programs
What programs will be offered by the Academy in 2018-2020?
As the Academy’s advisory council works with ACCO to shape longer-term programs oriented toward specific target audiences, the Academy will open enrollment for a series of foundational training activities supporting a diverse set of decision-making audiences. The 2018-2020 calendar will consist of a series of professional credentialing programs, graduate and executive certificates, primers and stand-alone workshops. Specific program information will be published on the Academy web site.
Will the Academy provide individual training activities separate from programs?
In response to needs identified by the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, the Academy will also provide several isolated training activities to be announced in Fall 2018.
Will participants earn credentials upon completing Academy programs?
The Academy will provide certificate and professional credential-oriented programs, curriculum that satisfies existing continuing education requirements for credentialed professionals and leadership training. Some credentials will be formally bestowed and governed by the Association of Climate Change Officers, while others (e.g. certificate programs) may be bestowed and governed by the Academy and/or State of Maryland.
Will the Academy provide consulting or technical support to Maryland communities?
While the nature of this capability has not yet been defined, the Academy is envisioned to facilitate ongoing peer collaboration between program participants and may also serve as a laboratory for pilot projects and initiatives to develop novel climate action solutions.
Participation
Who should participate in the Academy’s programs?
The Academy has been primarily established as a leadership development program for three key audiences: (1) local governments; (2) infrastructure organizations; and (3) state agencies. Programs will be designed to help leaders and program managers from these organizations incorporate climate change into their decision-making. Individuals from nonprofit organizations, professional service firms and higher education institutions may also be invited into specific programs as appropriate.
When do the Academy’s programs open for enrollment?
The initial 2018/2019 programs will open for enrollment in September 2018. Each new program will have its own enrollment guidelines and process.
Are there costs associated with enrollment?
At this time, there are no enrollment fees planned for the Academy. However, participation may be limited based upon space availability and target audience guidelines established for each program.
How and where are courses provided?
Courses offered as part of 4-9 month programs will consist of a combination of in-person and live online instruction and will be supplemented by on-demand online training resources and toolkits. Individual training activities will either be offered as in-person or as live online.
How will the Academy coordinate with third-party organizations?
Leveraging its broad and diverse stakeholders and advisory council, Maryland's Climate Leadership Academy will establish a series of partnerships to facilitate curriculum development/deployment, secure training venues, reduce redundancies and integrate existing networks and communities into programming.
How will the Academy facilitate collaboration among participants?
In addition to working within the framework of existing organizations, the Academy will also serve to connect organizations and efforts by facilitating novel collaborations aimed at driving multi-stakeholder resource sharing, aggregation of interests and innovative pilot projects.
How can my organization become a partner to the Academy?
As the Academy’s programs are solidified, its administrative staff will be working toward establishing the partnerships needed to successfully achieve the goals set forth. Please send a communication using the site's Contact Form describing the nature of your organization’s interests and capabilities.