Alachua Conservation Trust Young Leaders for Wild Florida Summer Program

The 2026 YLWF Summit will be a three day event will feature a day of volunteering, a day of advocacy, and a celebration swimming day! Each year, ACT hosts the Young Leaders for Wild Florida (YLWF) Summer Program, a two-week environmental immersive camp that provides opportunities for high school and early college-aged students to explore Florida, learn about conservation, and volunteer in the community. For 2026, ACT is working on creating an experience for the YLWF Program to accommodate more students and work within the current funding availability.

YLWF supports participants to become Florida's next generation of environmental leaders through educational outdoor adventures, workshops with leaders in our community, exposure to environmental issues and career paths, and student-led community projects. Throughout the program, students learn about a wide variety of environmental issues and careers in the field and discover their own potential as environmental advocates through student-directed projects. Students are encouraged to develop their creativity, problem solving, and relationship with nature during the program, and they can look forward to discovering incredible wild places with peers and mentors while gaining skills and inspiration they can take to college, their careers, and a lifetime of leadership and stewardship.