Over 800 volunteers from Citizens’ Climate Lobby attended the July 2025 Summer Conference, participating in more than 400 lobby meetings on Lobby Day. We had a 28-member contingent from Wisconsin, with 10 young people fully or partially funded through CCL Wisconsin’s new scholarship program. See our state’s photo album here. We thank everyone who donated, especially Larry Hands and Karen Kendrick-Hands, who funded the large Two-for-One Match donation!
Asked how the experience changed her, Emelyn Beaster, leader of the Lawrence University CCL chapter stated, “By lobbying Congress, and being right on site in DC, I gained a lot of hope for the impact of the voice of the community in climate work. This lobby day came at a time where it’s been really easy to lose that hope or feel burnt out in climate work, but the conference reminded me that together, a community like CCL can become this really influential collective voice of action.”
We hope to bring as many or more volunteers of all ages together in Washington, DC, for the 2026 Conference and Lobby Day. Meanwhile, we continue our efforts from home by taking actions suggested by CCL National and by supporting the outreach and development work of our local chapters.
Our climate advocacy continues to be very important, especially in these difficult times. As climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe puts it, “The science is clear: every fraction of a degree of warming we prevent reduces suffering and saves lives. We already have the technology, the knowledge, and the ability to transition to a clean energy future, cut emissions, and build resilient communities. The biggest thing we’re missing is the collective will to act—and that’s something each of us can help create.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher, but so too are the opportunities. By choosing action, we not only protect what we love; we are also building a safer, healthier, and more equitable future. The power to turn awareness into momentum, and momentum into change, is in our hands.”
Introducing CCL WI’s new Scholarship Fund; help is requested with fundraising efforts
CCL Wisconsin is dedicated to supporting and empowering its members who wish to attend the 2025 Summer Conference and participate in Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., on July 20-22. And we believe that lack of funds to make the trip should be the last reason that someone cannot attend.
So we have developed a Scholarship Program this year. Learn more about the CCL Wisconsin Scholarship Guidelines here. Click here for the scholarship application form.
Our first-ever, state CCL fundraising effort was the successful CCL Wisconsin Younger Members Panel held on April 6. See this nine-minute highlights video.
As we continue to build the CCL Wisconsin Scholarship fund, we’d like to ask for help. Many CCL volunteers, family members, and friends simply do not have the time or inclination to travel to Washington, DC, for the annual Summer Conference and Lobby Day. However, if asked, perhaps they’d be willing to contribute to our CCL Wisconsin scholarship fund in order to help others who really would like to go but would need some financial assistance.
Any interested CCL Wisconsin supporter is invited to ask supportive family members and friends if they’d be willing to donate to this fund. They would be able to help young people and other CCL volunteers from Wisconsin who need help financially to travel to Washington, DC, for the summer Conference and Lobby Day. Here is a sample donation letter that could be customized.
With many thanks to our Citizens’ Climate Lobby supporters in Wisconsin, every little bit helps!
“Advocacy is empathy, compassion and community at work.” ― Janna Cachola
CCL Wisconsin’s Younger Members Panel and Fundraiser a Big Success!
Ever wonder what young people think about climate change and how they feel about advocating for climate solutions?
On April 6, 2024, Citizens’ Climate Lobby of Wisconsin held a Younger Members Panel discussion on Zoom, where college students, Emelyn Beaster and Rylee Polanka, of the new CCL Lawrence University chapter and high school students, Nina Zhu and Madeleine Bohn, of the CCL Madison chapter shared their answers to these questions and much more.
Following is a nine-minute highlight clip and the full length video recording of this inspiring event, which also was a first-of-a-kind fundraiser for CCL Wisconsin to kick off our new scholarship fund. This fund will help send young people and others who would not otherwise be able to attend CCL’s Summer Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, DC. If you’d like to donate or help us raise money, please see this blogpost.
Contact cclwisco@gmail.com with any questions.
Here is a nine-minute highlight clip:
And here’s the full video:
CCL Wisconsin Younger Members Panel Sunday, April 6, 6-7 pm CST
Register here for your Zoom link:
https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/meeting/register/DtiTwst1RrKKu62BM9cQIg.
Join CCL Wisconsin as two high school-aged members of the Madison CCL chapter’s Youth Action Team and two college-aged members from the new Lawrence University CCL campus chapter in Appleton share how they became concerned about climate change and what it is like to be a youth or young adult climate advocate. Their voices are influential in lobby meetings, as they courageously take part in discussions on federal climate policy-making, promoting clean energy and slowing global warming. There will also be time for Q&A.
This event will be a fundraiser to help our WI youth and young adult volunteers and other CCLers who may need financial assistance to get to Washington, DC, to participate in Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s Summer Conference and Lobby Day on July 20-22, 2025. Any donations can be made at: cclwi.org/donate or by emailing cclwisco@gmail.com for more information.
Your support of our state’s CCL youth and young adult climate advocates is truly appreciated! Please also feel free to share this link with your family, friends and other networks: https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/meeting/register/DtiTwst1RrKKu62BM9cQIg#/registration.
Big news: Citizens’ Climate Lobby at Lawrence University
Lawrence University in Appleton has become the home of CCL Wisconsin’s first campus chapter!
When five Lawrence University students attended the October 2024 CCL Great Lakes Regional Conference in Rockford, Illinois, they met student leaders from the very active campus chapter at the University of Michigan. Within four months, Lawrence University CCL became an official organization on campus. With a staff advisor who was a CCL member and the mentoring of CCL National’s Climate Fellow, Jun Gesteland, the new Lawrence University campus chapter has already been very active.
The Lawrence University CCL chapter has hosted an info session, had four monthly chapter meetings, and gave a talk at the University’s Greenfire Presentation Night to spread awareness about their group and to start collaborating with other campus organizations. They also met with students from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, who worked with their own student CCL chapter to start a CFD (carbon fee & dividend) Movement. The Lawrence CCL chapter leadership team members has attended national CCL monthly Higher Education Action Team and Campus Leader Strategy calls, as well as learned about strategies for making a difference as undergraduate students.
“Our generation is building this huge momentum to address the climate crisis, and I’m so excited to be a part of it,” stated the new chapter leader Emelyn Beaster, “At Lawrence, there are so many students who are passionate about solutions to everything from global warming to food insecurity. CCL campus chapters can help create a space for all of us to work together and do meaningful climate action!”
Going forward, several chapter members would like to attend the CCL Summer Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, DC, in July. However, it will be necessary to do some major fundraising for these trips, and they are working hard on that at this time.
In addition to raising money to get to the CCL Summer Conference and Lobby Day, some of their other goals include: establishing a weekly sustainability column in the college’s Lawrentian publication; possibly doing some state lobbying; planning for spring-term collaboration with Greenfire; and working with the LU Sustainability Coordinator to contribute to the current discussions on a 5/10/20 year plan for Lawrence sustainability.
Citizens' Climate Lobby Wisconsin 