Earth Tomorrow

large group of Earth Tomorrow participants

“It is important to know more about the Earth and how we can make it a better place for ourselves and generations to come.” —Earth Tomorrow Participant

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Launched in 2001, Earth Tomorrow is the National Wildlife Federation’s longest-standing environmental justice education program. The leadership development and environmental education program creates opportunities for youth in frontline communities, particularly youth of color, to deepen their understanding of environmental issues and provide solutions to address environmental injustices. Earth Tomorrow is celebrating 20 years of youth-centered leadership development and community-based actions contributing to the ecological health and betterment of communities.

The national program, currently operated out of Atlanta through the National Wildlife Federation's South Central Regional Center, cultivates a new generation of lifetime environmental stewards through a year-long cycle of leadership training, issues exploration, civic engagement, career development, community outreach and education, and student-led community action projects.

About the Program

The program has involved more than 5,000 youth in conservation action and environmental service learning projects and brought together high school educators and community members. The impact of the program can be seen in the hundreds of hours that youth have spent exploring, recreating, and serving in state parks, National Park Service properties, USDA Forest Service lands, and urban forests and nature centers.

The Earth Tomorrow Summer Institute is one major component of the National Wildlife Federation’s year-round Earth Tomorrow program. The Summer Institute engages rising 10th-grade to 12th-grade students, selected through a competitive application process, in a week-long intensive residential experience of hands-on leadership development activities and fieldwork.

To promote physical activity and enjoyment of the great outdoors, they also are immersed in recreational activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, archery, rock climbing, and geocaching. College students and Earth Tomorrow graduates serve as peer mentors for the week, overseeing student activities, guiding students in planning for environmental clubs, and encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones to try new experiences.

The Earth Tomorrow program is structured to:

Increase environmental literacy by introducing youth to local environmental issues and the implications in their everyday lives (problems and solutions), based on sound science and balanced perspectives
Guide youth in the development and application of leadership skills through training, club activities, and projects
Promote teenage civic engagement by providing interested youth the tools needed to research, design, and implement effective conservation projects in their communities
Develop a sustainable, supportive network for youth to engage in and address local environmental issues alongside teachers and conservation professionals
Introduce students to a myriad of conservation and environmental careers and career paths and provide career development opportunities for students to pursue their interests in conservation, environmental science and engineering, health, and natural resource management
Provide outdoor experiences for high school students that foster enjoyment and appreciation of the natural world while they learn about their local environment

Year-long involvement in the Earth Tomorrow program includes:

Exciting field trips
Leadership training opportunities
Community service and environmental service learning projects
Career development programs
Community outreach programs
Youth-led education campaigns and outreach activities in Earth Tomorrow network schools and surrounding communities

While participation in all of these activities is not mandatory, it is encouraged, and participation in all of these activities will make students more well-rounded and competitive in the college application process and beyond.

At a minimum, students accepted to the institute are expected to support their school-based Earth Tomorrow clubs, environmental clubs, and/or green teams by doing the following:

Attending club meetings
Helping to promote the club and recruit new members
Participating in the planning of annual Earth Day projects and events
Participating in planning activities that the National Wildlife Federation requires Earth Tomorrow network clubs to participate in (such as climate change and environmental justice projects or community festivals)