Kupu, Hawai‘i’s leading conservation and environmental education nonprofit, today announced that applications are open for the Conservation Leadership Development Program (CLDP). Recent high school graduates, college graduates and young professionals looking to establish a career in conservation are strongly encouraged to apply by April 7, 2023.
This program focuses on developing the next generation of environmental stewards and offers 6- and 11-month long program terms. The next half-term cohort begins in June 2023 and runs until December 2023. The next full-term cohort begins in September 2023 and ends in October 2024. Participants will be matched with a single conservation host site for the duration of the program, during which they will learn and serve alongside conservation experts.
Numerous host sites are available on Hawaiʻi Island, as well as Oʻahu, Kauaʻi, Maui, Moloka‘i, American Samoa, Guam, CNMI Islands, Rota and Saipan. This extensive network of partner sites offers exposure to the fields of ornithology, botany, natural and aquatic resource management, biology, marine biology, Hawaiian cultural studies, and more.
In addition to gaining valuable insight in the conservation field and protecting natural ecosystems throughout the Pacific, participants will receive a monthly living allowance; Hawai‘i participants will receive up to $2,000 per month. Upon completion of their service term, participants will also receive an education award of $6,495 for the 11-month term and $3,427.50 for the six-month term. Participants will also have access to the Kupu Pathways program, which offers college through Arizona State University.
GlenAllen Beavers served on Hawaiʻi Island with the Mauna Kea Forest Restoration Project. “I gained friendships that I will cherish for the rest of my life,” says GlenAllen. “Working in conservation has allowed me to meet many like-minded people. There is so much knowledge out there if you stay receptive to it. Nature has been a great teacher for me.”