After years of organizing, young people across Canada won a major breakthrough: a federal commitment to launch the YCC. This victory proves that even in a time of austerity, rising inequality, and growing climate urgency, collective action can deliver real change. But the current program—funded at $20 million per year—will create only a few hundred jobs nationwide. It is a start, but it is not enough.
The challenges we face demand far greater ambition.
Young people are navigating a future shaped by climate instability, economic precarity, and shrinking opportunities. At the same time, communities across the country urgently need workers to build climate infrastructure, respond to extreme weather, restore ecosystems, and strengthen resilience. The Youth Climate Corps can meet this moment—but only if it is scaled into a truly national, transformative program.
That’s why our campaign continues.
In 2026, we are organizing coast to coast—supporting and training youth leaders in communities across Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, the Prairies, and British Columbia. These organizers are mobilizing their peers, engaging elected officials, and leading creative campaigns to make a fully funded YCC a top political priority.
We are also working alongside a coalition of over 200 organizations, as well as Indigenous leaders, labour partners, and public institutions, to push for a program that delivers real impact. That means creating pathways to long-term, well-paying careers in the net-zero economy, centring Indigenous leadership and community needs, and ensuring opportunities reach marginalized and underserved youth.
At scale, the Youth Climate Corps could create tens of thousands of jobs and offer a powerful response to the crises shaping this generation—while building a more just, sustainable economy for all.
But right now, we face a critical funding gap. As we await new grants, we need bridge funding to keep our organizers working, our campaign active, and our momentum strong at this crucial juncture.
Your support will help ensure this breakthrough doesn’t stall—but grows into something far bigger.
We’ve opened the door. Now, together, we can push it all the way.
