FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2026
Arctic Youth Fellowship Launches 2026 Cohort with Renewed Support from the Government of Canada
Anchorage, Alaska – The Arctic Resilient Communities Youth Fellowship, ARCYF, announces the launch of its 2026 cohort and the upcoming Canada Workshop in Yellowknife, made possible through renewed and sustained funding from the Government of Canada.
ARCYF is a four-month, paid fellowship that brings together emerging leaders from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland to strengthen leadership skills, deepen cross-cultural understanding, and advance responsible development across the Arctic. The program is administered by the Institute of the North and supported by a broad coalition of governmental, business, philanthropic, and Indigenous partners.
The 2026 cohort includes 12 fellows, four each from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, selected through a competitive process that prioritized Arctic Indigenous applicants, geographic representation from northern communities, gender diversity, and demonstrated interest in the harvest economy and responsible development.
The Cohort’s First Gathering Focused on the Harvest Economy
As the 2026 fellows met one another for the first time, their introduction to the program centered on one of the Arctic’s most enduring systems, the harvest economy.
On February 18, the cohort convened for its first panel discussion featuring three Indigenous guest speakers, from Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. The speakers shared lived experience and cultural knowledge about sustaining subsistence practices in Arctic communities.
The discussion highlighted the importance of traditional ecological knowledge in managing and preserving local food systems. Panelists described how their communities steward harvests through collective responsibility, cultural traditions, intergenerational teaching, and respect for seasonal cycles.
They also spoke candidly about how relationships with food, land, and community have shifted under colonization, including disruptions to governance systems and subsistence patterns. Despite these pressures, traditional harvest practices remain central to community resilience and identity.
A key message resonated throughout the discussion. Humans are not separate from or above nature, but equal and interconnected participants within it.
For fellows, the session reinforced that the Arctic harvest economy is not simply about subsistence. It is a living expression of culture, identity, environmental stewardship, and long-term sustainability. The conversation set the tone for the months ahead.
Canada Workshop: Foundational Leadership and Collaboration
The fellowship begins this spring with onboarding and virtual leadership development, followed by an in-person Canada Workshop in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
The Yellowknife workshop will focus on communication skills, cross-cultural exchange, governance literacy, and collaborative problem solving. Fellows will participate in interactive seminars, policy discussions, and team-based exercises while engaging directly with community leaders and regional partners.
This in-person module establishes the foundation for collaborative resilience projects that fellows will continue developing throughout the fellowship. These projects are designed to address real-world needs in Arctic communities while strengthening fellows’ leadership capacity.
Ian Lang, Executive Director of the Institute of the North, expressed gratitude for the Government of Canada’s continued investment. “We are deeply grateful to the Government of Canada for its enduring support of this timely and important dialogue among youth from the United States, Canada, and Greenland. ARCYF is about building practical leadership skills and strengthening relationships across borders. When young leaders learn from each other and work together on responsible development, the entire Arctic benefits.”
Building on Success
ARCYF builds on the success of its inaugural cohort, which met in person in all three participating regions; Alaska, Canada, and Greenland. That full trilateral experience allowed participants not only to learn about one another’s communities, but to physically visit them, meet local leaders, and experience firsthand the economic, cultural, and environmental realities shaping decision making across the Arctic.
Those exchanges deepened trust, strengthened relationships, and reinforced a shared understanding that Arctic communities face both common challenges and distinct local contexts. Alumni have since taken on roles in local government, business, nonprofit leadership, and regional development initiatives, carrying forward the relationships built during those in-country experiences.
Building on that momentum, the Institute of the North has been invited by Alaska partners to bring the next cohort to Alaska for a future in-person workshop. This reflects strong local support for the fellowship and recognition of the value that Arctic youth collaboration brings to communities across the state.
While the 2026 program launches with a modular structure, ARCYF’s long-term vision remains a return to the fully trilateral format in which fellows gather in all three countries. Cross-border collaboration is strengthened when young leaders can stand on one another’s land, share meals, visit worksites, and engage directly with communities. ARCYF remains committed to rebuilding that full exchange model as resources allow, recognizing that meaningful Arctic cooperation is grounded in lived experience and personal connection.
A Growing Arctic Partnership
ARCYF’s modular structure allows the program to expand through additional in-person workshops in Alaska and Greenland. Future modules will deepen engagement around policy, governance, resource stewardship, and responsible development across both urban and rural Arctic contexts.
The fellowship is supported by a coalition of partners, including the Government of Canada, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Greenland School of Minerals and Petroleum, Alaska Airlines, the Rasmuson Foundation, the George and Stephanie Suddock Foundation, the Denali Commission, the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, North Star Group, and other regional collaborators.
Business, philanthropic, and community partners play a critical role in mentoring fellows, hosting workshops, and providing financial and in-kind support. ARCYF welcomes additional partners committed to strengthening leadership capacity and responsible development across the Arctic.
About the Institute of the North
The Institute of the North remains committed to its founder, former Alaska Governor Wally Hickel’s vision by researching, educating, facilitating discussion, and advocating for policies that seek to maximize the benefits of commonly held land and resources for local communities in Alaska, the Arctic, and the developing world. Through ARCYF and other initiatives, the Institute works to ensure that Arctic residents have a direct voice in shaping the future of their region.
About ARCYF
The Arctic Resilient Communities Youth Fellowship envisions an Arctic future shaped by Arctic voices. ARCYF is a paid fellowship that empowers Arctic youth to advance responsible development and foster resilient, prosperous communities through leadership training, cross-cultural collaboration, and practical project experience.
To learn more about the ARCYF program, its mission, and objectives, visit https://institutenorth.org/project/arctic-resilient-communities-youth-fellowship/.
For media inquiries, partnership opportunities or more information about ARCYF, please contact: arcyf@institutenorth.org