Twenty-eight U.S. organizations across 25 states, including non-profits, universities, and state departments of agriculture, have been selected to train America’s next generation of conservation leaders. The organizations will provide technical training and career pathway opportunities for young people in USDA’s Working Lands Climate Corps, which is part of President Biden’s historic American Climate Corps initiative and supported by the Inflation Reduction Act. The aim is to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to help tackle climate change in rural communities nationwide.
“America’s rural communities are on the frontlines of climate change, and the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to growing and supporting a conservation workforce that can develop and implement the innovative climate solutions that this challenge demands,” says Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Torres Small. “As part of President Biden’s historic American Climate Corps, the Working Lands Climate Corps is providing a pathway for young people to enter into careers they are passionate about, like tackling climate change, advancing conservation, and helping their communities.”
Through the first cohort of WLCC members, more than 100 young people will gain on-the-ground experience and training with partners and organizations that support the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and systems.