Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), 20 November 2025—The Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s Generation of Environmental Leaders Program (GELP) is now accepting applications from across Canada, Mexico and the United States!
If you’re between 18–35 and working on a solution to support communities and preserve our shared waters, lands and air, we want to hear from you.
Applications open on 20 November 2025 and close on 1st February 2026, 23:59 local time.
What You’ll Get
GELP is a year-long mentorship program that helps you refine your pitch, strengthen your leadership skills and connect with environmental leaders across North America. You’ll receive C$15,000 in seed funding and the chance to present your solution to the top environmental officials at the CEC Council Session in summer 2026.
“If you’re thinking of applying, do it! The CEC team and mentors helped us develop our communications materials and believed in the possibilities of our project. Through the GELP program, we’re able to keep growing our project that brings cheap solar electricity to farmers facing rising costs everywhere. Without it, the project could not have grown as quickly as it has.”
—Sonia Vinogradova, 2025 GELP participant, Canada
Who Should Apply
You’re eligible if you’re 18–35 and part of a team leading environmental action such as:
- Youth-led organizations or associations
- Youth-led nongovernmental organizations
- Youth-led not-for-profit businesses
- Youth-led teams of innovators or entrepreneurs
Your project should be practical, community-driven and focused on solutions that support North American communities and the environment.
We prioritize proposals from diverse applicants who have developed solutions alongside the communities they serve, including community members who traditionally don’t have access to decision-making spaces.
Learn more about eligibility and evaluation criteria
“The program gave us great national and international visibility, recognizing the professional effort being made in different local fields.”
—Berenice Lizárraga, 2025 GELP participant, Mexico
Join Our Info Session
Have questions about the application? Join us for a virtual info session where we’ll walk through the process and answer your questions.
📅 11 December 2025
🕐 1:00–2:00 PM ET | 12:00–1:00 PM CT | 10:00–11:00 AM PT
🌐 English, French and Spanish (simultaneous interpretation provided)
Can’t attend? Register anyway—we’ll send you the recording.
“GELP has provided me and my team a space to strengthen our leadership and presentation skills. This has allowed us to grow our on-the-ground work with larger international initiatives.”
—Lauren Click, 2025 GELP participant, United States
About the CEC
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) focuses on strengthening the protection of the environment and fosters sustainable development across North America—for the benefit of all, today and into the future. The CEC facilitates knowledge exchange, develops resources and tools, and promotes inclusive and diverse public engagement. Since its creation in 1994, the CEC has been a unique example of regional collaboration.
The CEC was established by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, a parallel environmental agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). As of 2020, the CEC operates in accordance with the Environmental Cooperation Agreement (ECA), which entered into force at the same time as the CUSMA/T-MEC/USMCA trade agreement.
Find out more at: www.cec.org