Leading Change Fellowship 2026-27

Build the skills, community, and confidence to lead change.

The Leading Change Fellowship is a virtual leadership development program for people aged 19–35 across Canada who are early in their professional journey or making a purposeful career transition to sustainability, environmental, or social impact work.

Through expert-led learning, peer connection and hands-on projects, Fellows build the skills, perspectives and relationships to become more confident and impactful leaders. 

Applications for the 2026-27 Fellowship are now open!

Apply Now

Why join?

Gain practical leadership skills

Build real leadership, not just a résumé line.

Strengthen your confidence and develop practical skills to navigate complex challenges and create meaningful change.

Past Fellows reported a 39% increase in their knowledge and skills to design and lead sustainability initiatives.

Join a community that gets it

Find your people.

Learn alongside a national community of peers from different regions, sectors, backgrounds and lived experiences who care about building a better future.

“The Fellowship was a fantastic opportunity to break away from my typical circles to engage with peers from diverse backgrounds, all united around a common goal.” – Michael Pepe, 2025-26 Fellow 

 

Build solutions and confidence

Turn what you learn into something real.

Move beyond theory through practical exercises and a collaborative final project that helps you apply new ideas to real-world challenges.

Past Fellows reported a 36% increase in confidence to influence positive outcomes and a 38% increase in feeling hopeful about the future.

Use systems thinking for real results

See the whole system. Lead the change.

Explore how environmental resilience, financial wellbeing, and cooperation in business intersect, and what those connections mean for creating lasting change.

Past Fellows reported a 57% increase in their understanding of how these three areas interconnect.

 

What you'll explore

The Fellowship brings together three interconnected learning areas: 

Environmental Prosperity and Resilience 

Explore climate solutions, adaptation, resilience, wellbeing, nature and pathways toward a just and sustainable future. 

Financial Wellbeing 

Build your understanding of financial resilience and explore how money, finance, climate, and sustainability intersect. 

Cooperation in Business 

Explore cooperative and purpose-driven approaches to business grounded in democracy, equity and shared prosperity. 

How it works

The Leading Change Fellowship is a virtual, cohort-based learning experience running from fall 2026 to February 2027.

Through interactive workshops, expert speakers, peer discussion and practical exercises, Fellows explore sustainability challenges from different perspectives and learn from one another along the way.

The Fellowship is highly participatory. Fellows are encouraged to bring their ideas and experiences into discussions, engage openly with different perspectives, and contribute to a collaborative final project.

Program dates

Welcome Call 29- Sep
Environmental Resilience: Workshop 1 06-Oct
Environmental Resilience: Workshop 2 20-Oct
Environmental Resilience: Workshop 3 03-Nov
Financial Wellbeing: Workshop 4 17-Nov
Financial Wellbeing: Workshop 5 01-Dec
Financial Wellbeing: Workshop 6 15-Dec
Cooperation in Business: Workshop 7 12-Jan
Cooperation in Business: Workshop 8 26-Jan
Wrap-up Meeting/ Final project presentations 09-Feb

Sessions take place bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.

Fellows are expected to attend the scheduled virtual sessions, which may last up to 2 hours each, and participate actively in discussions and activities.

Beyond the sessions, fellows will work with their peers on a collaborative impact project. Most participants can expect to spend approximately 15-20 additional hours on project work throughout the Fellowship. Depending on the goals and scope of your project, your team’s time commitment may be higher or lower.

Is this for you?

The Fellowship may be a strong fit if you:

    • are aged 19–35 and reside in Canada;
    • care about creating positive environmental or social change;
    • are early in your career, navigating a career transition, or looking to grow your capacity as a leader;
    • are curious about how sustainability connects across sectors and systems;
    • want to turn learning into action; and
    • are excited to learn alongside people whose perspectives and experiences may differ from your own.

You do not need to have “sustainability” in your job title or already consider yourself an expert.

We welcome applicants across career stages, industries, educational backgrounds, and lived experiences.

We’re looking for real people, not perfect résumés.

Application details

  • Applications open: August 18, 2026
  • Applications close: September 7, 2026 11.59 PM ET
  • Fellows notified: September 21, 2026
  • Welcome & onboarding: September 29, 2026

The application includes short written questions, a one-minute video introduction, and your résumé.

If you have questions about the Fellowship or application process, or require support or accommodations to complete your application, please contact admin@leadingchangecanada.com.

Apply Here

Accessible leadership development

We believe cost should never be a barrier to participation. 

We believe leadership development should be accessible regardless of financial circumstances, and cost should not prevent someone from participating. We offer a sliding-scale contribution model with a suggested contribution of $200.  

We also have documentation that we can provide to your employer in case they’re open to sponsoring your participation. Please reach out to admin@leadingchangecanada.com to request the documentation.

Check out our FAQ Page for more info.

Stay connected

If you have questions or would like more information about the Fellowship, contact us admin@leadingchangecanada.com. 

Not ready to apply?

Join our mailing list for Fellowship updates, events and opportunities.

Thanks to our sponsors

We are grateful to Co-operators and Coast Capital for their commitment to
fostering positive change and innovation within our community. 

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