
Young Professional Capacity Building and Collaboration Workshops on Water and Climate Change, inclusive of Traditional Knowledge
3 VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS
Between
FEB 16 – MARCH 2, 2023
Applications Open To:
Youth between the ages of 18-30 from Canada, Mexico and the United States
Simultaneous interpretation between English, French and Spanish will be available
DEADLINE to apply: Wednesday, February 8, 2023
About WIL NORTH AMERICA
Waterlution – in partnership with The Canadian Embassy in Mexico and the Commission of Environmental Cooperation – will co-host the WIL North America workshop series highlighting the commitments from Canada, Mexico and the United States toward environmental stewardship, particularly with respect to climate change, resilience and water. The workshop series will comprise of 3 two-hour sessions taking place across three days in early 2023 (see below for dates and times across 3 different weeks).
This event offers an important opportunity to showcase collaboration and engage with young leaders at a regional level to promote leadership, raise awareness and share experiences about water access and management and its relationship with climate change, importantly including practices and approaches by Indigenous communities.
OUTCOMES SHARED AT 2023 CEC COUNCIL SESSION AND 2023 NALS
This event will be an opportunity for youth and young professionals to develop and exchange ideas and potential solutions to innovatively and efficiently face challenges with respect to climate change and access to water. The outcomes of this workshop, such as the creation of new youth networks in North America, could be shared at the 2023 CEC Council Session and 2023 NALS to be held in Canada in the summer of 2023.
STAY CONNECTED
Core Themes
- Flooding/Drought
- Traditional Knowledge
- Agriculture and Water
- Coastal Erosion
- Aqua-Culture
- Water-Energy-Food Nexus
- Wastewater
- Conservation & Monitoring
- Storm Water/Infrastructure
- Innovative Solutions (including Nature Based)
KEY INFORMATION
36 Youth and Young Professionals from North America/Turtle Island
Platform: Zoom, three sessions, two hours per session
Language: Interpretation to English, Spanish and French will be provided for all sessions.
OUR Water in NORTH AMERICA needS
INNOVATION
The Water Innovation Lab, known as WIL, is a front-running, immersive leadership training designed to accelerate collaborative innovation, fast-track global knowledge-sharing and devise new innovations that improve water security. WIL supports emerging leaders and entrepreneurs across water and climate change disciplines to learn and innovate together. WIL develops future water leaders to think holistically, design innovatively, and communicate effectively across cultures.
WIL NORTH AMERICA takes place within the traditional and ancestral lands of First Nations people across Turtle Island. Indigenous youth of all Nations are highly encouraged to apply.







PROGRAM DETAILS
ABOUT WIL NORTH AMERICA
Facilitate opportunities/organizations/ways to foster trilateral cooperation among young North American environment and climate change professionals, this initiative will bolster the priorities of the three North American partners with respect to these specific environment-related issues: gender, youth, and traditional knowledge.
WIL North America
WHO CAN APPLY (Criteria for selection)
- Youth or Young Professionals between ages of 18-30
- Applicants will have a keen interest (lived experience and/or academic background) in water, climate, and related fields, multi-disciplinary (environmental, socio-cultural, policy, technical, etc.)
- Applicants share why they wish to attend, what they can bring from their experience and perspective, contribute to the discussions
- Applicants current work and/or academic experience and/or lived experience
- Applicants will be selected from diverse backgrounds (Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2+)
- Also seeking youth from rural and more remote communities (one’s own access to internet is needed)
- Assets: experience across the region, multi-lingual (English, French and Spanish)*
- Applicants should review the 3 workshop series dates and times and be available to ATTEND all THREE.
* Section in application form for multi-lingual individuals to receive additional training to facilitate breakout rooms (where simultaneous interpretation not available).
Schedule
WORKSHOP
DATE (THURSDAYS)
TIME
WORKSHOP #1
FEBRUARY 16, 2023
1:00 PT / 2:00 MT / 3:00 CT/
4:00 ET / 5:00 AT
WORKSHOP #2
FEBRUARY 23, 2023
1:00 PT / 2:00 MT / 3:00 CT/
4:00 ET / 5:00 AT
WORKSHOP #3
MARCH 2, 2023
1:00 PT / 2:00 MT / 3:00 CT/
4:00 ET / 5:00 AT
FRAMING OF EACH WORKSHOP
WORKSHOP #1
The role of youth in water innovation in North America Setting the Stage- Opening by Indigenous Leaders
- Youth Connections
- Indigenous Traditional water/climate perspective
- Speaker Series
- Facilitated discussions in breakout rooms with youth building upon topics from speakers
WORKSHOP #2
Diving into the Pressing Water & Climate Issues across North America Collaborating and Partnering Across Regions and Topics
- Opening by Indigenous Leaders
- Youth Connections
- 6 Speakers sharing insights across themes and future needs/skills to inspire youth in the sector across disciplines
- Breakout rooms building off the content
WORKSHOP #3
Looking to the future: next steps- Welcome
- Facilitated discussions between youth
- Looking at Innovative Solutions, Approaches, Projects
WHY JOIN?
Past WIL Participants
WIL NORTH AMERICA
Guest Speakers

