February 28, 2024

Dear USET/USET SPF Family,

The USET Climate Resilience Program, in the Office of Environmental Resource Management, promotes climate leadership opportunities for Tribal Nation citizens of all ages. Several such opportunities are currently open for applications and are regularly updated on the USET Climate Program student opportunities page and the BIA Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience youth programs page.

The Native Youth Climate Adaptation Leadership Congress, or NYCALC, is organized annually by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and BIA Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience with support from external partners, this year including the USET Climate Resilience Team. The mission of NYCALC is to develop future conservation leaders with the skills, knowledge, and tools to address environmental change and conservation challenges to better serve their schools and home communities. Applications for small teams of high school participants are open now through March 15. Young adults ages 18-26 may apply for Junior Faculty (applications coming soon) or Trainers Team (applications due Feb. 29) positions which each offer advanced environmental leadership development.

The USET Climate Resilience Program provides technical assistance for USET Member Tribal Nations working to address and prevent harm from climate change in their Nations and communities. For more information or assistance, please contact Casey Thornbrugh at cthornbrugh@usetinc.org and Steph Courtney at scourtney@usetinc.org.

Established in 1969, the United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (USET) is a non-profit, inter-Tribal organization serving thirty-three (33) federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and across the Gulf of Mexico. USET is dedicated to enhancing the development of Tribal Nations, improving the capabilities of Tribal governments, and improving the quality of life for Indian people through a variety of technical and supportive programmatic services.