George Melendez Wright Initiative For Young Leaders in Climate Change

Project ID: P14AC01396

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: University of Washington

Fiscal Year: 2014

Initial Funding: $276,797

Total Funding: $973,946

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Interdisciplinary

National Park: Pacific West Region

Principal Investigator: Graumlich, Lisa

Agreement Technical Representative: Wood, Melanie

Abstract: The NPS has clearly identified the need for diverse perspectives and innovative, interdiscipliniary approaches to address the challenges of climate change in the management of national parks and public lands. The NPS has also made it a priority to make parks and public lands more personally relevant to the American public, engage next generation of scientist and leaders, and foster a more diverse professional workforce. The George Melendez Wright Initiative for Young Leaders in Climate Change (YLCC) will meet these needs and priorities. It will build a pathway for exemplary students in higher education to apply cutting-edge climate change knowledge. This is a collaborative project between the University of Washington (UW) and NPS to administer and fund the YLCC. NPS units (parks and programs) will define the projects, compete for funds, and oversee structured projects which produce clearly defined products in one or more of the following interdisciplinary areas: climage change; science and monitoring; resource conservation and adaptation; policy; sustainable park operations; and interpretation/education. Students will utilize critical thinking and problem solving for climate change management challenges and engage in effective communication with diverse stakeholders. Supervisors will guide interns through structured tasks and mentor them to develop leadership skills and prepare for a professional career in the federal government. There are many public benefits tho this project, including hands-on work experience, education, and training for young people; increased knowledge and information about protecting resources in a changing climate; and enrichment of interpretive programs, school outreach, facilities and operations, and other aspects of public experiences.