Community Foundation supports Youth Environmental Education Programs

Thank you to everyone that supports environmental education programs! It is truly an investment in our future!!

We are proud to announce an amazing contribution towards youth environmental education programs in Lethbridge!

A generous $5,000 grant from a Donor Advised Fund at the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta will support fieldtrip experiences for youth participating in the Natural Leaders Project (NLP). Thank you to the generous donor who connected to our cause!

Positive outdoor experiences, learning from the land is the best way to nurture the next generation of residents who feel a strong sense of connection to nature and our local environment. The NLP is funded each year through a combination of grants, donations and sponsorships. We are looking to expand our community partners, so please reach out if you believe in the program and want to get involved.

Natural Leaders Project

The Natural Leaders Project (NLP) addresses the environmental literacy gap that exists between teachers, students, government, and community groups. Understanding local issues and how people and societies relate alongside natural systems is challenging for most Canadians, and teachers are no exception. We recognized that if teachers are not confident in their own knowledge about the local environment, then they will struggle to convey to their students a comprehensive understanding of how to participate in activities that lead to the resolution of challenges.

The Natural Leaders Project uses an immersive, community-based delivery model that supports strong and repeatable outcomes focused on building the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to make informed and responsible decisions for the benefit our community. The NLP provides a supportive opportunity to build local environmental education capacity among teachers by modelling environmental education delivery and best practices.

The program aimed to support school groups in: developing projects and activities that yield community-minded leaders; result in tangible climate-adaptation and resiliency projects; and sustain deep connections to nature within their communities. Since 2015 the program has expanded to reach a broad range of citizens that include families, community groups and adult audiences. To date 3,681 individuals have completed the program, including 474 City of Lethbridge employees.

Natural Leaders Project is a transformative program for environmental education in our community!