The Lawson Foundation is excited to announce the launch of the second year of the Youth Action and the Environment Pilot Fellowship and introduce a new class of four recipients.
As part of our Youth Action and the Environment strategy, the Youth Action and the Environment Pilot Fellowship empowers young environmental leaders across Canada and supports their efforts to lead impactful environmental projects. The second year of this unique initiative builds on the success and lessons of our inaugural fellowship, completed in 2023.
About the Pilot Fellowship
The Youth Action and the Environment Pilot Fellowship was created to address the challenges that young environmental leaders face, including high burnout, lack of resources, and limited peer connections. In 2022, the Pilot Fellowship was launched as part of the Lawson Foundation’s broader strategy to strengthen youth leadership and civic engagement while promoting connection to nature and environmental action.
The fellowship addresses the growing need for direct support for young environmental leaders, particularly those facing systemic barriers or lacking resources to bring their ideas to life. Additionally, this year, recipients have a shared focus on the intersection of environmental action with holistic human health and well-being.
Key Supports for Fellowship Recipients:
- Financial support of a $15,000 stipend plus up to $10,000 for project expenses, enabling recipients to focus on their environmental initiatives without financial constraints.
- Skill coaching and training, including leadership development, project planning, communications, project budgeting, wellness, evaluation, and other areas of interest to fellowship recipients.
- Mentorship and a network of support to help recipients navigate challenges, achieve their own goals and grow as leaders, supplemented by group training sessions throughout the year.
Meet the Recipients
This year’s fellowship class welcomes another four exceptional young environmental leaders with inspiring ideas and projects. We are excited to support their journeys and learn from and with them over the next 12 months.
Abhay Singh Sachal
Abhay Singh Sachal is the founder of Break The Divide (BTD), a nonprofit that connects youth nationally to address climate change and mental health. His journey began at 14 in the Canadian Arctic, where he witnessed the impacts of climate change on Indigenous communities firsthand. Now pursuing a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology, Abhay blends his studies with his work at BTD, empowering youth to transform climate emotions into action. Through this fellowship, he aims to deepen his impact and advance BTD’s mission of integrating emotional wellness into climate action.
Project Preview: Break The Divide fosters empathy and empowers youth to take action on climate resilience and mental health, equipping them to process climate emotions and build community resilience.
Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky
Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky is a climate justice advocate, artist, consultant and researcher currently completing a Master of Arts in Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria. Her project, Creating Climate Resilience, employs art-based approaches to help youth process eco-emotions and build emotional resilience. Sabrina’s work is driven by her own experiences with climate anxiety and her desire to support others facing similar challenges. Through this fellowship, she plans to grow the reach of her project and connect with other young leaders focused on climate and mental health.
Project Preview: Creating Climate Resilience engages youth in art and dialogue sessions to explore climate emotions and build resilience.
Smiely Khurana
Smiely Khurana is a media professional and environmental advocate who co-founded Climate Cafe Vancouver, providing safe spaces for discussions on the emotional impact of climate change. She aims to expand this into a national Climate Wellness Network, offering resources to support communities across Canada. Smiely’s initiative reflects her commitment to mental health and resilience in the face of climate challenges. Through this fellowship, she plans to establish the network as a leading resource for climate-related mental health support.
Project Preview: The Climate Wellness Network will create a national platform for addressing climate-related anxiety, offering tools and resources to help communities establish climate cafes and provide mental health support.
Inaam Chattha
Inaam Chattha is a medical student and environmental activist focused on the intersection of climate change and public health, particularly in marginalized and rural communities. He founded Green Mind to empower youth by normalizing discussions about climate anxiety and strengthening support networks. Inaam’s lived experiences as an immigrant drive his commitment to ensuring that young people have the resources to navigate climate anxiety. Through this fellowship, he aims to expand Green Mind’s reach and impact across Canada.
Project Preview: Green Mind empowers rural youth by providing tools and support to address climate anxiety, focusing on culturally sensitive education and community engagement to turn anxiety into action.
Join Us on This Journey
As we begin this second year, we invite you to follow our recipients’ journeys, learn from their experiences, and explore how you can help empower and support young leaders as they work to create a more sustainable future for our planet.
Amanda Mayer
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