Youth in Landscapes Initiative/Global Landscapes Forum Restoration Stewards Program 2023 (€5,000 grant)

Under the banner of Generation Restoration, the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) and the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) are launching the third edition of the Restoration Stewards program to support and highlight the work of young restoration practitioners and their teams, who represent the next group of ‘Restoration Stewards’.

The year-long program provides funding, mentorship, and training to deepen the impact of youth-led restoration projects. During the program, the Restoration Stewards and their teams are supported to further develop their project and become ambassadors at both global and local levels. Globally, the Restoration Stewards share their journey in a series of vlogs and blogs documenting their stories of inspiration and challenges. Locally, they commit to spark a restoration movement, creating pathways to connect, share, learn, and act for more sustainable landscapes.

Benefits

The Restoration Stewards receive support from experts to take the project to the next level, as well as opportunities for professional development. They receive a grant of EUR 5,000 to develop their restoration project while meeting the following objectives:

• In collaboration with the GLF and its partner organizations, set up project-specific targets to be reached by the end of the contract
• Seek and carry out training activities to improve understanding of the landscape approach, and about the relevant ecosystem
• Run a minimum of two events to engage their local community
• Coordinate with the GLF team for active social media engagement
• Create stories on the progress made in the project.
• Meet with the GLF team and the assigned mentor on a regular basis to discuss the project’s progress

Eligibility

• Open to anyone between the age of 18 and 35 years old who has initiated a restoration project in any of the following ecosystems: forest, mountains, oceans, peatlands/wetlands, drylands/rangelands.
• Applicants must understand and be willing to adhere to and model the GLF vision, pillars and values.

They will give priority to projects that are:

• Run by a person or a group of young people who are either local, Indigenous or nationals of the country in which the restoration project operates;
• Already in the early development stage and have been running for a minimum of one year.

Application

Project selection is a competitive process, and as such, the application will require some preparation. When you apply, you will be asked the following questions (make sure to prepare your answers in advance):

About you: 

• What experience do you have that’s related to restoration? (200 words)
• What is your motivation for applying to be a Restoration Steward? (200 words)
• Prepare a one-minute video of yourself, in which you say why you would like to be a Restoration Steward. To share the video, either post it to your Facebook or Twitter account, tagging the Global Landscapes Forum (@GlobalLF) and using the #generationrestoration hashtag, or use an unlisted Youtube or Google Drive link. If you share your video via social media, please make sure to add the link to your post in the application.

About your project:

• Please make sure to have a name for your project.
• Prepare a description of the landscape you are working on: Why are you working on it, what is its current status, and what environmental and social problems have you encountered? What are the drivers of degradation (if any), and who are key stakeholders? (500 words).
• Prepare a holistic summary description of the project (500–1000 words), describing the objectives and intended impact (500–1000 words).
• Prepare a document (word or PDF) with an overview of the activities that will be founded by the Restoration Stewards program, including a timeline and indicators.
• Please explain how you will implement a landscape approach and ensure different elements and stakeholders of the ecosystem you are working in are taken into account (300 words).
• Prepare a 200-word paragraph answering the following question: If you become a Restoration Steward, where do you see your project in a year’s time after completing the Restoration Stewards program?”
• Prepare a one-page PDF or Word document with a breakdown description of how you intend to use the stipend.
• Provide a picture of your project area.

Click here to apply