CEC's Generation of Environmental Leaders Program Now Open to North American Youth! Français

The selected youth will benefit from a year-long mentorship program, networking opportunities across North America, receive C$15,000 in seed funding and the chance to present their solutions to North America's top environmental officials as part of the CEC's annual Council Session in the summer of 2025.

It's time to act now.
The GELP invites young people from North America to support communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air. The program is aimed at youth who are 18–35 years old and are part of a team such as, but not exclusively, youth-led organizations, youth-led associations, nongovernmental organizations, not-for-profit youth-led businesses, and teams of youth innovators and entrepreneurs interested in building their businesses.

Here's what the current GELP cohort is saying.
"The mentorship provided by the GELP has greatly helped me grow as a person and has made me feel more comfortable stepping out of my comfort zone, especially in areas like preparing for presentations and managing stress. Today, I feel much more at ease speaking in front of an audience!"—Alexandre Savard, Encore! Biomatériaux, Canada.

"The seed funding provided through the GELP was a wonderful opportunity to kickstart some of our project's most important activities. Thanks to this support, we were able to initiate the implementation of an Environmental Management Unit, a step that will foster restoration and conservation of the area." —Ana Cristina Posadas García, Strategy for the Restoration and Conservation of the Ciénega of Tamasopo Wetland, RAMSAR Site, Mexico.

"As members of the inaugural GELP cohort, we have had the privilege of connecting with individuals and organizations driven to be a power for good in the environmental and climate space. These experiences have been the catalyst for additional award nominations and the formation of collaborative partnerships that we believe will further grow our work at the intersection of justice and an equitable energy transition."—McKenna Dunbar and Jake Barnet, Electrivive: An Equitable Building Electrification Workforce Redevelopment Tool, United States.

We're giving youth the resources to succeed and lead.
In addition to building capacity for youth, this program accelerates youth leadership by expanding youth environmental networks and providing seed funding for creative solutions to flourish, particularly at the local level. During the year-long mentorship program, youth leaders receive advice from experts to help advance their solutions and guidance on various elements of their projects, including how to pitch their solutions and other project development and management topics such as risk management, budgeting, outreach and fundraising. The program supports impactful and enduring community-driven activities and establishes a robust youth network across North America.

The GELP also provides extended networking opportunities for participants. The selected solutions are presented to the public and selected teams can engage with the CEC's Joint Public Advisory Committee and Traditional Ecological Knowledge Expert Group, and Government officials and experts, during the CEC Council Session, an ideal platform to showcase the impactful ideas at the ministerial level.

Requirements for participation.
Applicants must demonstrate that their solutions can address or respond to critical issues related to supporting our communities and preserving our shared waters, lands and air across North America. Submissions should be practical, effective, achievable and propose sustainable solutions to an identifiable environmental problem. They should also be context-specific and consider the unique characteristics of the community or region targeted by the project.

The eligibility and evaluation criteria prioritize solutions that have established a clear objective and will have a significant impact on local communities and their environment:

• Impact and community engagement (40%)
• Feasibility (25%)
• Alignment with CEC's strategic pillars and the program theme (15%)
• Identification of problem/issue (10%)
• Innovation (10%)

Priority is given to proposals submitted by diverse youth who identified or developed their solutions jointly with communities, including community members who traditionally do not have access to decision-making spaces.

Submission deadline: Completed submissions must be uploaded to the submission platform by 23:59 local time on 12 January 2025.

Click here to learn more about the program, the submission guidelines and criteria, and to apply.

For more information about the Generation of Environmental Leaders Program and the submission process, please join us for a virtual information session on 17 December 2024 from 13:00–14:00 Eastern Time (12:00–13:00 Central Time) and (10:00–11:00 Pacific Time), available with simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Spanish.

If you would like to know more about CEC initiatives, opportunities and efforts, you can sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media.

Media Contact
Patrick Tonissen 
Head of Communications
+1 (438) 885-8463

SOURCE Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)