2024 Applications are now closed
At the Youth Organizer Summit, held each fall in the Anchorage area, participants gather with 15-20 teens from across Alaska to participate in five action-packed days of training in leadership, advocacy, community organizing, and learn how to take action on environmental issues in our communities. Participants also become a part of that year's cohort of AYEA Youth Organizers, who put their skills into practice by choosing and leading AYEA's statewide campaign for the year.
Every Alaskan teen, ages 13-18, is welcome to apply. Our only requirement is your excitement for environmental action! Applications are open to teens from both rural and urban Alaskan communities. We strongly encourage 2-3 youth from each community to apply – you may be accepted as a group so you can travel together!
Interested in becoming a trainer?
Are you over 18 or have you attended this summit in the past? We also depend on the skills, knowledge, and wisdom of adult and youth trainers alike to make each summit a success! Youth who have attended past AYEA summits are encouraged to apply as Peer Trainers to help lead workshops, practice their leadership skills, and share their experiences with other youth. Adults who have experience in environmental advocacy, climate justice, or other community organizing work are encouraged to apply to join our pool of Adult Trainers!
Timeline:
- 2024 Youth Organizer Summit: September 13-17 in Anchorage, AK
- June 1: Applications Open
- June 30: Applications Close
- First week of July: Youth Organizers notified of selection
- Mid-July: Registration due for accepted and waitlisted applicants
- September 13-17: Summit time!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A YOUTH ORGANIZER?
Being a Youth Organizer (YO) means committing to work collaboratively with other young people from across the state to fight for a common goal while developing skills that you will use your entire life. All you need is an interest in working with others and learning how to take action on environmental issues! Every year at the YO Summit, participants receive training on important community organizing skills like goal setting, advocacy, storytelling, teamwork and leadership, and developing a campaign. Youth Organizers then decide on a goal and plan for AYEA’s statewide campaign for the year! Sometimes Youth Organizers focus on climate justice and building a sustainable future. Other times they focus on issues like local food or protecting salmon. AYEA is youth-led - that means Youth Organizers decide! Adult mentors and staff provide essential support to help teens learn the skills they need to successfully reach their project goals. Throughout the school year, YO’s have the opportunity to stay in touch with each other through monthly campaign calls to work together to reach their project goals. Youth Organizers will also gain skills that they can take back to their home communities to work on their own action projects.
Travel
If you are accepted to the Youth Organizer Summit, AYEA will work with you and your family to arrange travel. Families who are in a position to cover the cost of their teen’s travel to and from the summit are encouraged to do so, as this makes more travel scholarships available for additional youth! Travel support and scholarships are also available to families who need them. Most often, any travel via Alaska Airlines will be covered by AYEA through donated miles from our community supporters. For other airlines, we ask participants to first speak with their local school district, community organizations, or businesses to see if they can cover all or part of the cost. AYEA will work with you after that to make sure all costs are covered!
In most cases, youth travel to and from AYEA summits unaccompanied by a chaperone and are met at their final destination by AYEA staff. However, we know that this may be some teen’s first time flying alone! If you would like to request to have an adult chaperone from your community accompany you or your group please note this in your application!
Registration Cost:
AYEA is committed to keeping our trainings accessible to all youth, no matter your family's financial position. The registration cost of the 5-day Youth Organizer Summit is tiered for families of all income levels on a pay-what-you-can basis in levels of $50, $200, and $400. This registration fee covers all meals, local transportation, accommodations, and training and supplies for participants while they are at the summit. Suggested contribution levels are as follows: working class families are encouraged to pay $50, middle income families $200, and high income families $400. Full scholarships are also available when needed. Participants seeking full scholarships are asked to try one activity from our fundraising toolkit before full scholarships are granted.
For more information, please contact AYEA Program Manager Leila Pyle at [email protected].