The Pathy Foundation Fellowship For Graduating Students 2024/25

The Pathy Foundation Fellowship For Graduating Students 2024/25. The Pathy Foundation Fellowship is an intensive 12-month opportunity for graduating students (undergraduate or Masters) from five partner universities (Bishop’s, McGill, Carleton, uOttawa, Queen’s, and StFX) who have an existing meaningful connection with a community anywhere in the world and an innovative initiative idea to strengthen that community. Fellows are provided with comprehensive training, dedicated ongoing support and up to $40,000 to make a sustainable impact in their chosen community and to support their growth as active and effective leaders and change-makers.

The year-long Fellowship is designed for students who have:

demonstrated the capacity and potential to develop as effective change-agents;
a meaningful connection with a community of their choosing, locally, nationally or internationally; and
EITHER an innovative idea of how this community could be strengthened or developed; OR
a connection with a positive and sustainable community development initiative in any field already underway within this community that they would like to build upon in an innovative way.

Candidates do not need to develop a completed plan at application stage, but rather have an interesting and innovative idea of something that could strengthen the community that can then be further developed in the first few months of the program, informed by the on-campus and distance learning components.

The Pathy Foundation Fellowship For Graduating Students 2024/25 Eligibility

Fellowships are awarded to candidates who meet the following eligibility requirements:

Hold Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency
Are a graduating, full-time student who will complete their final course requirements within this year’s eligibility window (i.e., AFTER last year’s Fellowship start date and BEFORE this year’s Fellowship start date. We operate on a July to July cycle. To check annual program start dates, please see the program schedule).
- We base eligibility on your end of studies date, not your physical graduation date.
- If you have already finished your studies (before the current Cohort’s program start date) you are not eligible to apply. If you complete your final course work after the start date of this year’s program, you are eligible to apply for next year’s cycle.
Will be under 30 years of age by the program’s start date
Attend one of the partner universities – Bishop’s, Carleton, McGill, uOttawa, Queen’s or StFX.
Have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree
- Candidates may be a current Undergraduate or Master’s student in any field or discipline (this includes post-graduate programs such as Law and Education).
- If you have previously completed at least a Bachelor’s level degree and are now studying towards a Diploma or Certificate at one of our partner universities, of at least one full semester’s duration, you are also eligible upon completion of your studies.
- PhD, Medical and Dental students are not eligible to apply.

BENEFITS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

Professional Development

You will learn how to pitch, plan, budget, implement, evaluate, and report on a socially-innovative project. You will develop as a leader and gain valuable connections and in-demand skills as you kickstart your career.

Personal Growth

With personal leadership coaching you will tap into and enhance your capacities as an individual and leader. You will set and achieve areas of personal growth and development and build competencies that will serve you for life.

Community Engagement

You will learn how to find creative solutions to community priorities through tangible participatory tools. You will be introduced to leading development approaches, practices and principles.

KEY FEATURES OF THE FELLOWSHIP

Supported Autonomy
Community Engagement
Professional Development
Personal Growth
Personal Development and Leadership Coaching
Professional Development and Initiative Support Check-ins
Coady Resource Staff Members
Triad and Cohort Check-insAlumnx Network

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Applications open every year in early September, and close in early January. Following the review of applications, up to 20 shortlisted candidates will be invited and funded to attend a centrally conducted Selection Process in Montreal, consisting of participatory and interactive activities with the other candidates along with an individual interview with the Selection Committee. All shortlisted candidates MUST make themselves available to attend the Selection Days (and potentially travel days either side).

Each cohort of up to 12 Fellows will participate in:

The Foundations for Community Change (FCC) experiential learning component on-campus at the Coady Institute during which Fellows are introduced to the Coady approach to development; self-assessment and analysis of leadership styles and interactions with others; introduction to Fellows’ personal coaching sessions; working equitably with communities; and participatory project planning and management, including such topics as financial management and monitoring, evaluation and learning.
A Transition Phase (TP) during which Fellows return home and further develop their initiatives based on learning from FCC. TP includes regular check-ins with peers and Coady, along with further distance-based learning and planning before beginning the Community Phase.
The Community Phase is when Fellows will work in and with their identified communities. During this phase, Fellows will receive ongoing support and distance learning from Coady, as well as regular sessions with the Fellows’ personal coach.
A Debriefing in Montréal when Fellows will evaluate personal and professional growth, outcomes from the community phase, next steps, and complete visioning of possibilities in their journey as change-makers.

* Please note that the program only covers travel within Canada for candidates and Fellows.

For more information: Visit the website for The Pathy Foundation Fellowship For Graduating Students 2024/25