A Columbia Basin -Based Initiative Fighting Climate Change Through Paid SummerEmployment Expands Province-Wide

Youth Climate Corps crew members from the East and West Kootenays gather at the headwaters of the Columbia River in Canal Flats, BC. Image credited to Wildsight.

Youth Climate Corps BC (YCCBC) has officially launched its 2025 summer season, with programs running in seven regions across the province, including long-standing crews facilitated by Wildsight in the East and West Kootenays. What began in 2020 as a small pilot program through Wildsight has grown into a province-wide initiative offering paid, hands-on work experiences that drive real climate solutions.

This year, YCCBC is reaching deeper into rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, ensuring more youth can access meaningful employment that supports their futures and their communities. In the Kootenays alone, ten young people will spend the summer tackling projects like wildfire risk reduction, food security, ecosystem restoration, and more. More than just jobs, these are opportunities to build leadership, skills, and connection while making a difference.

And the demand? It’s skyrocketing. This year, 84 people applied for just 10 spots on the East and West Kootenay crews. Across the province, interest continues to surge, with a growing waitlist of youth hoping to join in 2026 and beyond.

In 2024, YCCBC youth completed over 3,400 workdays on climate-focused projects across BC, from garden beds to fire breaks, from solar workshops to shoreline cleanups. With each year, the momentum builds, proving what’s possible when youth are given the tools, training, and trust to lead.

Want to learn more or get involved? Visit the YCCBC website or Wildsight to follow this summer’s stories of climate action.

About Wildsight:

Since 1987, Wildsight has been a leader in advancing conservation, environmental education, and sustainable community initiatives in BC’s Columbia Basin Region. Since 2020, Wildsight has operated Youth Climate Corps crews across the Kootenays, completing dozens of diverse projects while working with Youth Climate Corps BC to spread this model to other communities.