Staten Island has a complicated relationship with climate change. It’s the borough that bore some of the worst of Superstorm Sandy’s damage in 2012 — a storm that killed dozens of Staten Islanders, flooded entire neighborhoods, and left scars that are still visible today. More than a decade later, the question isn’t whether climate disruption is coming to the borough. It’s whether the borough is ready.
Nonprofit Staten Island is betting that preparation starts with people — and in 2026, their Community Climate Corps is entering its second year of training residents, block by block, to be the frontline of climate resilience on the island.
What the Community Climate Corps Does
The Community Climate Corps (CCC) is a program of Nonprofit Staten Island, the backbone organization that has supported and strengthened Staten Island’s nonprofit sector for more than two decades. The CCC’s mission is both practical and long-term: equip residents — especially those in historically underserved communities — with the knowledge, tools, and connections to take meaningful climate action where they live.
The program trains Climate Resilience Ambassadors: community members who learn about environmental risk, climate preparedness, sustainability practices, and local resources, and then bring that knowledge back into their neighborhoods. Think of it as a train-the-trainer model — each Ambassador becomes a point of contact and a local resource in their own community, multiplying the program’s reach far beyond what any single organization could achieve on its own.
Year 2 of the CCC launched in early 2026, with recruitment beginning in January. The program is actively seeking residents from across Staten Island who want to deepen their understanding of climate issues and become advocates and educators in their communities.
Why Staten Island Specifically Needs This
Staten Island’s geography makes it uniquely exposed to climate risk. The north shore sits at low elevation along the Kill Van Kull and Arthur Kill waterways. The east shore, still recovering from Sandy, faces persistent flood risk. And despite significant investment in some post-Sandy recovery programs, many residents — particularly in lower-income communities on the north and east shores — still lack access to the resources and information they need to make their homes and lives more resilient.
At the same time, Staten Island has genuine environmental assets that can be part of the solution: the Staten Island Greenbelt, one of the largest urban nature preserves in the country; wetlands that provide natural flood buffering; and a strong civic tradition of neighborhood organization. The Community Climate Corps is designed to connect those assets to the communities that need them most.
Community-Driven Sustainability Projects
Beyond individual Ambassador training, the CCC supports community-driven sustainability projects — initiatives proposed and led by Staten Island residents themselves, with Nonprofit Staten Island providing support, connections, and resources. The idea is that the people who live in a neighborhood know its vulnerabilities and its assets better than anyone else, and that climate resilience work that isn’t community-driven tends not to last.
Projects can range from community garden expansions to neighborhood tree-planting to emergency preparedness planning for specific blocks. The CCC also facilitates connections between residents, local leaders, and the broader network of environmental organizations working on the island, ensuring that good ideas don’t stay siloed.
How to Get Involved
If you’re a Staten Island resident interested in becoming a Climate Resilience Ambassador — or if you’re an organization that wants to partner with the CCC — you can reach out directly to the program coordinator, Rob Grosso, at rob@nonprofitstatenisland.org. You can also join their community listserv at nonprofitstatenisland.org/community-climate-corps to stay updated on training opportunities, events, and community projects throughout 2026.
Nonprofit Staten Island’s office is located in St. George — which is also home to some of the island’s most interesting civic life. For more on what’s happening across the borough, including its rich natural spaces, check out our coverage of NYC April 2026 events and explore more of what makes Staten Island a borough worth knowing.
What You Need to Know
- Nonprofit Staten Island’s Community Climate Corps (CCC) is a program training Staten Island residents as Climate Resilience Ambassadors to build local climate preparedness, especially in underserved communities.
- Year 2 of the CCC launched in early 2026, with Ambassador recruitment opening in January 2026.
- Ambassadors receive training in environmental risk, climate preparedness, and sustainability — then bring that knowledge back into their own neighborhoods.
- The program also supports community-driven sustainability projects proposed and led by Staten Island residents.
- To get involved: contact Rob Grosso at rob@nonprofitstatenisland.org or sign up at nonprofitstatenisland.org/community-climate-corps.
- The program is particularly focused on historically underserved communities, including those still recovering from the impacts of Superstorm Sandy.
The climate crisis doesn’t wait for perfect conditions — and neither does the Community Climate Corps. In a borough that has already seen what an unready community looks like in the face of a major storm, the work of training resilient neighbors is not just admirable. It’s essential.