Brook Thompson
Yurok & Karuk Native & a Ph.D. Student

Brook Thompson
Yurok & Karuk Native & a Ph.D. Student

Maxine Bruce
member of the Lil’wat Nation

Maxine Bruce
member of the Lil’wat Nation

Érika Uicab
consultora, profesora de Universidad

Érika Uicab
consultora, profesora de Universidad

François Anctil
directeur du Centre de recherche

François Anctil
directeur du Centre de recherche

Miguel Ángel Trejo-Rangel
Investigador Postdoctoral

Miguel Ángel Trejo-Rangel
Investigador Postdoctoral

Erica Lynn Porter
Energy & Climate Analyst

Erica Lynn Porter
Energy & Climate Analyst

Aurélien Guilabert
Activista y politólogo

Aurélien Guilabert
Activista y politólogo

Graeme C. Clark
Ambassador of Canada to the United Mexican States

Graeme C. Clark
Ambassador of Canada to the United Mexican States
WIL NORTH AMERICA 2023 Team

Karen Kun
President & Founder, Waterlution

Karen Kun
President & Founder, Waterlution
- Email:karen@waterlution.org

Megan Cornall
WIL Coordinator

Megan Cornall
WIL Coordinator

Helena Vallée Dallaire
Project Manager

Helena Vallée Dallaire
Project Manager
- Email:helena@waterlution.org

Adriana Caudillo
Environment, Development and Health Officer at Embassy of Canada in Mexico

Adriana Caudillo
Environment, Development and Health Officer at Embassy of Canada in Mexico

Lucie Verreault
Intergovernmental Affairs Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Mexico

Lucie Verreault
Intergovernmental Affairs Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Mexico

Melissa Gonzalez Soto

Georgina O'Farrill
Head of Unit, Outreach and Partnerships

Georgina O'Farrill
Head of Unit, Outreach and Partnerships

Bhan Gatkuoth
Coordinator, Diverse and Inclusive Outreach and Engagement

Bhan Gatkuoth
Coordinator, Diverse and Inclusive Outreach and Engagement
FAQs
YES, as long as the timezones work from where you will be based during the workshops series delivery dates.
Unfortunately, this workshop series is only open to citizens of the three countries. Indigenous youth and young professionals whose traditional territories are across Turtle Island are encouraged to apply.
We prefer applications from those that meet the criteria and can attend all three sessions.
YES, we can offer a letter if required.
Participants will be notified by February 10, 2023.
We encourage you to apply! Tell us about how you’ve been engaged with this topic, and the reviewers will see if you have the right background to be included. This is a young professionals space, and if you really feel you want to be there, put your best effort in. Diversity of experiences adds richness to the WIL program and we encourage applicants that have unique backgrounds.
At Waterlution, speakers and experts are usually referred to as Resource Guests, where the role is to elevate the knowledge and skills of the young professionals participating. If you think you have a strong set of skills to contribute, please email megan.cornall@waterlution.org with your background and she will be in touch.
PARTNERS


QUESTIONS ABOUT WIL North America?
Megan Cornall