Photo: A YES Program group in Switzerland.

Applications are now being accepted for the Youth Encounter on Sustainability’s first ever program in the United States. Apply today to take the lead in creating a sustainable future!

This August, a group of university students and young professionals from across the globe will address issues of sustainable development as part of the Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) program. The YES program offers each of its participants a once-in-a-lifetime experience to connect with like-minded individuals, delve into the complex challenges facing our planet today, and build up the skills and knowledge necessary to develop solutions.

Located at Sterling College in beautiful Craftsbury, Vermont, the YES program will engage participants in issues of sustainability through course lectures, field trips, workshops, discussions, and group work.

Headed by an international YES faculty and national, regional, and local sustainability leaders, the course will cover topics such as Earth systems, energy, economics, and environmental policy. It will draw on Vermont’s long history of small farms with a special focus on sustainable food production and community resources.

In addition, the course will allow participants to engage with Vermont’s people and landscape through a range of social, cultural, creative, and outdoor activities.

The YES Vermont course builds on eleven years of successful YES programs in ten different countries. In that time, over 1,300 students from 98 countries have been trained for sustainability leadership through YES. They now make up a strong and active network of YES alumni—a network which new participants will be able to access and engage with.

This summer’s YES program runs from August 15-September 1. It is jointly sponsored by ACTIS, the Donella Meadows Institute, and the Alliance for Global Sustainability.

For application materials or more information about this inspiring opportunity, please visit www.actis-education.ch or www.donellameadows.org/about/our-work/yes-youth-encounter-for-sustainability.

Applications are due May 14, 2012.