Tribal Youth Programs

Native Youth Community Adaptation Leadership Congress

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Branch of Tribal Community Resilience partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in collaboration with multiple federal, Tribal, and non-governmental organizations to offer an experiential, youth-driven conservation leadership training for Native high school and college-aged youth known as the Native Youth Community Adaptation Leadership Congress (NYCALC).

NYCALC's mission is to develop future conservation leaders with the skills, knowledge, and tools to address environmental change and conservation challenges to better serve their schools and home communities. For more information about NYCALC, visit the official website.

BIA Pathways Internship Program

The BIA Pathways Internship Program connects Native American and Alaska Native students to paid internships across the United States. With meaningful projects, rotational assignments, and multi-semester opportunities, Pathways prepares you for an impactful career in public service and offers a direct pipeline to full-time employment with the BIA or Tribal Nations upon graduation. Tribes and Tribal Organizations may apply as internship hosts. Prospective interns may be placed with a Tribe, Tribal Organization, or BIA office. This program is run by the Branch of Pathways. 

Other Federal Pathways Programs

Please visit the BIA Division of Workforce and Youth Development page to learn more about internship opportunities for Native youth and young professionals. These include the BIA Recent Graduates Program, BIA Presidential Management Fellows Program, Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC), and the Bison Apprenticeship Program. The Department of State offers career development programs across the United States open to both Native and non-Native individuals. These include multi-agency Pathways Internship Programs, the Recent Graduates Program, and the Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF). Learn more about each and what they have to offer at the U.S. Department of State website. This information can also be found on the new U.S. Office of Personnel Management Intern page.

Indian Youth Service Corps

The Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC) Program aims to expand opportunities for Tribes to participate in Public Land Corps activities and to provide a direct benefit to members of federally-recognized Indian Tribes or Alaska Native corporations. It is organized by the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, and is facilitated through the BIA, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The IYSC Program will provide meaningful educational, non-Federal employment, and training opportunities to youth and young adults aged 16-30, inclusive of veterans aged 35 or younger in a natural or cultural resource setting, through conservation projects on eligible service land - public lands and Indian lands.

If you are a Tribe looking to partner on a project or if you are a prospective intern seeking to apply, contact BLM National Youth Programs Lead, Michael Brown, at m55brown@blm.gov. To learn more, read the 2022 program launch press release and 2024 program funding press release.  

American Climate Corps

Similarly to IYSC, the American Climate Corps (ACC) program is organized by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and will facilitate stewardship and conservation projects through partnerships with youth corps and conservation corps groups. The ACC provides work opportunities and education for young people ages 16-30 (and returning veterans up to age 35) in natural and cultural resource conservation, professional development, and scientific studies. The ACC will utilize the PLC hiring authority to offer an opportunity to attract and recruit entry-level employees to the BLM within two years of completing 640 hours of creditable service. 

Join listening sessions in January and February 2024 and sign up for future ACC updates on The White House website. Learn more on the Bureau of Land Management website. Learn more about partnering with the BLM and conservation organizations on Civilian Climate Corps projects on the Bureau of Land Management website.

Additional Opportunities

For additional federal and non-federal opportunities centering community resilience, view our "2023 Opportunities for Indigenous Youth and Young Professionals" handout or contact Climate Planning Specialist, Coral Avery, by email at coral.avery@bia.gov or by phone at (505)-917-5536. 

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