July 27, 2017

How Do We Keep Young People Involved in Their Ecovillage?

Nébesna Fortin – Sustainable Development Coordinator at La Cité Écologique

In many ecovillages, one of the biggest challenges is encouraging young members to stay and actively engage in their community. Many young adults feel the need to leave their ecovillage to explore other ways of life. Today, I’d like to share my experience.

I was born in an ecovillage in Canada called La Cité Écologique, where a motivating and formative program exists for young members. Its goal is to nurture entrepreneurial spirit and leadership. For me—and for most of my friends—it’s been incredibly effective.

The idea is to involve young people in every possible aspect of community life. Starting in high school, we’re invited to participate in the activities of one or more businesses on site. These internships, along with many hands-on learning courses, give us valuable skills in areas like cooking, accounting, sewing, and agriculture.

We’re encouraged to take on all tasks in a sector—and even to manage full projects ourselves. For example, preparing an entire meal for the ecovillage once a week. I remember one of our most ambitious projects: managing three greenhouses! It was amazing—and a real challenge. Yes, some plants got scorched in the sun, and yes, we drowned others the following week. But now I realize how much trust and patience the agricultural team had in us, sacrificing part of their crop just to give us a meaningful learning experience.

The next step came after I graduated from high school. At 18, I had the opportunity to become head of the community kitchen. I was thrilled to take on this unique role, and once again, I admired the adults’ dedication and openness. They let me experiment, grow into the role, and supported me every step of the way. It was my first major involvement in the ecovillage.

Others my age took on leadership roles in our businesses—designing new models for Respecterre, our eco-clothing company, or managing new product lines at Khéops. Some got involved in accounting or education.

Over time, we too had to step aside so younger members could learn and grow. Today, I coordinate internships and oversee tourism development at La Cité Écologique.

A few months ago, while sharing a meal with a high school student and one of our interns, the intern asked her what she wanted to do after graduation. She answered with joy and pride: “I want Nébesna’s job!”

So yes, it may not be long before I pass the torch and explore another facet of community life. And I think that’s the best outcome: knowing there’s always a young person ready to carry forward what we’ve built together.

As for my own role, we’ll see what life has in store. As long as I’m involved in this ecovillage, I’ll feel at home—because from the moment I was born, I’ve been welcomed as a full member of this community.

Today, the young adults who grew up at La Cité Écologique are the ones managing our businesses and sitting on the ecovillage’s board of directors. Most of the children have stayed—and now run their own enterprises.