Climate change and biodiversity loss affects everyone—including the youth who will inherit the environmental challenges shaped by decisions made today and tomorrow.
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Sign Up TodayThe Nature Conservancy is listening to and collaborating with educators and caregivers, young nature lovers and future scientists, and emerging trailblazers who are coming of age and demanding a different path forward.
It is our responsibility to not only help young people gain the knowledge and resources to become the next generation of conservation leaders, but to also ensure that their voices and views shape the future of the planet.
To fulfill that commitment, we have developed resources, programs and partnerships to bring conservation to educators, families and young people around the world.
Nature Lab Environmental Education Resources
Nature Lab brings conservation to life for families and K-12 students with engaging videos and teaching guides that include activities aligned with national education standards. Explore Nature Lab's award-winning environmental education resources.
Learn more about the externship program
Apply OnlineTo solve our biggest environmental challenges, we need leaders who are prepared to use their talents for nature.
Two of the world’s most recognized conservation organizations, the National Geographic Society and The Nature Conservancy, have come together to foster the emerging conservation practitioners and leaders of tomorrow. Open to global youth ages 18-25, the externship program provides online mentoring and training, and each participant determines their own schedules, research topics and action steps.
Youth Conservation Stories from the Field
Youth around the world are already lifting their voices and rolling up their sleeves to make nature and their communities stronger. From the leadership of women and girls in Kenya to the hundreds of conservation jobs taken up by young people in the Gulf region, environmental stewardship is led by young people around the globe.
Explore Programs
Stories from Conservation Changemakers
Across the globe, young people are taking action on our biggest environmental challenges.
Women and Girls: The Solution for a Healthier Environment
Ensuring women and girls have equal access to knowledge and resources is becoming an integral component of TNC Africa’s conservation work.
Cultivating Conservationists: Partnerships Connect Young Ohioans with Nature
The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with community-based partners to engage the next generation in conserving nature around Ohio.
GulfCorps Program Overview
GulfCorps is creating jobs for hundreds of young adults in the Gulf region related to restoring the Gulf's ecosystems.
Quote: Kate Ireland
Any conservation action, any policy measure, any partnership built today, must be stewarded tomorrow. The transfer of care is a continuous cycle.
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