The Sustainability and Conservation Leadership (SCL) Program of Old Dominion University was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It has been educating students since 2017. The VCC is a place for the alumni and current students of the program to interact and share experiences and resources. The VCC aims to increase awareness of the triple challenge of climate change, biodiversity and wildlife loss, and pollution and to develop feasible options to adapt to a changing world in support of thriving communities. The Community of Practice in the VCC seeks to establish a collaborative community of students of Old Dominion University and to create connections with stakeholders from local to global scales. The club focuses on the new leadership required to tackle the many challenges in safeguarding the Earth's life-support system.
If you have been/are a student in ODU's SCL program or are interested in interacting with these students, feel free to join the VCC as a member.
[Feb. 03, 2026] Clemson University Internship Opportunity: Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute is looking for Summer interns for the 4-H Summer Camp Counselor at Camp Bob Cooper, Summerton, SC from May 22 – August 7, 2026. See the Job Description for details and how to apply.
[Jan. 08, 2026] Elizabeth River Project is hiring Seasonal Educator: The positions of part-time seasonal educators may be of interest to you. One is for the Learning Barge in Norfolk, VA and the other is at Paradise Creek Nature Park in Portsmouth, VA. The positions are both for ~25 hours a week at $15/hr. See more details in Learning Bark Announcement and Paradise Creek Nature Park Announcement. These are great entry-level opportunities for anyone passionate about the outdoors, working with kids, and the amazing Elizabeth River!
[Nov. 19, 2025] Seagrass Masters Research Opportunity (with funding): Hello everyone! I just recently met with Dr. Althea Moore at Texas A&M. She is starting a lab for seagrass restoration and resilience, and is looking for a prospective masters student with previous experience with seagrass. I have attached a link below with access to an application. Good luck and feel free to share! Read more at https://althea-moore-lab.owlstown.net/cv
[Jan. 08, 2026] NYLC Speaks Up: The National Youth Leadership Council has published a thoughtful and considerate Statement on the killing of Renee Nicole Good, in which the NYLC “condemns the actions taken by federal immigration agents at Roosevelt High School and throughout Minneapolis.” The NYLC continues to state that “These events strike at the heart of what we believe leadership must be: rooted in empathy, guided by integrity, and committed to the civic responsibility of protecting the dignity and safety of all people.”Platform News
[Feb. 24, 2026] New Scenario for 2028 Points to an AI-related Highly Undesirable Future for Economy: Aisha Down and Dan Milmo discuss in their article “‘A feedback loop with no brake’: how an AI doomsday report shook US markets” the scenario study “THE 2028 GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE CRISIS A Thought Exercise in Financial History, from the Future” by Citrini and Alap Shah posted on February 22, 2026 on Substack. This study points out that the financial system of today was optimized over decades for a world of scarce human minds. AI changed this: “This is the first time in history the most productive asset in the economy has produced fewer, not more, jobs. Nobody’s framework fits, because none were designed for a world where the scarce input became abundant. So we have to make new frameworks. Whether we build them in time is the only question that matters.” The authors point out that the economy could find a new equilibrium, and “getting to this new equilibrium is one of the few tasks left that only humans can do. We need to do it correctly.”
[Feb. 12, 2026] Are we already at or close to a Point of no Return?: Damian Carrington raises this question in his article in the Guardian titled “Point of no return: a hellish ‘hothouse Earth’ getting closer, scientists say.” The most recent paper by Ripple et al. assesses “The risk of a hothouse Earth trajectory,” and the author's conclusions are pointing to an increasing probability of Earth moving into a hothouse state. The assessment should be an alarm bell for all of us. Continuing on the current path of our economy and society comes with the high risk of mass extinction, and the current uncertainty could soon turn into certainty.
