Environmental Leadership Program Seeking Participants for 2002
ENVIRONMENT/LABOUR -Environmental Leadership Program Seeking Participants for 2002
The Environmental Leadership Program is currently accepting applications from young Nova Scotians interested in travelling to Costa Rica to help create a healthier environment.
Six Nova Scotians, aged 20-24, will join other young people from Newfoundland and New Brunswick to work on Costa Rican environmental projects. They will spend May and June in Costa Rica and will be hosted by local families. They will then return home with their Costa Rican counterparts and spend July and August working on environmental projects in their own communities.
"The program gives participants an opportunity to gain valuable local and international work experience, and develop transferable job skills," said Heather Paquet, coordinator of the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps. "They also develop an appreciation of the international dimension of environmental work and learn the value of teamwork in solving problems and communicating across cultures."
The program provides hands-on experience in environmental conservation, and helps to foster environmental stewardship among the participants. This sense of stewardship is then passed onto communities as the participants take on the role of environmental leaders and role-models.
The deadline for applications is Feb. 1, 2002. Applicants should be eager to learn about the environment, willing to work on a team, and have a desire to learn more about Costa Rica. A working knowledge of Spanish is not required, and most participants pick up the language quickly.
Past participants find the program a valuable and rewarding experience.
"Looking back, I can say with satisfaction that we did a good job on our project," said Chris Anderson of Barney's River, Pictou Co. "It really did encompass a lot of what the summer was about - environmental concerns, conflict resolution, exchange of ideas and cultures. I feel very lucky to have been selected for the program."
The Environmental Leadership Program runs from April 29 to Sept.
- Established in 1993, it is a partnership between the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps, Canada World Youth, the Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador, the New Brunswick Community College, and Taller Internacional de Servicios (TAIS). TAIS is a non-profit environmental and community development organization based in San Jose, Costa Rica.
To apply, contact the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps by phone at 902-424-4924, by e-mailing nsycc@gov.ns.ca, or by fax at 902-424-3571.