California Public Interest Research Group
Political Advocacy Groups·Environmental/Sustainability·Community Service/Nonprofit·Education
CALPIRG Students is a student-run, student-funded nonprofit that uses grassroots organizing, petitioning, lobbying, and public education to fight for the environment, campus affordability, and democracy. The UC Berkeley chapter has been active since 1972, with weekly general meetings on Mondays from 6-7pm in Wheeler 104. Members run campaigns on issues like ocean protection, plastic pollution, affordable textbooks, and voter registration, and can join as volunteers, interns (for course credit), or campaign coordinators.
1
Weekly general meeting
1972
Year Founded
8
Number of UC campuses with chapters
30,000
Students reached through class presentations (100% renewable energy campaign)
20,000
Students signed on to clean energy petition
200
Student leaders brought together for Clean Energy Lobby Days
Events They Host
Earth Day Climate Summit
Held in 2021 with over 700 attendees
Clean Energy Lobby Day
Organized event where over 200 students lobbied nearly 80 legislative offices in Sacramento to support offshore wind and solar energy (2021)
California Ocean Day
CALPIRG students attended in Sacramento (2024 and 2025 documented)
Fish and Game Commission Regional MPA Hearings
Members attend public hearings in locations such as San Mateo (April 21), Santa Barbara (May 5-6), and San Clemente (May 19) to advocate for expanding marine protected areas
Voter Registration Drives
Ongoing on-campus voter registration drives run as part of the New Voters Project; in 2020 helped register over 10,000 students
Oceans Rally
UCSD chapter organized an oceans rally on April 15 at Kellogg Park, 4-6 PM, with speakers and community gathering in support of marine protected areas
Screening of Ocean with David Attenborough
UC Davis chapter hosted a film screening (Wednesday, 6:30 PM, Cruess 107) as part of ocean campaign outreach
Member Experiences
Weekly CORE Meetings
UC Berkeley holds weekly general CORE meetings Mondays 6-7 pm in Wheeler 104; UC Irvine holds weekly CORE meetings from 6-7 pm
End-of-Quarter Social
UC Santa Cruz chapter holds a social at the end of each quarter for members to decompress before finals (described as festive with cookies and coffee)
Save the Bag Ban Alternative Spring Break Tour
30 students spent spring break doing press events with local elected officials in seven cities from Oakland to San Diego to defend California's plastic bag ban