Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC)

The National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia will host the annual Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC) in summer 2025. The mission of NYCALC is to develop future Indigenous conservation leaders with skills, knowledge, and tools to address environmental change to better serve their schools and home communities. The annual congress hosts guest speakers, workshops, a half-day career fair, student service projects, and a rafting trip of the Potomac River. Students will explore culture, tradition, and science to answer a “big question” posed at the beginning of the week and will have the opportunity to apply for a mini grant to make their project ideas a reality following the congress.

Requirements for Indigenous youth groups interested in joining the congress include: have between 3-5 students and accompanying mentor from the community, be rising high school seniors (sophomores and juniors will be considered on a case-by-case basis) and be a part of a federally recognized Native American Tribe or Native American based Indigenous group.

NYCALC 2025 will take place from Saturday, June 21 to Thursday, June 26, 2025.

View the NYCALC 2025 flyer and the NYCALC 2025 postcard.

Applications for NYCALC 2025 open in December 2024.

Learn more and apply on the official website www.nycalc.org.

The 2024 congress took place from June 23 - 28, 2024 at the National Conservation Training Center hosting participants from 45 Tribal Nations. It was coordinated and funded by the BIA and USFWS in collaboration with a Core Team representing multiple federal, Tribal and other non-profit organizations. Guest speakers included Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland (Pueblo Laguna); hip-hop artist Supaman (Christian Takes Gun Parrish, Apsáalooke Nation; pictured above); actor Charley Hogan (T'odiichiinii - Bitter Water Clan/Akohni Dine -Acoma Pueblo); and scholar and musician Lyla June (Diné and Tsétsêhéstâhese). This year, new organizations were represented at the Career Fair including the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Climate Change Program and the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Climate Change Resilience Program. In addition to the reoccurring activities, the congress introduced professional development to adult faculty, including a basket-weaving workshop. Optional activities such as mural painting and beading were also offered to student participants.

- BIA TCR Climate Planning Specialist; NYCALC 2024 Annual Report (Courtesy of USFWS)

View the 2024 NYCALC Annual Report.

The 2023 Congress took place from June 25 – June 30 at the National Conservation Training Center. Read the official USFWS press release. Participants included 76 high school students and 16 college-age students (Junior Faculty and Trainers Team) for a total of 92 youth participants accompanied by an additional 20 adult mentors. In total, 47 Tribes were represented. Students worked together during Open Space Technology (OST) time. This is a youth-led process where students answer the “big question” in a large group setting, then work in groups on generated themes address the “big question.” The year’s “big question” was: What does an intergenerational approach to Indigenous climate justice look like? At the end of the week, students presented their ideas and a record number applied for NYCALC mini-grants to fund these projects in their home communities.

NYCALC 2023 was coordinated and funded by the BIA and FWS in collaboration with a Core Team comprised of 15 federal, tribal and other non-profit organizations. The NYCALC Core Planning Team and special guests presented workshops on topics addressing environmental issues, developing leadership, and interview and resume writing skills. This included 11 student workshops (2 per student), 5 mentor workshops, 15 Career Fair booths and the annual river trip and cultural gathering. Guest speakers included Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland (Pueblo Laguna); National Park Service Director, Chuck Sams (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation); and Junior Faculty alum and Outreach & Recruitment Program Manager for the Northwest Native American Center of Excellence at OHSU, Christina Uh.

“This Congress is beneficial if you want to learn more about climate change and other Native tribes. It is also a HOME where you call everyone a FAMILY, a place where you, all, are together as ONE. It will be a fun event to experience, and I am SURE you will enjoy it.” - High school student 2023

-BIA TCR Natural Resource Specialist; NYCALC 2023 Annual Report (Courtesy of USFWS)

The 2022 Congress was a powerful gathering as it was the first time NYCALC has convened in-person since 2019. Students focused on major challenges in their communities’ creating themes based on their answers to the big question. This year’s big question was, “How can Indigenous knowledge systems and western science collectively address climate change and other environmental issues?” They brainstormed themes emphasizing the importance of health, language, political involvement, traditional values, cultural preservation, sense of community, economic sustainability, and environmental awareness among others.

“It was amazing to meet people from other tribes and there's so much to learn about culture.”

“I felt very safe. It helped me find who I was. It made me secure in my culture and cherish it.”

- High School Students, 2022

Students learned about leadership and college and career readiness within the context of addressing climate resiliency within home communities. The program featured interactive plenary and break-out group discussions, live presentations, and cultural sharing. Guest speakers, most of whom are Native American, included musicians Frank Waln (Sicangu Lakota), and Christian Takes Gun Parrish, or Supaman (Apsáalooke Nation); radio personality and podcaster Pete Dominick; film director, actor, and professor Dr. Myrton Running Wolf (Blackfeet/Wasco); and, from the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Assistant Director Paul Rauch and Scott Aikin, National Native American Programs Coordinator (Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation). The NYCALC Core Planning Team and special guests presented workshops on topics addressing environmental issues, developing leadership, and interview and resume writing skills.

