Alaskan Youth Stewards (an umbrella title for Training Rural Alaskan Youth Leaders and Students (TRAYLS) and Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) programs in Southeast Alaska) strive to provide youth from rural Southeast Alaska with a well-supported pathway to becoming empowered, responsible, and productive leaders. These leaders contribute to the region’s cultural vibrancy, ecological resilience, and economic prosperity. This program blends experiential education, on the job training, career counseling and job placement for youth in rural Southeast Alaska to get on the path to higher education and employment in natural resource stewardship.
The Alaskan Youth Stewards partnership includes Tribal governments, Tribal corporations, conservation groups, federal and state agencies, not-for-profits, community entities, and committed individuals to deliver programs in rural communities of Southeast Alaska. Youth (ages 15-25) are recruited from throughout the region to gain experience in fisheries, forestry, engineering, recreation, community service and cultural stewardship. Core partners include the US Forest Service, Sealaska Corporation, National Forest Foundation, Organized Village of Kake, Hoonah Indian Association, Chatham School District and the Prince of Wales Vocational & Technical Education Center.
The 2023 AYS Season
The Alaskan Youth Stewards is currently in its seventh season with crews based out of four communities: Angoon, Hoonah, Kake and on Prince of Wales Island. The crews are working on a great variety of projects including trail construction and maintenance, stream and ocean monitoring, traditional food harvests and community garden development.
Each year, crews track their projects using an interactive Google Map. Follow along using the map below and see the great work they’re completing this year.
How to view this map:
If you click on the small rectangle on the top left of the map, it will show the layers that correspond to each program site. If you click the button on the top right, the map will open in a new tab and will be easier to view. The blue markers represent different project the crew completed. The purple markers represent other observations including learning moments, bountiful harvests, before & after photos, and more.
