Do you want to be part of the movement creating a more sustainable and equitable future? Climate Positive Energy is pleased to support the Leading Change Fellowship to become a more impactful leader and connect with a dynamic community of changemakers.
Over the five-month Fellowship, you will enhance your financial literacy, analyze the intersection of financial decisions and environmental impact, and explore alternative ways of doing business that contribute to long-term sustainability and equity.
Overview
The Leading Change Fellowship is a transformative virtual program aimed at empowering young people aged 19-35 residing across Canada from diverse backgrounds to emerge as leaders in sustainability. Through a combination of specialized training and hands-on projects, participants will gain essential knowledge and skills to help shape a future where financial wellbeing, resiliency, and cooperation are central tenets of societal progress.
Over the course of five months, fellows will engage in the three main pillars:
- Environmental resilience: Unpack how to support and scale actions that encourage climate change risk mitigation, adaptation and resiliency
- Financial wellbeing: Explore financial security and wellbeing in Canada, and how this is linked to climate change and long-term sustainability
- Cooperation in business: Discover cooperative businesses that operate on principles of democracy, equity and solidarity, and depart from traditional ways of doing business
What you’ll get out of the Fellowship
- Education and training to become a more purposeful leader
- Connection with peers from across regions and sectors
- Access to foremost experts who are leading the way in Canada
Additional benefits include:
- Access to Leading Change Summit and GLOBE Forum in February 2026 in Vancouver (subject to full participation in the LC Fellowship program)
- Access to the Leading Change Alumni Network
- A select group will have the opportunity to facilitate a workshop at Leading Change Summit, building on what they have learned in the Fellowship
How it works
The Fellowship will kick off in late August 2025 and conclude in early January 2026. Participants are required to complete up to 6 hours of workshops per month, plus up to an additional 5 hours of ‘homework’ and reading outside of the sessions. Sessions will take place every other Tuesday at 8:30 pm NT / 8 pm AT / 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT / 5 pm MT / 4 pm PT.
The Fellowship will culminate in a final project that empowers fellows to apply and deepen the knowledge and skills they have acquired by working in teams to develop initiative that drives real-world impact. This project will encourage initiative and drive real-world impact. At the end of the program, fellows present their initiatives to their cohort and receive feedback from a panel of expert judges. The winning initiative will have the opportunity to lead a workshop at Leading Change Summit in Vancouver in February 2026.
What will be covered
Module 1: Environmental Resilience
Supporting and scaling actions that educate and encourage climate change risk mitigation, adaptation and resiliency
- Grounding the Fellowship in a discussion of our mental health and wellbeing, including how to turn eco-anxiety into eco-action
- Defining key terms: climate change, sustainability, environmental prosperity & resilience
- Understanding the impacts of climate change in Canada
- Exploring climate change adaption and mitigation solutions, including:
- Decarbonization, including the role of cleantech and other green innovations
- Resilience-building, including disaster preparedness & emergency response
- The role of biodiversity and nature-based solutions
- Advancing a just and equitable transition
- Sharing Indigenous practices for environmental prosperity and resilience
Duration: 3 sessions
Module 2: Financial Wellbeing
Fostering financial security and resiliency for Canadians looking to build skills, find employment / mitigate risks, particularly for those that are underrepresented.
- Exploring our own financial literacy, including identification of knowledge gaps and discovery of challenges and barriers faced
- Building financial resilience, including education on the types of financial services and supports available in Canada
- Exploring how to ‘Move Money for Good’
- Learning about the links between our own finances and climate change
- Taking actionable steps to engage with personal finances in ways that are values-aligned
Duration: 3 sessions
Module 3: Cooperation in Business
Raising awareness around different business models including the cooperative model
- Defining the cooperative business model as an alternative to traditional businesses focused on maximizing shareholder profits
- Exploring the benefits of cooperatives to society, and how to engage with and amplify co-operatives across Canada
Duration: 2 sessions
Program Dates
| Welcome Call | 26- Aug | |
| Environmental Resilience: Workshop 1 | 2-Sep | |
| Environmental Resilience: Workshop 2 | 16-Sep | |
| Environmental Resilience: Workshop 3 | 1-Oct | |
| Financial Wellbeing: Workshop 4 | 14-Oct | |
| Financial Wellbeing: Workshop 5 | 28-Oct | |
| Financial Wellbeing: Workshop 6 | 11-Nov | |
| Cooperation in Business: Workshop 7 | 25-Nov | |
| Cooperation in Business: Workshop 8 | 9-Dec | |
| Final Project Presentations | 20-Jan |
Applications
Click here for complete information.
To be eligible you need to reside in Canada for the duration of the Fellowship, be between the ages of 19-35, be passionate about sustainability, and be able to commit to the duration of the program.
The application process involves three steps: submitting your CV, answering a series of questions, and creating a short video.
To apply, please submit your application by August 4, 2025, at midnight EST / 10 pm MST / 9 pm PST.
We believe that leadership development should be accessible to everyone, regardless of financial circumstances. That’s why we’re offering a sliding scale contribution model for participation in the upcoming Leading Change Fellowship. Please note that payment is not necessary to participate in the program however, every contribution helps us continue to offer transformative programs like this one, and to ensure that cost is never a barrier to participation. We recommend $150-300 but welcome contributions of any amount, based on what feels right for you. If you and/or your organization are in a position to contribute more, your generosity directly supports others who may not be able to contribute at this time.
Questions asked on the application:
- What drives your interest in joining the Fellowship, and what value do you seek to gain from participating in the program? (Note: Program themes are Environmental Resilience, Financial Wellbeing & Cooperation in Business)
- How have you engaged with your community to contribute to social or environmental good, and how do you continue to support a more environmentally resilient future? Examples can be from work, volunteer, academic, and/or personal experiences.
- How do aspects of your identity, personality, experiences, or values shape your passion for sustainability? How will your unique perspective contribute to the program and bring value to the 2025 Fellowship cohort?
- Looking ahead, how do you envision applying the knowledge and skills gained from the Fellowship to continue advancing sustainability goals in your community or field of work?
- If someone wrote a book about you, what would the title be and why?
Video submission:
Create a video up to 1-minute long to introduce yourself and share one area of sustainability you are particularly passionate about. Preferred format is a vertical video (portrait mode) recorded using your smartphone.
Get in Touch:
If you have questions or would like more information about the Fellowship, contact admin@leadingchangecanada.com or visit leadingchangecanada.com/program/leading-change-fellowship-2025/