Committed to doubling the impact of our work in North Carolina, CTNC is excited to expand the thriving North Carolina Youth Conservation Corps (NCYCC) program in 2017!

The Duke Energy Foundation awarded $70,000 to CTNC for its innovative Youth Conservation Corps program. The grant will:

  • increase the number of crews and provide more young people with paid jobs to serve their communities by building and maintaining trails and parks.
  • enable more local land trusts and low-income partner organizations to deploy crews to work on their projects.
  • fund our first Professional Development Day for Emerging Conservation Leaders. Through workshops, a job fair, and panel discussions, the event will help these future leaders launch successful careers and contribute to conservation.

“We are extremely grateful for this show of support by the Duke Energy Foundation,” said Jan Pender. “The work accomplished by these young people to improve, restore, and preserve our natural areas will have a lasting impact on conservation efforts, and we’re excited for this opportunity to grow.”

Benefits of the YCC Experience

The NCYCC furthers CTNC’s commitment to diversity and engaging young people in conservation. The NCYCC provides unique opportunities for 16-24-year-olds to work outdoors with their peers from a range of backgrounds, ethnicity, and geographic regions.

The NCYCC uses the natural world as a platform to teach NCYCC participants leadership, environmental stewardship, and community service. By immersing themselves in the outdoors through work that maintains North Carolina’s parks and natural areas, NCYCC participants gain a connection to nature and a sense of pride in protecting the places they love.

CTNC’s Partnership with Duke Energy Foundation

Annually, the Duke Energy Foundation funds $20 million in charitable grants in North Carolina including more than $1.5 million with 16 North Carolina environmental nonprofit organizations. The grants fund environmental projects, wildlife conservation efforts and environmental educational programs across the state.

The Duke Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to address the needs of the communities where its customers live and work. The foundation’s education focus spans kindergarten to career, particularly science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), early childhood literacy and workforce development. It also supports the environment and community impact initiatives, including arts and culture. For more information, visit www.duke-energy.com/foundation.