Youth Climate Corps BC (YCCBC) Launches Fifth Season

The 2026 Courtenay team poses with a pile of invasive Scotch Broom they removed.

Youth Climate Corps BC (YCCBC) is proud to launch its fifth season of operation, marking the organization's largest year yet. What began as a small pilot program has grown into a province-wide network of youth-led climate action initiatives, creating meaningful employment opportunities while helping communities respond to local climate challenges.

This summer, YCCBC programs will operate in twelve communities across British Columbia: Alert Bay, Courtenay, Kamloops, Kelowna, Haida Gwaii, Hazelton, East Kootenay, Richmond, Squamish, Victoria, Vernon, and West Kootenay. As communities across British Columbia continue to feel the impacts of climate change, Youth Climate Corps gives young people the opportunity to turn climate concern into hands-on action, building more resilient communities today while developing the workforce of tomorrow.

Youth Climate Corps BC connects young people with paid, hands-on climate work in their own communities. Each team focuses on local climate priorities, with projects ranging from wildfire risk reduction and ecosystem restoration to energy efficiency, food security, community engagement, and the sharing of Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

In 2025, YCCBC operated 7 programs and employed 37 young people in meaningful climate-focused positions, contributing more than 3500 paid workdays to projects across British Columbia. Teams supported wildfire prevention efforts in Squamish, biodiversity monitoring in the Comox Valley, eco-tourism and river stewardship programming in Hazelton, and a wide range of community-based climate initiatives in communities throughout the province.

The success of the program is made possible through strong partnerships with local governments, non-profit organizations, and First Nations. Current partners include the municipalities of Courtenay, Squamish, Vernon, Kamloops, Kelowna, and Richmond; organizations such as the BC Parks Foundation, Wildsight, Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, ZEIC, and PICS; and First Nations partners, including the ‘Namgis First Nation, with additional partnerships continuing to develop.

Demand for the program continues to outpace available positions. During the recent 2026 hiring season, YCCBC received more than 600 applications for approximately 60 placements, a ratio of ten applicants for every available position. The overwhelming interest highlights the growing desire among young people to take meaningful action on climate change while gaining valuable skills, experience, and connections in their communities.

Community leaders and government representatives shared their support for the continued growth of the Youth Climate Corps program: 

“Youth Climate Corps represents the kind of community-based climate leadership we need more of across British Columbia. I’m proud to continue supporting a program that empowers youth while helping communities become stronger and more resilient.”  — Brittny Anderson, Minister of State for Local Governments and Rural Communities

“Addressing the climate crisis requires leadership, innovation and bold action. Through programs like the Youth Climate Corps, young people in Kelowna are taking meaningful steps toward strengthening community resilience while helping to build the skilled workforce we need for a low-carbon future.” — Adrian Dix, Minister of Energy and Climate Solutions

"It's so exciting to see Youth Climate Corps BC expand with support from the Province of B.C. Wildsight is thrilled to deliver the YCC program in the East and West Kootenays, where we have been working to address environmental challenges and support local communities since 1987. This year's projects touch on ecosystem health, water stewardship, economic innovation, Truth and Reconciliation, food security and much more. The young adults doing this work are launching into incredible careers that will benefit B.C. for decades to come." — Graeme Lee Rowlands

As YCCBC enters its fifth season, the organization remains committed to creating pathways for young people to build skills, find purpose, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient future for British Columbia.