The Arctic Resilient Communities Youth Fellowship (ARCYF) brings young people from Alaska, northern Canada and Greenland together to build leadership skills and work on the resilience of their own communities. The Institute of the North runs it with the North Star Group, with the Government of Canada as the lead funder.
Fellows meet online for 1.5 to 2 hours each month and travel once to a community-based workshop. The 2026 cohort ran from January to April and held its workshop on the lands of Denendeh, an area also known as the Northwest Territories, Canada.
Every fellow develops and carries out a community resilience project. The theme of the 2026 round was the Harvest Economy, covering food security, sustainable tourism, commercial harvesting, government support and cultural significance. Applications for the next cohort are not open; the most recent round closed on 19 December 2025.
Benefits & funding
- A monthly stipend of 250 US dollars across the four months, for taking part and for developing and implementing a community resilience project.
- Monthly virtual seminars of 1.5 to 2 hours with knowledge holders and subject-matter experts.
- One community-based workshop, 25 March to 3 April 2026, on the lands of Denendeh in the Northwest Territories, Canada; fellows are told to plan for 7 to 10 days including travel.
- Guidance from a mentorship network to help fellows implement their projects.
- A cross-border peer group; the 2023 inaugural class spanned more than 3,500 miles of the circumpolar Arctic.
Eligibility
- Aged 18 to 30.
- Living in Alaska (United States), northern Canada, or Greenland.
- Four fellows are chosen from each of Alaska, Canada and Greenland, twelve in total for the 2026 cohort.
- No degree or field of study is required.
- Selection gives priority to Arctic Indigenous applicants, to geographic spread across northern communities, to gender diversity, and to a demonstrated interest in the harvest economy and responsible development. These are priorities, not bars.
- Expect about 4 hours a month outside the workshop, plus 7 to 10 days for the workshop itself.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Residence required
USA · Canada · Greenland
Age requirement
18–30 yrs
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Application process
- 1Open the ARCYF project page during an application round; the most recent round closed on 19 December 2025.
- 2Submit the online application through the APPLY TODAY link on that page.
- 3The Institute of the North selects four fellows from each of Alaska, Canada and Greenland.
- 4Selected fellows join the first virtual seminar, and the cohort is announced publicly soon after.
Program timeline
Application period closes (2026 cohort)
Dec 19, 2025
First virtual seminar
Jan 14, 2026
Second virtual seminar
Feb 14, 2026
Opening panel on subsistence and traditional ecological knowledge
Feb 18, 2026
2026 cohort announced
Feb 27, 2026
Third virtual seminar
Mar 11, 2026
Community workshop begins in Denendeh, Northwest Territories, Canada
Mar 25, 2026
Community workshop ends
Apr 3, 2026
Final virtual seminar
Apr 8, 2026