For Release: Through February 28th, 2022
Contact: Alejandro Morales, [email protected], 612-713-5175
Future Native Conservation Leaders Are Encouraged to Apply for the Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress
The National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia will be hosting the 8th annual Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress, starting June 26 – June 30, 2022. The mission of the Native Youth Congress is to develop future conservation leaders with skills, knowledge, and tools and address environmental change and conservation to better serve their schools and home communities.
While exploring culture, tradition and science to answer a big question posed at the beginning of the week, students will lead the congress and focus on major challenges in their communities. The students create themes based on their initial answers to the big question. These themes will emphasize the importance of language, elders, political involvement, traditional values, cultural preservation, and social-economic and environmental awareness.
“The Native Youth Congress has grown over the years into a multi-faceted program that provides an open safe space for students to learn about other cultures and environmental issues while gaining confidence in their own cultural values,” says Native Youth Congress co-coordinator Jenn Hill. “We developed the native youth adaptation congress to reflect their identity, empower their future and the next generation of conservation leaders.”
Tribal youth groups interested in joining the Native Youth Congress should have between 3-5 students, consist of rising high school seniors, be a part of a federally recognized Native American tribe, and sophomores and juniors will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applications for this program can be found at NYCALC.org and will be accepted December 1st – February 28th, 2022.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work, visit http://www.fws.gov/.
-FWS-