Youth Leadership Program
Are you a high school student who wants to build your leadership skills and have a positive impact on your community? Apply today to participate in the RIEEA Youth Leadership Program!
This program is for teams of current 9th-12th grade Rhode Island students and their adult mentors. Teams should consist of 3-6 students from the same school or organization and a teacher, youth leader, club advisor, etc. over 21 years of age. Our goal is to inspire and build the capacity of a diverse and representative group of young people to become leaders and advocates for environmental justice in their communities through environmental education.
Environmental education is the learning process through which a person attains environmental literacy, which is an understanding of the Earth as a physical system and the living environment, including humans and their societies within the landscape. It also includes any learning process that takes place in the natural world or outdoors, such as in a schoolyard, an outdoor classroom, an outdoor habitat, park, or nature center, etc.
The program includes:
- an in-person retreat* for your team with leadership skill building, keynote address, and team project brainstorming;
- direction and guidance from youth who participated in this program previously and RIEEA staff;
- a $500 stipend for your team to carry out a project that will promote environmental justice and/or improve environmental literacy in your school or community; and
- the opportunity to meet new people and have fun!
*Team members are required to attend the in-person retreat. All costs associated with the retreat (dinner, travel expenses, etc.) as well as project stipends are covered by our generous funders: Sierra Club Rhode Island, Avangrid Renewables, Verizon Foundation, and Rhode Island College.
The application period for 2022 has closed. Please check this page in mid-2023 for information about next year’s program.
Please contact us if you have any questions at all!
