2024, A Year of Impact

Our year of programming in review, from our Green Jobs Curriculum to our 2024 Climate Justice Conference, community tree plantings and more.

With the start of a new year, we wanted to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to you for your incredible support throughout 2024. Your generosity has not only made a significant impact on our organization, but has also brought joy and positive change to the lives of those we serve.

As we look forward to the coming year with hope and optimism, we wanted to reflect on the amazing accomplishments from this past year that YOU made possible. 

2024 Programming Highlights 

Environmental education

Providing curriculum, resources and tools to instruct youth and adults on environmental best practices, innovations and other important topics.

High School Education: In 2024, we hosted a number of educational programs for high school students. Through each program, we aim to educate and inspire young people to pursue lifestyles and careers that support a green economy.

• Intro to Green Jobs: This class helps students build their resumes, practice interviewing skills, and develop a cover letter in a way that will attract careers in the green economy.
• Environmental Literacy/Green Book Club: Students have the opportunity to choose from a selection of environmental books. On a regular basis, we meet with the students and discuss themes and concepts of the books. Once we finish a book, we take the students on a “field trip” that reinforces concepts we learned from the book.

Additionally, education opportunities included our Program Director, Michael finishing a semester course at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in curriculum writing for climate change. 

CJ Con 2024

Over 250 community members joined us as we built connections, exchanged ideas, shared experiences, and catalyzed action toward addressing the intersecting challenges of climate change and social injustice.  

A few event highlights: 

• 14 speakers 
• 45 climate justice and environmental justice definitions brainstormed 
• 11 vendor booths 
• 45 upcycled planter coozies made

Revitalizing urban open space

Planting trees, developing green space, creating green space on school grounds, adding parks and implementing projects to protect the environment in underserved, ignored areas.

Tree Plantings: 

• Planted 15 trees in Carson in 6/24
• And 32 trees in Inglewood by 2/24

Community Clean Up Days 

• Westside Neighborhood Park Community Clean Up- Feb. 2024
• Queen Anne Community Clean Up – May 2024: community cleanup and outreach 
• Lincoln Memorial Park Community Cleanup – May 2024: Community clean up at abandoned cemetery 

Over 100 community members participated in our Community Clean up and together we picked up about 185 pounds of garbage in 2024.

Blackwelder Community Greenbelt: California Greenworks is currently working to restore the loss of habitat in the Blackwelder Tract of lower Ballona Creek. We seek to create a green infrastructure network along the boundaries of Culver City and Los Angeles. Stormwater gardens, bike trails, and walking paths can unite this portion of the Lower Ballona Creek while increasing opportunities for the pollination of the native flora. In February 2024, we hosted our Blackwelder walkthrough of the project site. Participating partners included; Kamlager-Dove office, Woodard and Curran. 

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Looking Ahead to 2025

As we step into 2025, we remain committed to deepening our impact and driving meaningful change. Our Strategic Plan for 2025 lays out key initiatives designed to strengthen our programs, enhance workplace culture, and expand our reach.

Next year, we will:

✅ Expand and develop the Blackwelder Community Greenbelt project to create more green spaces and sustainable urban environments.

✅ Enhance our educational initiatives, introducing new curriculum and workshops focused on environmental stewardship and sustainability.

✅ Increase community engagement through more clean-up events, hands-on learning opportunities, and advocacy efforts.

✅ Foster a stronger, more inclusive workplace culture, prioritizing staff well-being, transparency, and collaboration.

This strategic direction ensures that our organization grows sustainably while addressing immediate needs and long-term goals. For a deeper dive into our vision for 2025, refer to our full Strategic Plan [insert document link or location]

Be a part of our impact 

There are a number of ways you can join us in 2025 from joining our email list, adopting a tree, hosting one of our educational programs, attending one of our events, volunteering your time, or telling a friend about us. 

If you have any questions about how you can join, send us a message, we would love to hear from you.