A Fellowship Rooted in Arctic Voices
The Arctic Resilient Communities Youth Fellowship (ARCYF) is a paid program designed to empower emerging Arctic leaders from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The fellowship builds leadership capacity through in-country skill-building workshops, curriculum-driven discussions, cross-cultural networking, and personal resilience projects focused on real-world challenges.
At its core, ARCYF envisions an Arctic future shaped by Arctic voices. Fellows engage with issues central to the well-being of their communities, including sustainable development, climate adaptation, Indigenous governance, responsible resource development, and cultural preservation.
Celebrating the First Cohort: 2023–2024 Highlights
The inaugural year of ARCYF concluded with 18 fellows representing more than 3,500 miles of the circumpolar North. Fellows participated in three in-person workshops and a full academic curriculum, while developing individual projects tied to their home communities.
The first workshop took place in Anchorage, Alaska, in April 2023. Fellows visited Alaska Pacific University, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and participated in an Arctic Youth Forum hosted by the NANA Regional Corporation. The forum culminated in policy pitches presented to leaders at the Arctic Encounter Symposium.
In August, the second workshop brought fellows to Sisimiut and Nuuk, Greenland. In partnership with the Greenlandic School of Minerals and Petroleum (KTI), programming in Sisimiut focused on workforce development and resource management. In Nuuk, fellows engaged with the U.S. Consulate, Greenland’s Parliament, and the Inuit Circumpolar Council, exploring issues of climate diplomacy, cultural sustainability, and international collaboration.
The final workshop was held in January 2024, outside Yellowknife, Canada, at a Dene-owned and operated camp. Despite extreme cold, fellows deepened their bonds through facilitated discussions and cultural exchange. The program concluded with an intimate graduation ceremony celebrating the accomplishments of the first cohort.
2025 Activities: Preparing for the Second Cohort
Throughout 2025, the ARCYF team is preparing to launch the second fellowship cohort in Fall 2025, with programming running through late 2026 and into early 2027. The core structure—a 12- to 14-month, paid fellowship for youth ages 18 to 30 from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland—remains the same, but is being refined based on fellow feedback and evaluation from the inaugural year.
Improvements for Year Two include enhanced mentorship and alumni engagement, stronger administrative support for fellows’ community resilience projects, and greater integration of regional Indigenous knowledge and practices. The online curriculum is being refreshed with new subject matter experts and more fellow-directed topics. The kickoff workshop is planned for Canada, with additional workshops in Alaska and Greenland contingent on available funding. Recruitment is underway through tribal organizations, academic institutions, and regional nonprofits, with selection conducted collaboratively by partners from across the Arctic.
Structure and Approach
The ARCYF fellowship is intentionally fellow-driven, empowering participants to shape their experience based on their own leadership goals and community priorities. Fellows participate in a mix of asynchronous and live online sessions, in-person regional workshops, and individualized project work. Each fellow receives a monthly stipend of $500 USD to support their professional development and local engagement.
The fellowship is managed by an administrative team and a steering committee that includes representation from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland to ensure cultural responsiveness and cross-border collaboration. Topics covered in the curriculum include leadership development, climate and energy policy, sustainable economies, and meaningful Indigenous engagement.
A Collaborative Effort to Support Arctic Youth
ARCYF is implemented by the Institute of the North and North Star Group, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Greenland School of Minerals and Petroleum (KTI). The program is supported by a growing network of regional and international partners, including Global Affairs Canada, Alaska Airlines, the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, the Denali Commission, the Rasmuson Foundation, and the George and Stephanie Suddock Foundation.
This broad-based partnership ensures that ARCYF remains cross-border and cross-sector—unifying government, nonprofit, and private sector support to invest in the next generation of Arctic leadership.
To learn more about ARCYF’s mission and activities, visit ARCYF.org. For partnership opportunities or additional information, contact info@arcyf.org.