Hi everyone! My name’s Youness, and I’m a 2023 Scholar (University of Toronto). I wanted to share a new paid LiA opportunity that I have piloted with the Laidlaw Foundation the previous two summers, and now The Laidlaw Foundation are offering the opportunity to others.

The LiA Sustainability Lead is designed for scholars who have completed an LiA with a partner organisation, had a positive and impactful experience, and would like to support future scholars to do their independent LiA at the same organisation. In short, it’s an opportunity to return to your LiA organisation, but with a different purpose!

The purpose is to foster long term relationships between the Laidlaw community and LiA organisations, by encouraging a pipeline of scholars returning to the same places (as opposed to each cohort having to develop new relationships from scratch each time). We think this will optimise impact (scholars can get orientated more quickly, identify SMART goals more easily and can make progress more quickly). It also creates more opportunities for scholars to do their LiAs in small groups of scholars from different Laidlaw universities.  

An eligible scholar could return the following summer in a funded Sustainability Lead role, travelling with a small group of recruited Laidlaw Scholars and supporting them on the ground. The aim is to create greater continuity between cohorts while keeping the needs and capacity of the partner organisation at the centre.

Information Session

Wednesday, 30 September

16:00 UK time

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86371900107?pwd=aZgwnzoXoPjhuIinrdi94eXx4zbaCm.1   

I’ll walk through:

• what the Sustainability Lead pilot is
• who the opportunity may be suitable for
• what the paid Lead role involves
• how the application process will work
• the key dates and next steps
• questions from interested scholars

If you can’t attend live, the session will be recorded and shared with scholars who have expressed interest.

Interested?

To be considered for the pilot, please complete the Leadership-in-Action Completion Form by 1 October and indicate your interest in the Sustainability Lead pathway.

LiA Completion Form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/HRjZaicyAs

Even if you’re not yet sure whether your previous LiA site would be suitable, you’re very welcome to attend the session and learn more.

If you have any questions before then, you can contact scholars@laidlawfoundation.com.

I’m really looking forward to sharing more about the pilot and hearing from scholars who may be interested in building on the relationships they developed through their LiA.