About the Group Leadership Programme

The WILDLABS Group Leadership Programme is a 1-year programme where members of the community can lead subgroups on WILDLABS by curating vibrant spaces of connection, collaboration, and meaningful engagement. By volunteering to lead a WILDLABS group, you’re helping build a network of engaged communities within the larger conservation tech community, all while creating a more interconnected, sustainable, and well-resourced field! It is a great opportunity to gain leadership experience and build connections in the sector, especially for early-career individuals. The programme is open to those of all career stages and areas of expertise who are looking to make an impact. 

Learn more about the programme by reading the handbook here. If you're interested in starting and leading a new group, please read the information in this article.

Those interested in becoming a group leader should fill out an application before Friday, June 20.

Responsibilities

• Inspire engagement: Regularly start conversations; Back-channel communication to connect members; Engage in other users’ conversations; Help the group form good habits, like reminding members to engage on The Inventory
• Build community: Lead a WILDLABS Community Event series, such as speaker sessions with industry experts, tutor series for members to learn relevant skills, workshop sessions dedicated to evaluating the future of the field and defining investment needs, etc.
• Liaise with the WILDLABS team: Join a quarterly group call with other WILDLABS group leaders; Have regular check-ins with the WILDLABS Community team to share updates, questions, and concerns

What makes a good group leader?

Group leaders play a very important role in WILDLABS. They should:

• Be active in the conservation tech community
• Have in-depth knowledge in the subject of their group
• Stay in-the-know on relevant news, new technologies, and emerging opportunities
• Be eager to connect with others
• Have creative ideas for bringing the community together and delivering on needs
• Be able to commit 1-2 hours per week to being a group manager for 1 year

Perks of being a group leader

By volunteering to be a group leader for a WILDLABS subgroup, you’ll:

• Have 12 months to make an impact in your area
• Build a more well-connected conservation tech community
• Increase your exposure in the community
• Give back to and support the sector
• Connect with others in your field
• Have a direct line of communication to the WILDLABS team
• Feed into WILDLABS feature development
• Join a small community of other group managers on Slack
• Leverage the power of WILDLABS through speaker events like Variety Hour
• Earn a special badge to distinguish your leadership role

Statistics from the 2024-2025 Cohort

In a feedback form from the 2024-2025 cohort, 12 our of 17 group leaders shared their experience with the programme. Results showed that, 

• 100% of respondents were very or moderately satisfied with the programme, support from the WILDLABS team, and training
• 91.% of respondents felt that the programme had a significantly positive impact or moderately positive impact on their connectedness to the sector
• 50% of respondents spent 1-2 hours a week on their role, 25% spent 0-1 hours, and 25% spend 2+ hours
• 75% of respondents would be interested in continuing their role in some capacity

Hear From Last Year's Cohort

“I have valued getting to know community members better and getting a better view of how they perceive WILDLABS. I enjoy being able to workshop fun events for the community”

 

“I valued feeling more connected to the WILDLABS community and staff. Instructions on how to lead a group [were] well organized and easy to follow which I really appreciated, and would apply to other programs I organize. I feel better connected to the sector now because of this!”

 

“I now feel a bit more connected to the WILDLABS community than before, and found a way in which I can contribute more meaningfully.”

Apply to become a group leader

Those interested in becoming a group leader should fill out an application before Friday, June 20.

We will review applications and get back to all applicants by Friday June 27. Prospective applicants will be invited to join a training call, which will cover:

• The community lifecycle
• How to create an action plan
• What resources are available to you
• Expectations and responsibilities

Questions?

To learn more about the Group Leadership Programme, read the handbook here. Drop questions, comments, or concerts in the comments section or reach out to @alexrood on WILDLABS or at alex.rood@wildlabs.net.