Opportunity for Youth Activists

Opportunity for Youth Activists

 

Dave Brower persistently re-envisioned the definition of "environment" over some 60 years of active work. He wanted to understand the true nature of complex ecological relationships, drawing at every point on the latest science and the latest creative thinking - at myriad points both learning from and mentoring young people - in order to define the urgent and emerging issues needing attention. Time after time, he led in setting the agenda for public interest advocacy on a broad range of fronts. He helped establish 9 national parks and pioneered new ways to protect threatened communities and wild places using photography, publishing, film, law, and advertising.

This is an annual national award that recognizes 6 young people for their outstanding activism and achievements in the fields of environmental and social justice advocacy. The winners of the award receive $3,000 in cash, a trip to California for the award ceremony and
Yosemite camping trip, and ongoing access to resources and opportunities to further their work at Earth Island Institute.

 

The Brower Youth Awards recognize people who are age 13 to 22 as of July 1, 2006, living in the United States or
Puerto Rico who have shown outstanding leadership on a project with positive environmental or social impact. “Outstanding leadership” means that you played the major leadership role in creating, organizing and implementing your project. You can think of this like making a film. Many people contribute to the film, but one person is recognized as the director – the person with the vision, the motivation, and the leadership skills to get the film completed. It is more difficult to assess leadership in individual efforts that did not involve being the leader of a group.

 

“Project impact” is how the project benefited the environment/community in terms of measurable results (acres of wildlife habitat protected or restored, number of people engaged in social issues because of the project, numbers of children no longer exposed to toxins, etc.).

 

The project should fall under one or more of these categories:

Ø      CONSERVATION is work to eliminate or decrease our use of natural resources and our negative impacts on ecosystems and communities.

Ø      PRESERVATION is work to protect ecosystems, species, indigenous cultures and other irreplaceable elements of the world's natural heritage.

Ø      RESTORATION is work to re-establish the healthy functioning of ecosystems; parts of ecosystems; and human communities that manage ecosystems.

 

Completed Application must be postmarked or e-mailed by April 15, 2006.

 

http://www.broweryouthawards.org/files/application.php?pg=overview