Youth Leadership Programs
Inspire the Next Generation
Programs to help youth develop and express a deeper sense of place and belonging.
Help youth cultivate self-awareness, strengthen communication skills, and explore what it means to act with integrity in a changing world through their connection to place.
Using practices that blend reflection, creative expression, and shared experience, youth gain a clearer sense of who they are, what they care about, and how they want to contribute.
“Without hesitation, I would highly recommend Erica Wheeler. I feel that she gave our students and faculty an invaluable opportunity to reflect upon on connections to the land, their personal history, and their best selves. She also helped nurture the lifelong skills of writing and integration of creative work into the rest of ones education. Most importantly, people came away with a renewed passion for doing the work of conservation and stewardship.”
— Walter Poleman, Faculty Director, University of Vermont
How This Approach Works
These programs draw from Erica Wheeler’s Sense of Place Story Framework, which uses story, personal experience, and creative practice to support reflection, connection, and leadership development.
During a program, youth experience a guided sequence designed to:
Discover Their Story
Through creative writing, storytelling, and public speaking, participants explore who they are and what matters to them.
Build Meaningful Connections
Through collaborative activities, they form relationships with peers, mentors, and the places they explore.
Awaken a Sense of Stewardship
By engaging with history and the natural world, participants develop a personal stake in caring for their communities and environments.
Step Into Leadership
With greater confidence, communication skills, and clarity of purpose, participants are supported in taking meaningful next steps.
Prior Partnerships & Events
AmeriCorps (Vermont State Parks)
Appalachian Trail Conservancy – Next Gen Gathering (Mount Greylock, MA)
Teacher–Ranger–Teacher Program (Everglades National Park)
The Walden Woods Project – World Wide Walden Youth Summit
Wyoming Youth Congress on Children and Nature (Jackson, WY)
Youth Conservation Corps (Trustees of Reservation)
Youth Leadership Academy (New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park)
Interested in Hosting a Program?
Erica has led youth leadership programs in collaboration with schools and organizations across the country. Programs are often offered in partnership with community engagement initiatives.
They can stand alone or be part of a larger site-based event, residency, or multi-audience program.