-BIA TCR Natural Resource Specialist; NYCALC 2022 Annual Report (Courtesy of USFWS)

In 2021, NYCALC changed in two significant ways. First, NYCALC engaged a new non-profit partner, the Aspen Institute, to modify the role and responsibilities of the junior faculty. This year select Native college-age applicants engaged in culturally sensitive train-the-trainer community leadership programming and gained access to community capacity-building funds. These young leaders also helped deliver NYCALC by co-leading icebreakers, co-facilitating selected workshops, and serving as mentors to the high-school students, especially for any who seek assistance with mini-grant applications.

Second, the NYCALC Core Team adapted the program for online participation, for three afternoons, as NCTC remained closed due to the Covid-virus pandemic. Students learned about leadership and college and career readiness all within the context of climate resiliency. The program featured interactive plenary and break-out group discussions, and live and pre-recorded presentations and cultural sharing. Guest speakers, most of whom are Native American, included Raina Thiele, who is Dena’ina Athabascan/Yup’ik and is the Department of the Interior Senior Advisor to the Secretary, musician Frank Waln, who is Sicangu Lakota, radio personality and podcaster Pete Dominick, film director, actor, and professor Dr. Myrton Running Wolf, who is Blackfeet/Wasco, and National Park Service Alaska Native Tribal Relations Program Manager Maija Katak Lukin, who is Iñupiaq. The Core Team and guests presented workshops on such topics as leadership, entrepreneurship, and interview and resume writing skills.

- NYCALC 2021 Annual Report (Courtesy of USFWS)

2019 NYCALC in Shepherdstown, West Virginia

The 2019 Native Youth Congress inspired and empowered future conservation leaders to embrace tradition and honor cultural values when addressing social and environmental concerns today. Students created themes based on their answers to a big question posed at the beginning of the week, and with these themes emphasized the importance of language, elders, political involvement, traditional values, cultural preservation, social, economic, and environmental awareness.

"Each activity fostered culture and opportunities for students to share their thoughts, traditional knowledge and cultural values on conservation. Indigenous knowledge and the Native ways of life have helped Tribal communities adapt through countless challenges."

- Jenn Hill, Project Lead Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Participant speaking to the audience

In July 2018, high school Native American students from across Indian Country, the Pacific Islands, and Alaska Native villages gathered at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) to consider the question, "How can we support all generations to engage with the land while honoring and respecting Indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge and the environment?" Over the years, students have come together for a week-long summer event to work on and present a project inspired by this question.

They got the chance to listen to inspiring guest speakers and engage with other young leaders on community projects and build skills that empowered them as future stewards.

The Ancestral Lands Program was honored to be given the opportunity to bring 18 participants to attend this year's NYCALC at NCTC in Shepherdstown, WV. This event brought together Native youth from around Indian Country, Alaska Native villages, Hawai'i, and American Samoa to learn about environmental issues impacting their communities. Students also develop leadership and professional skills, and create projects to address environmental challenges back home.

• Native Youth Community Adaptation & Leadership Congress Report (PDF)
• FWS 2017 NYCALC Highlights (YouTube)

The USFWS successfully hosted the "Inter-Tribal Climate Leadership Congress" from June 28 - July 3, 2015 at NCTC for 89 high school students and 23 adult chaperones representing 30 Native American, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian communities from across Indian Country, Alaska Native villages, Hawai'i and American Samoa. Students improved their knowledge of climate change and their climate leadership skills, and developed climate change project presentation proposals which are applicable to their home communities. The USFWS was assisted by staff and financial resources from the BIA, NPS, USFS and USGS. Highlights included the student climate presentations, a Shenandoah River boat trip, service projects on the NCTC campus, a performance by musicians Frank Waln and the Sampson Brothers, and a student Pow Wow.

• Climate Change From Inter-Tribal Youth Congress 2015 (YouTube)
• 2015 Inter-Tribal Youth Leadership Congress Summary (NOAA)
• Working with Tribal Youth “To Plant Seeds for a Brighter Future” (USFS, 8/19/2015)
• Cultivating Native Leaders in Conservation (USDA, 7/28/15)
• Video From Inter-Tribal Youth Congress 2015 (Eco-Adapt)
• Mescalero Students Attend Conference on Tribal Youth Leadership (Ruidoso News, 7/28/15)
• Music Video: Nake Nula Waun, Frank Waln, The Sampson Brothers Performance 6/30/15 (YouTube)
• Photos from the 2015 Inter-Tribal Youth Leadership Congress (Flickr)