Deadline: Sunday, 23 July 2023, 23:59 CEST (UTC+2).
Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) Restoration Stewards Program 2024
The Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) are launching the fourth edition of the Restoration Stewards program to support and highlight the work of young restoration practitioners and their teams, who will represent the next cohort of Restoration Stewards.
The year-long program will provide funding, mentorship, and training to help young restoration professionals and their teams develop their restoration projects and raise awareness among their local communities about the importance of ecosystem restoration and healthy landscapes.
During the program, the Restoration Stewards and their teams will be supported to further develop their projects and will become ambassadors at both global and local levels. Globally, the Restoration Stewards will share their journeys in a series of vlogs and blogs documenting their stories of inspiration and challenges. Locally, they will spark a restoration movement, creating pathways to connect, share, learn and act for more sustainable landscapes.
BENEFITS
They will consider applications from anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 who has initiated a restoration project in any of the following ecosystems: forest, mountains, oceans, peatlands, wetlands, drylands and rangelands. Applicants must understand and be willing to adhere to and model the GLF vision, pillars and values. We will give priority to projects that are:
- Run by a person or a group of young people who are either local, Indigenous, or nationals of African, Asian, Latin American or Caribbean countries and are running projects in these regions;
- Already in the early development stage and have been running for a minimum of one year.
Note that you do not necessarily have to create a new project from scratch to be eligible; we invite candidates to build on restoration programs or projects you are already running.
ELIGIBILITY
They will consider applications from anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 who has initiated a restoration project in any of the following ecosystems: forest, mountains, oceans, peatlands, wetlands, drylands and rangelands. Applicants must understand and be willing to adhere to and model the GLF vision, pillars and values. We will give priority to projects that are:
- Run by a person or a group of young people who are either local, Indigenous, or nationals of African, Asian, Latin American or Caribbean countries and are running projects in these regions;
- Already in the early development stage and have been running for a minimum of one year.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Project selection is a competitive process, and as such, the application will require some preparation. When applying, you will be asked the following questions, which you may answer in English, French or Spanish:
About you:
- What experience do you have related to restoration? (200 words).
- Prepare a one-minute video of yourself telling us why you would like to become a Restoration Steward. Share the video as a post on Facebook or Twitter, tagging the Global Landscapes Forum (@GlobalLF) and using the #generationrestoration hashtag, or use an unlisted YouTube or Google Drive link. If you share your video via social media, please make sure to add the link to your post in the application.
About your project:
- Please make sure you have a name for your project.
- Prepare a description of the landscape you are working on: Why are you working on it, what is its current status, and what environmental and social problems have you encountered? What are the drivers of degradation (if any), and who are the key stakeholders? (500 words).
- Prepare a holistic summary description of the project (500–1000 words), describing the objectives and intended impact (500–1000 words).
- Prepare a document (Word or PDF) with an overview of the activities that will be carried out by the Restoration Stewards program, including a timeline and indicators.
- Please explain how you will implement a landscape approach and ensure different elements and stakeholders of the ecosystem you are working in are taken into account (300 words).
- Prepare a 200-word answer to the following question: If you become a Restoration Steward, where do you see your project in a year’s time after completing the program?”
- Prepare a one-page PDF or Word document with a breakdown description of how you intend to use the stipend.
- Provide a picture of your project area.
