Young Leaders in Conservation Program (YLICP)

Young Leaders in Conservation Program (YLICP)

Youth lead the fight for climate and for nature. We want and deserve to shape the world we will live in and save the planet we will inhabit.

The Young Leaders in Conservation Program (YLICP) provides youth with knowledge, skills and opportunities to advocate for conservation issues in BC. Key topics include advocacy and lobbying skills, the history of conservation in BC, Indigenous-led conservation and knowledge, government, community and media relations, strategic campaign planning and management and radical self-care in the environmental movement.

The program is free and runs over 6 months with webinars and an in-person summit.

What past participants have said!

Learning about CPAWS’ strategy for 30×30 was really interesting; it’s still hard for me to put into words but I gained a lot of understanding of how exactly big, national goals can be tackled and the amount of thought and work that is put into each step. It filled me with hope to get to know everyone and realize there are SO MANY AMAZING YOUNG PEOPLE, including CPAWS folks like Meg and Eden as well as all the participants, doing incredible work in conservation and environmentalism. The diversity of the backgrounds of folks who attended was really impressive and kept us learning from each other all weekend long. I love to see the niches people have carved out for themselves and I feel really inspired.

It is so encouraging to know that there is a huge network of like-minded people also working towards the same goals, and sharing in the same struggles.

CPAWS-BC showed us that anyone can make a difference in conservation as long as they put all their care and passion into it. Although, there is no quick and easy answer to our current conservation issues, CPAWS has proven that intentional discussion and collaboration allows us to come close to a resolution.

Opportunities

Make meaningful connections with environmentally-minded youth who care deeply about stewarding BC’s beautiful natural spaces.
Gain skills and knowledge to understand and advocate for conservation issues in BC.
Receive training and engage with Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and other government officials about conservation.
Participants will receive a certificate upon successful completion of the program.

Who should apply?

YLICP seeks young leaders—ages 18-30, who permanently reside in BC and are connected to environmental issues. Our goal is to bring a diverse group of young folks together to build meaningful connections and provide skills training.

CPAWS-BC believes that Indigenous, Black, and Racialized people of the Global Majority, people from working class backgrounds, women, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities must be centred in conservation. As such, we strongly encourage people with these identities or who are members of other marginalized communities to apply.

This program has room for up to 25 participants.

*Applicants must be a resident of BC and be between the ages of 18-30 when applying*

Meet YLICP participants

See participants

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do I apply?

Applications are now open! Apply by completing the application form linked above. This application should take anywhere from 30-60 minutes to complete. You can respond to the questions in whichever way suits you best. You can either respond in short written paragraphs or respond to any or all questions in an audio or video format and attach the file to the response box. The maximum file size is 100MB (you can upload max. 7 files).
What do I need to participate in the program?
I’d like to participate, but face barriers for travel or physical space to join virtually. What are you doing in terms of accessibility?

We’re committed to ensuring accessibility in this program. We encourage applicants to specify any accessibility needs and/or accommodations we should be aware of to support them throughout the duration of the program.

Language: Sessions will be conducted primarily in English

Captions: We will aim to provide captions during all the virtual webinars.

Recordings: We will record the sessions if you can’t make all of them/need to leave early

Discomfort is optional: We encourage you to make yourself as comfortable as possible during this program. For the virtual sessions, take breaks, turn off your camera, make yourself a tea; for the in-person Summit, let our YLICP team or another supervisor know what you need to ensure your comfort and/or feelings of safety.

Financials: If the financial burden of participating is concerning (re: childcare or time off work), let’s connect! youth@cpawsbc.org
What happens after I apply? How will participants be selected?
After you apply, you can expect to receive an email with the status of your admission to the program within one week after the closing date (Feb. 3, 2025 11:59 PM PT). Priority for Indigenous, Black, and Racialized people of the Global Majority, people from working class backgrounds, women, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities will be given to support our organization’s policy for equitable recruiting. To ensure the best experience, up to 25 participants will be selected and we’d like more than half of the spots to go to marginalized folks who self-identify on their application.

We ask participants to commit to the full length of the program:
- In-person kick-off summit in Feb. 28 – March 3
- Webinar Workshops (~six virtual webinar workshops around ~1.5-2 hrs in length throughout March – April 2025),
- Multi-day In-person Lobby Day (May 11 – 13, 2025)
What is a lobby day?
Is this a paid position?

Advisory Committee Members

Joanne Nellas ▼

Joanne is committed to uplifting the voices of underrepresented groups through meaningful, inclusive and intentional engagement. She strives for an equitable and just city where all people feel empowered and equipped to lead positive changes in their communities. Joanne has a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from UBC with a concentrated focus on planning for equity-seeking communities, and a Bachelor in Environment from SFU.

Merging her two passions and knowledge, Joanne feels most energized when working within the intersection of climate action and the needs and interests of marginalized communities. She has worked on engagement projects and research with various organizations on municipality-level climate justice, urban and rural Indigenous housing, homelessness action, equitable transportation, civic engagement for racialized groups, and more.

Brennan Strandberg-Salmon ▼

Brennan is a researcher, project manager, and volunteer coordinator with a passion for youth-led climate justice advocacy and climate policy. Brennan works as a Policy Analyst for Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Policy Priorities Division.

Outside of work, he co-leads the youth Climate Change Branch of the BC Council for International Cooperation, which empowers young people to build skills for climate careers and advocate for equitable climate action through hands-on research, communications, and climate conference delegations. At university, Brennan led efforts with student club SFU350 to successfully mobilize SFU to commit to fossil fuel divestment and declare a climate emergency.

Lucero Gonzalez ▼

Lucero is a young Mexican immigrant of ñha-ñhú ancestry who currently resides as an uninvited guest on the continuously occupied territories of the q̓ic̓əy̓ and Kwantlen First Nations. She currently holds the Conservation and Policy Campaigner role at the Wilderness Committee.

She has been involved in the social and environmental justice movements since she was sixteen and is passionate about the power of policy change driven by grassroots movements and communities. Lucero brings years of experience working in at-risk species protection and legislation, mostly in marine conservation spaces. She is also incredibly passionate about youth involvement in policy spaces, especially in ensuring those spaces are safe for BIPOC youth, like herself, to thrive in.

Resources

Coping with ecoanxiety