fUTURE cOASTAL lEADERS – cOLLEGE
CRCL’s Future Coastal Leaders – College Track Program engages students from colleges and universities across Louisiana’s coast. Through the program, CRCL provides resources and support for our participants to learn about the issues facing our coast, proposed solutions and potential career paths in restoration.
CRCL provides resources and support for our college-aged Future Coastal Leaders to learn about the issues facing our coast, proposed solutions and potential career paths in restoration. We offer the program on a typical school semester basis, running from mid-August to November in the fall and mid-February to May in the spring.
Our program allows Future Coastal Leaders to gain an in-depth understanding of Louisiana’s coastal challenges and how CRCL and many other organizations work to advance solutions. Students meet peers from other institutions with similar interests through recurring program meetings and are encouraged to work collaboratively or individually on projects that broaden their understanding of the issues or offer a direct impact. Students also make important networking connections with other students and with the people working to save Louisiana’s coast.
Students are encouraged to become engaged members of their communities by volunteering, spreading awareness and advocating solutions to our coastal challenges. For example, FCL can participate in CRCL’s habitat restoration events at which they can experience hands-on, boots-in-the-mud coastal restoration work. Additionally, students may host their own events, start clubs, raise funds for an aligned cause, or offer other creative ideas to support their community or campus
CRCL’s Future Coastal Leaders liaison will routinely communicate opportunities for personal and professional development. These include educational webinars, forums to advance social justice issues, leadership skills-building workshops, advocacy training, and networking opportunities with different state and national environmental organizations working on coastal restoration, advocacy, and outreach.
By participating, students gain an in-depth understanding of the restoration efforts happening across Louisiana’s coast and further explore their interest in a career that aligns with their passion. Join the world of restoration and build your professional skills. Students of all majors are encouraged to apply!
Future Coastal Leaders are accepted on a first-come basis, as complete applications are submitted with enrollment capped at six students per university to ensure participation from as many different campuses as possible. Applicants will be wait-listed beyond those capacities and notified if openings occur. Wait-listed students will have priority for participating in the following semester.