Rising Leaders
Building the next generation of environmental leaders.
Are you 15-30 years old?
We invest in rising leaders
The Trust’s Rising Leaders Program provides opportunities for young people to build leadership, advocacy, and professional skills that work toward creating a more just and sustainable future for the Colorado Plateau.
We take 15- to 30-year-olds to far-flung corners of the Colorado Plateau, build connections with landscapes and each other, hone advocacy and community-organizing skills, talk about tough issues, and offer opportunities for budding activists to put it all into practice.
Our programs for rising leaders
Place-based learning
We take students to the state capitol, local farms, forests, and desert lands. Young leaders come away from these experiences with a deep understanding of issues facing public and tribal lands.
Leadership training
From lobbying strategies to science communication, we pair advocacy training with opportunities for students to practice their new skills. Our leadership program gives rising leaders tools to effect change.
Career development
Each year, interns dive into the Trust’s work, set their own professional goals, develop skills, and study issues related to public and tribal lands, all the while receiving a competitive living wage.
Who we serve
We prioritize diversity in the groups of young people with whom we work, emphasizing Indigenous communities of the Colorado Plateau. We work closely with local high schools, Diné College, Northern Arizona University, and Fort Lewis College to help grow the next generation of conservation and environmental justice leaders.
LeaderShift
Calling all 18-27-year-olds! Each summer, we host a free training program for young environmental justice leaders. Created by and for young people, LeaderShift connects young advocates with environmental and social justice issues on the Colorado Plateau.
Curious about opportunities for young people on the Colorado Plateau?
Grand Canyon Trust internships
Jump-start your advocacy career with a paid 12-week internship. Forget about making copies. You’ll dive into fieldwork, community organizing, research, and more. Interns and fellows learn how to become movement leaders, work alongside Trust staff, and partner with local communities.
Internship applications typically open in February.
Grand Canyon river trip for Native youth
The annual Grand Canyon Regional Intertribal Intergenerational Stewardship Expedition (RIISE) brings Native youth and knowledge holders together on an eight-day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.
Young voices guide our work
The Rising Leaders Program is aways evolving.
Our goal is to create curriculum and opportunities that reflect the needs of young people across the Colorado Plateau. The Rising Leaders Advisory Council gives us feedback and guidance, which we implement into the projects and programs we offer.
We believe in the collective power of young people to enact change on the Colorado Plateau. The Rising Leaders Program supports young people by facilitating opportunities to expand their skills and actualize their leadership potential within the environmental justice movement.
Read about what rising leaders are doing
