Alameda Strong Teams

Attend a free training:

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!

Pick a team type:

• Alameda Strong Block Team - There 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.

• Alameda Strong Affinity Based Team - Not everyone has the perfect set up for the Alameda Strong Block Teams 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. We don't want any of these real-life factors to prevent participation. 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, join us!

Take the time to enjoy the journey:

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!

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! ❤️

Why?

From food to fashion, we can reimagine the full lifecycle of our stuff, eliminating waste and pollution while increasing longevity and sharing. Living on a beautiful, finite planet means we will benefit from creating a circular economy where nothing gets thrown “away.”

Worksheet

Download the Rethink Consumption worksheet here.

Resources

• Check out the City of Alameda's Zero Waste Program and Services webpage for more resources and information.
• Visit Alameda's Compost Hub at Bay Area Maker Farm to get free compost, wood chips, and educational resources on making and using compost.
• View StopWaste's page here to see what goes where when throwing away trash and when unsure where to sort unwanted items you can search StopWaste's re:source guide for reuse, repair, recycling and safe disposal options.
• Join and take advantage of resources provided by Alameda Backyard Growers like calling to have them pick up your fruit and donate extra fruit and vegetables to the Alameda Food Bank.
• Check out and get involved with Farm2market - Alameda Point Collaborative, an urban community farm in Alameda.

Why?

How we get around matters. In fact, transportation is the largest source of local greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda! By transforming our transportation options, we can make moving around fun, safe, and non-polluting.

Worksheet

Download the Transform Transportation worksheet here.

Resources

• Check out the City of Alameda's Electric Vehicles and E-Bikes for more information.

• Take advantage of Alameda Municipal Power's rebates and technical assistance programs for used EVs and chargers.

• Visit SwitchIsOn.org to see the full list of available rebates to switch to electric vehicles.

• Learn about discounts and education opportunities through Ride and Drive Clean EV and E-Bike.

• Save $400 to $1,500 as a resident of Alameda County on a new e-bike with rebates from the Ava Bike Electric Program.

Why?

It takes a lot of energy and material to construct and run our buildings. Improving our existing structures and being mindful of new construction can greatly reduce our expenses over time and save resources for future generations.

Worksheet

Download the Improve Buildings worksheet here.

Resources

• Check out The City of Alameda's Building Decarbonization Webpage for more information.
• Visit SwitchIsOn.org to see the full list of available rebates to switch to electric appliances, including more than 10 electrification rebates offered by Alameda Municipal Power (AMP).
  
• Learn about how to get a Home Energy Score from BAYREN and take advantage of BAYREN's Energy Saving Toolkit.
• Check out AMP's full website, rebates, and webinars to take advantage of benefits that AMP provides Alamedans, like providing residents with 100% clean power and rates 45% lower than PG&E!

Why?

We are nature. Appreciating, protecting, and regenerating Earth’s life and landscapes will help ensure a healthy and beautiful world for ourselves and future generations.

Worksheet

Download the Restore Nature worksheet here.

Resources

• Check out the City of Alameda's Urban Forest Plan Webpage to stay updated on the City’s plan for existing street tree plan and all trees within Alamedas.
• Get involved with and take advantage of resources provided by Alameda Backyard Growers, a network of gardeners in Alameda who are interested in growing food and donating extra fruit and vegetables to the Alameda Food Bank.
• Consider attending a tree planting with 100k Trees for Humanity.
• Check out REAP Climate Center's programs including their urban farming program. 
• Volunteer with Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) during their monthly beach cleanups.