What are the benefits of engaging youth?

There are many tangible and intangible benefits that come from involving youth in your guardian program, including:

• Youth are the next generation of community leaders so it is important that they know and understand the stewardship values and issues of importance to their community.
• Getting young people out on the land and their territory instills in them a sense of responsibility for their community’s values and culture.
• Youth feel grounded when they are connected to their community and see that they are part of a larger vision. This strengthens their resilience, builds self-confidence, and helps them develop as leaders.
• Learning from elders and other knowledge keepers about how to live on the land and water empowers and connects youth, contributing to their overall well-being.
• There is a transfer and experience of traditional knowledge and values, ways of being on the land, stories, plant medicine knowledge, values, etc. that occurs when youth are on the territory.
• Taking youth on patrol gives them hands-on, transferable skills in areas such as boat operations, field safety, bush skills, observation skills, and public speaking.
• Youth or junior guardian programs provide work experience in the territory that is directly applicable to such jobs as tour guide, research technician, guardian, park manager and marine planner.  
• Spending time with guardians in the field may spark an interest in furthering their education or training in resource stewardship.