The Pioneer Project is a two-part program where participants will be trained in the fundamentals of legislative advocacy and then supported as they practice what they learned in a real-world policy campaign. The program begins with 8 remote trainings over the course of 4 weeks (skipping over the week of Thanksgiving) that will equip our trainees with the skills to design policy, propose it to their lawmakers, and pull the right levers to get it passed into law. After completing the trainings, participants can choose to join us in our mission of jumpstarting a nationwide transition to clean energy by launching a policy campaign of their own. 

 

Our curriculum covers the process of legislative advocacy from start to finish, and is based on the lived experience of youth and environmental advocates over the years. Legislative advocacy is a skill that allows everyday people to weigh into and lead political decisions in their community. Right now, politicians mainly hear from corporations and paid lobbyists when making their decisions and creating policy. Legislative advocacy opens the door for anyone to enter that conversation and make political change. 

 

The second and most exciting phase of the program is our clean energy policy campaigns, led by past participants in the states where a clean energy transition is needed the most. After completing all the trainings, you can choose to launch your own statewide policy campaign or join an ongoing campaign using our clean energy policy framework. Throughout these campaigns, participants will apply everything they've learned from the trainings in real life, strengthening their knowledge with experience. Policy campaign teams will be provided with continuous support from Pioneer Energy through coaching, templates, and other resources. 

 

Everyone and anyone is welcome to join the Pioneer Project, but we believe this program will be especially helpful to grassroots groups looking to add another tactic to their toolbox, young activists learning how to build their own power, and people interested in a future in public policy.