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About Us
Youth Conservation Action Network (YouCAN) is a non-profit initiative that envisions redefining environmentalism. We foresee that there will be 13 million young environmentalists in the next 25 years who are practicing conservation at home, engaging with local governments, schools, and communities to protect and restore the natural world, and improve our planet’s health.
We are committed to be on this path, taking one step at a time, by implementing short-term and long-term experiential learning programs that inspire, empower and nurture students, youth, and teachers to become environmentalists. This vision is impossible to realize without the support of hundreds of people who believe in a greener environment. Let us make our efforts revive the wellness of our planet and its people.
The Crisis
More than
1 million species
are at risk of extinction by climate change.
There has been an average 68% drop in global population sizes of amphibians, birds, fish mammals and reptiles between
1970 and 2016.
We are losing
80,000 acres of tropical rainforests daily.
800 million people across the world are currently vulnerable to climate change impacts such as droughts, floods, heat waves, sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Our Purpose
To create real-world experiences for children and youth on ecology and conservation.
Our Vision
One day every one of us will be environmentalists.
Our Model
Promote the efforts of our community partners.
Give with whatever we have - vocation support, money, resources, connections.
Focus on local impact.
Remain bi-partisan.
Our Values
KINDNESS
Being generous, accepting and considerate
AGILITY
Being able to understand and respond quickly
EQUITY
Being fair and impartial towards gender, caste, race, faith, language and orientation.
TRANSPARENCY
Being open and accountable.
INTEGRITY
Being honest and having strong moral principles.
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YouCAN team with one of our faculty and partners during the inagural fellowship cohort on earth education
YouCAN's Founding Story
Rachita Sinha and Ramnath Chandrasekhar got married in an idyllic village in July 2018. Their unconventional life experiences brought them together as partners and motivated them to dream of the world as it can be. They chose to make a difference to people and the planet that is larger than themselves.
Rachita was born and raised in a rural town in Jharkhand in the East of India. Ramnath was born and raised in a rural town in Tamil Nadu in the South of India. Rachita’s affection towards nature was encouraged by wildlife in her backyard. His – the same too – wildlife in his backyard.
Rachita was motivated to make a difference in society because of watching the sufferings of coal mining workers whom she observed for 15 years on her way to school. Ramnath was motivated to make a difference in society because of the rampant destruction of nature he witnessed during his early assignments.
They pursued different vocations. Rachita as an engineer and learning designer. Ramnath as a professional nature photographer and educator. For seven years before their wedding, Ramnath and Rachita connected to work on a common goal of creating a greener generation.
When they got together, Rachita and Ramnath decided to spend the rest of their lives by being torchbearers for the planet’s health by inspiring, empowering and nurturing students, youth, and teachers to become environmentalists in their own ways.
They can be reached at ram[at]youcan.in and rachita[at]youcan.in