Great California ShakeOut
An annual statewide earthquake preparedness drill in which students, schools, and organizations across California practice the 'Drop, Cover, and Hold On' technique at a scheduled time each October (or a self-chosen date). Participants can register individually or through their school and access drill scripts, safety videos, and educational materials.
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SLEWS Program (Center for Land-Based Learning)
The Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) program engages cohorts of about 30 high school students in hands-on habitat restoration on working farms, ranches, and open spaces across Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Butte counties. Over three to five field days per cohort, students plant native vegetation, build irrigation systems, conduct ecological studies, and hear from natural-resource professionals about careers in agriculture and conservation.
Fresno County Health Youth Corps
A two-semester public health leadership program launched by UCSF Fresno, Fresno County Public Health, and the Fresno County Superintendent of Schools that trains historically marginalized high schoolers to become community health champions, culminating in a community health initiative and annual showcase.
JA Take Stock in Your Future
A Junior Achievement of Northern California course spanning five sessions that introduces high schoolers to stock market fundamentals, current market analysis, and practical trading experience, with an optional stock market competition component.
Naturalists in Training (Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History)
A teen volunteer program at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, near Monterey Bay, for students entering grades 9-12. Trainees attend workshops on natural history and coastal ecology, then serve volunteer shifts helping the public and leading nature activities, earning community service hours or a stipend.
NWS Sacramento SKYWARN Weather Spotter Program
A free National Weather Service volunteer training program that teaches participants to identify and safely report severe weather (hail, wind damage, flash flooding, tornadoes) to help forecasters issue better warnings. Training is delivered via a series of online video modules plus an exam, covering the Sacramento Valley and surrounding Northern California region.
Special Olympics Northern California Unified Champion Schools (Schools Partnership Program)
A school-based inclusion initiative of Special Olympics Northern California that embeds students with and without intellectual disabilities together through Unified Sports teams, Inclusive Youth Leadership councils, and whole-school engagement activities. Distinct from general athlete volunteering, it trains student leaders to reduce bullying and build inclusive school climates.