The Lift 360 Youth Climate Resilience Fellowship is a four-month leadership and applied learning project that equips youth ages 16–24 with the skills, mentorship, networks, and practical experience to create meaningful climate resilience solutions in their communities. Through workshops, skills development, peer learning, and one-on-one mentorship, fellows build their confidence and knowledge while connecting with local organizations and environmental leaders. They then work in teams to apply what they have learned to real community priorities, developing projects that respond to local climate challenges such as extreme heat, flooding, and access to greenspace. The Fellowship will be run twice annually which roughly 50 youth per year participating.
The Fellowship creates a bridge between young people who want to take climate action and the organizations already working in their communities, while helping youth gain valuable experience and connections for future education and careers. Ultimately, the project supports a new generation of diverse climate leaders while contributing practical solutions that help build more resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities. It also provides connections to local organizations and networks of professionals so youth are better equipped to find and excel in the green jobs sector after school.
Throughout the Fellowship, Lift 360 works with youth, mentors, and community partners to document progress, capture lessons learned, and understand both the outcomes and the challenges of the project . We gather feedback and stories from participants and partners, track key activities and outcomes, and reflect on what is working and where improvements are needed. This reporting and learning process helps us demonstrate the Fellowship’s impact while creating a shared opportunity with partners to strengthen the project over time.
Young people have been coming to Lift 360 with lots of ideas, energy, and a strong desire to take action on climate change. What they often lack are the practical skills, mentorship, networks, and resources to turn those ideas into action. For many youth, especially those from racialized and historically underserved communities, there are limited opportunities to gain experience and build connections in the environmental field - a gap this project now fills.
The Lift 360 Youth Climate Resilience Fellowship fills that gap by giving youth hands-on training, mentorship, and opportunities to work with local organizations on practical climate solutions. The Fellowship prioritizes emerging leaders who are underrepresented in the environmental sector and supports youth across Toronto, Peel, Durham, and York Regions to support local communities with urgent issues like extreme heat, flooding and greenspace.
At the same time the project addresses community capacity by bringing teams of students to support needs identified by the community - by they the need for improved greenspace and naturalization, climate risk like flooding and extreme heat, or supporting a safe cycling routes for children to get to school.
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Hosting a Lift360 Youth Climate Resilience fellows last fall reminded us: youth don’t need to wait to lead. They’re shaping climate resilience now. Thank you!
Lift 360 have been incredible in supporting and advancing the work of young people particularly in the green space. We appreciate all they do!
The fellowship provided an incredible opportunity to strengthen my skills, build meaningful community partnerships, and collaborate on a climate housing resilience project that drives real social and environmental change for vulnerable communities in Toronto.
The fellowship was an incredible opportunity for me to strengthen my skills, cultivate meaningful community partnerships, and collaborate on a climate housing r
I was originally interested in the Fellowship for the opportunity to complete a placement with a local organization making real community change. I alongside other fellows got to lead a clothing swap project examining impacts of second-hand clothes on the environment while increasing accessibility of affordable thrifted items. This experience was one of the most valuable I have had, both for my resume as a youth environmental advocate and my long term career and life skills. Thank you Lift360!