by Maria Archibald, Rising Leaders Manager
During a hot July day this past summer, I stood with a group of young people in their late teens and early 20s between Canyon Mine, a uranium mine on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, and Red Butte, the birthplace of the Havasupai people. As we looked out on this sacred butte, Havasupai elder Coleen Kaska called for an end to uranium mining on her homelands. “Are they going to listen to us?” she asked. “All we want is protection for our waters.”
The young people standing next to me were participating in the first-annual LeaderShift, a place-based advocacy workshop that explores environmental justice issues on the Colorado Plateau and teaches skills and strategies for change. If you care about environmental and social justice and are looking for ways to make a difference, LeaderShift is for you!
Read: LeaderShift: A Southwest Road Trip for Students ›
LeaderShift 2020 will take a virtual form this year as we focus on ways to transition the Colorado Plateau away from fossil fuels while ensuring justice and equity for communities. We will examine the path of fossil fuels from their source to their destination and explore what a “just transition” means for the Colorado Plateau. And we will listen to the teachings of Indigenous peoples, who have been leading a generations-long fight to protect their communities from resource exploitation, along the way. In keeping with social distancing protocols, LeaderShift 2020 will be held online to safely converge youth who share passion for environmental justice and the Southwest.
LeaderShift will help you develop and refine skills to create change in your community and across the Colorado Plateau. With intensive workshops ranging from climate justice, to direct action, to collaborative art, LeaderShift has something for everyone! Join us to learn how your passions and talents can support the environmental movement and contribute to a brighter future.
“[LeaderShift] was simply life changing.” —Bellicia Vaiza
The pandemic is unveiling how certain communities are disproportionately affected by crisis. These are the same injustices that perpetuate climate change and cause Native people and other communities of color to feel the first and worst effects of the climate crisis. Bold action must be taken to enable a just transition. At LeaderShift, we will discover ways to resist injustice and build communities that are resilient to climate change on the Colorado Plateau.
Because we believe that opportunities like LeaderShift should be accessible to every young person, we commit to providing all students with the materials they need to participate in the course. In recognition of current economic challenges, and because we value the time you choose to spend learning about environmental justice, we are also offering participants who successfully complete the course a $200 stipend!
Your future employers, teachers, and professors will be impressed when they see LeaderShift on your resume. LeaderShift will help you deepen your knowledge and skills and distinguish you as a strong candidate for an internship, a job, or an academic program. After you graduate from LeaderShift, we will continue to support you in finding opportunities that advance your personal and professional goals.
“This trip taught me so much more than expected” —Ashley Howard
At LeaderShift, we learn from each other and from folks on the frontlines of environmental justice work. If you want to spend your summer deepening your relationships with community leaders, activists, elders, and youth who are fighting for a brighter future on the Colorado Plateau, then consider applying to LeaderShift.
“It was eye opening and transformative being immersed in the communities we were learning about,” a 2019 LeaderShift participant said of her experience. “It allowed me to feel connected to something beyond myself and drove me to a newfound passion.”
Looking to launch your career in conservation, advocacy, or environmental justice? Come work for the Grand Canyon Trust.
Read More
We're preparing young Indigenous leaders to invest in their communities through internships, leadership training programs, river trips, and more.
Read More
Rising leaders draft an action plan for a healthy and just future on the Colorado Plateau.
Read More