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Bioneers 2015 Youth Leadership Program: Moving the Movement!
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By Branden Barber
Director of Engagement & Development
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Dear Bioneer:
Way back when a handful of youth convened under a tree at Bioneers in 2000, at the behest of Julia Butterfly-Hill, we knew an essential piece of the puzzle had just been placed. This program was born to bring youth into the fold of Bioneers in a way that would inspire, inform and engage them, generating ambassadors for the world the world wants. Ever since, these inspired young people have set about translating the Bioneers messages of real, solutions-based hope into the language of our emerging generations of leadership.
That handful of young people turned into almost 500 youth at Bioneers 2015, thanks to your awesome support! The Bioneers Youth Leadership Program (YLP) today is making a deep and powerful impact for thousands of young leaders – and for our collective future.
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“I was grateful this year to be part of the Youth Leadership program, where I was surrounded by motivated young adults to change the world. The dire state of our planet is often scary and overwhelming to think about, but the capacity of humans and our ability to collaborate on solutions keeps me hopeful. That is why I love Bioneers.”
Lily Urmann, student, UC Santa Cruz
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This year we hit high water marks across the board - and we had our highest youth attendance ever!
- About 20% of attendees at Bioneers 2015 were youth, nearly 500!
- Approximately 42% of our YLP participants identified as youth of color.
- Over 70 indigenous youth attended the Youth Leadership Program on scholarships – a 20% jump – representing 20 tribes. Twenty-five came from the Navajo nation!
See all the Youth Leadership highlights from Bioneers 2015 »
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Luisah Teish, an elder in the Ifa/Orisha tradition and renowned speaker and artist-activist, met with youth for an intergenerational mentoring session at the 2015 Bioneers National Conference. Photo by Republic of Light.
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And youth participation and engagement were consistent throughout. These young people all took this seriously – as an opportunity to learn, grow and create relationships that will help them on their way on the road ahead. And when you have mentors like Luisah Teish, you’ve got good backing! Truly it is a life-changing experience that will last a lifetime.
Our overall success came through in the responses of the youth themselves:
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“This year the conference had a very strong presence of Indigenous speakers, panelists, youth scholars, and attendees and I am both honored and proud to say that I was one of the Indigenous Youth Scholars. For me this opportunity has been invaluable. Growing up I experienced conflicting and confusing feelings about my culture…I still work with this internalized oppression, however, there are moments when someone or something frees me from that, and that’s what happened at Bioneers.”
Jade Begay (Tesuque Pueblo and Dinétah), Sustainability and Justice Communications Fellow at Resource Media
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“The Bioneers conference for me reinforced the idea that we are in it together and we need to stop dividing ourselves. Collaboration, innovation, and integration are essential elements needed to create change within our society. It was definitely an eye-opening experience to me and one that I will not forget anytime soon.”
Miguel Garcia, student
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Hear more of what youth had to say »
Create and Support Youth Engagement at this Critical Time
As Bioneers so vividly shows, one person can make a real difference, and today’s leadership arises in and from community. Youth know this and today’s young people are deeply enmeshed in community. The Bioneers Youth Scholars are on their paths – or on their way to finding them – and they’re determined to bring about the world the world wants.
And we all know that they can’t do it alone—your partnership is essential to keep bringing youth to the movement and illuminating some of the pathways. Bioneers is a way station for them where they can find new maps, reset their compasses and form new relationships that will strengthen and support them on their journeys. Your support is vitally important.
You can contribute once a month and you can make a huge difference. Give as little as the price of a weekday lunch—$10. That becomes $120 a year and that’s almost a quarter of a youth scholarship! If you can commit to $50 a month, you’ll fund a full Youth Scholarship!
If you prefer, you can also make a one-time gift. It will make a difference that really makes a difference. And that’s perhaps most true when you consider that you are investing in these bright young advocates for our future.
The real power here lies in your giving. Investing in Youth Leadership offers such uniquely high value. And truthfully, in our efforts to shape a brighter future for all of us, we rely on you to make this powerful program and these profound opportunities real. We could not do this without you. And with you – together – we all benefit.
With your support, we can continue to provide a one-of-a-kind experience, network and way station for tomorrow’s leaders, the compassionate and caring youth, to connect, collaborate and create.
Thank you!
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Branden Barber
Director of Engagement & Development
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