The eeBLUE Young Changemakers Fellowship (YCF) is a program dedicated to collaborating with and empowering the next generation of ocean and environmental leaders. 

Through the program, high school students from the United States, U.S. territories, and tribal nations build skills around creating change in their home communities, culminating in a self-designed action project. In addition to taking local action, the changemakers also learn about and provide NOAA leadership with their perspective on large-scale issues such as the climate crisis, ocean issues, environmental justice challenges, and more. 

Fellows take part in an in-person summit in D.C. in the summer and virtual meetings throughout the school year. These meetings include everything from project planning workshops to communication training to roundtable discussions with NOAA leadership.

Together, these opportunities help fellows turn their passion for ocean and environmental topics into concrete action, all while helping NOAA better understand the perspectives of young people. 

This fellowship is a joint effort between NOAA and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) offsite link. It is run through the eeBLUE partnership offsite link, which works to further environmental and science literacy to build more resilient communities nationwide.

In return for full program participation, each fellow receives:

• a stipend ($800).
• funding to support their action project (up to $750).
• one-on-one mentorship with a NOAA employee.
• an all-expenses-paid kickoff summit in Washington, D.C. (July 23-27, 2024).

Up to 15 high school students will be selected as fellows for the 2024-2025 cohort. As only the second class of Young Changemakers, participants in this cohort will help shape the future of this program and pave the way for future fellowship cohorts.