Young people will live with the consequences of climate change and will do much of the work of the energy and digital transitions. Our youth programme aims to give them practical skills, a network and a voice, starting in Morocco and reaching further across Africa. Our youth programme in Morocco is the first concrete activity of the foundation.
Why a youth programme
Africa has the youngest population of any continent, with a median age of around 19. In Morocco too, young people make up a large part of the population, and many of them are looking for training, work and a say in public decisions. Climate, energy and digital topics offer all three, but access to them is uneven. Opportunities tend to concentrate in big cities and among people who already have the right contacts.
The programme is our attempt to widen that access. It is organised by our youth pillar and connects to the three others.
How the programme is built
Each cycle follows the same five steps. We set objectives and identify what young people in the target group actually need. We invite them and register participants. We run the activities and follow up with those who took part. We share what happened and what we learned, in public. Finally we collect feedback and review results every month, and we change the next cycle accordingly.
Principles
Activities teach skills that people can use soon, in their studies, their first job or a community project. The programme is open to young people from different backgrounds and regions, and we will make this a stated aim of every call for participants.
Participants see the evidence behind the action, because the programme is linked to our research. Each activity has a goal, a person responsible and a way to measure whether it worked.
What participants can expect to gain
Climate and energy knowledge
A grounded understanding of climate change, local impacts and the energy transition.
Digital skills
Practice using data and digital tools to find problems and test solutions.
Confidence and voice
Experience speaking, organising and presenting ideas to people who make decisions.
A network
Contact with peers, mentors and organisations working on the same topics.
Who can join
The programme is for students, graduates and young professionals interested in climate, energy and digital topics. Registration details, dates and any conditions will be published on this site and on our social channels when registrations open. We will not announce dates before we can keep them.
How the programme connects to the rest of CYDE
Participants can work on any of our four pillars: climate, energy, digital and youth itself. They can also contribute to our research, for example by helping collect data or by reviewing a guide written for young readers. Organisations that would like to host an activity can reach us through the Partners page.
Questions
When does it start? Dates will be published as soon as they are fixed. Does it cost anything? We will state the conditions in each announcement. Can my school, university or association take part as an organisation? Yes, please write to us.
Who we want to reach
Our first priority is young people who do not yet have easy access to training and networks in climate, energy and digital topics. That includes students in smaller cities, recent graduates looking for their first job, young women who find fewer doors open in technical fields, and young people who work and study at the same time. We will say who a given activity is for in each announcement, and we will design registration so that it does not favour those who already have the most contacts.
Formats we plan to use
Introductory workshops on climate, energy and digital tools. Talks and discussions with practitioners and researchers.
Small practical projects done in groups, with a mentor. Visits to organisations and sites that apply clean energy or digital solutions.
Writing and presentation sessions, so that participants can share what they learned.
Not every format will appear in every cycle. We would rather run a few activities well than many badly.
Topics for the first activities
We expect the first sessions to cover the basics of climate change and its effects in Morocco and Africa, how energy is produced and used, how to read an energy bill, and how data and digital tools help people understand their environment. As participants tell us what they need, later sessions will adapt.
Safeguarding and inclusion
Activities that include minors will follow a written child protection policy, as described on our governance page. We will choose venues that people can reach, tell participants what to expect, and treat everyone with respect.
How we will know whether it worked
How many people registered, how many attended and how many completed the activity. What participants say about the content, the mentors and the organisation.
Whether participants report that they used something they learned. Whether participants stay in touch and join later activities.
We will publish a short summary of the results after each cycle.
Register your interest
Tell us who you are and what you would like to work on. We will contact you when registrations open.
Common questions about the youth programme in Morocco
Who is the youth programme for?
Priority groups include students in smaller cities, recent graduates, young women in technical fields and people who work and study at the same time.
What formats are planned?
Workshops, talks with practitioners, mentored group projects, site visits and writing or presentation sessions.
When does it start and what does it cost?
Dates, costs and conditions are not yet published. Register your interest to be informed.
How will results be shared?
Each cycle includes public sharing of results and monitoring so feedback shapes the next cycle.