Youth Unlocking Potential 2026 · Phase I
Lead WhereYou Land
Talent is everywhere. Access is not.
The Lead Where You Land Fellowship, also known as the African-Canadian Youth Connect Lab, is a leadership program of the Lumina Bridge Foundation in Edmonton, Alberta. It brings Black Canadian and African-Canadian youth together to discover their purpose, build practical leadership skills, and learn how Canadian systems really work.
Many of our young people bring ambition, languages, culture and resilience. What they often need is a map: whom to ask, which doors exist, and how to walk through them. The Fellowship provides that map, along with a community to walk it with.
Our belief is simple. Young people do not have to wait for a title, a degree or permission to lead. They can lead right where they land: at school, at home, at work and in their community.
Our Mission
To connect African-Canadian youth in Edmonton with the skills, mentors and community they need to discover their purpose, build leadership and create lasting change.
Our Vision
A generation of young African-Canadian leaders who thrive where they land and lift their communities as they rise.
Why It Matters
Ambition is strong. Opportunity is the next step.
94%
of Black youth in Canada aged 15–25 want a bachelor's degree or higher
60%
expect that they will actually earn one
79%
of other Canadian youth expect to earn one
Black youth in Canada complete high school at the same rate as their peers, and nearly all of them hope to go on to university. The difference appears later, between the goals young people hold and the outcomes they expect for themselves. Encouragement, access to guidance, and mentors who share their experience all help to close that gap.
This is where we can make a real difference. Research on Black youth in Canada points to mentorship as one of the strongest levers for better social and economic outcomes. That is exactly what the Fellowship delivers: mentors, role models and peers who believe in each other and say so out loud.
What Fellows Experience
Less lecture. More leadership.
Pillar 1
Teach What You Know
The Hidden Skills Exchange
Every young person already has skills: a language, a craft, a trade, or a talent nobody has asked about. Fellows bring those skills forward and teach them to one another, discovering that they already have something to give.
Pillar 2
Meet, Match & Collaborate
The Connection Room
Fellows meet peers, mentors and community leaders they might not otherwise reach. They connect around shared goals and build projects together, turning a room of strangers into a network.
What fellows learn
Know yourself
Purpose, values and strengths as the foundation of leadership
Dream big, plan small
Turning a dream into goals, a plan and consistent action
Lead without a title
Influence, communication and service rather than position
Become a changemaker
Identifying one real need in the community and starting small
Lift someone else
Mentoring, opening doors and showing up for the next person
Build a bridge
Using culture, skills and opportunity to strengthen communities
“You do not need a title to lead. You need to decide to take responsibility.”
Pathways into Canadian Life and Work
From potential to opportunity.
Navigating Canadian systems
Practical knowledge of how things work here: education and post-secondary pathways, the job market, workplace culture, financial basics, civic life and community services. The things nobody tells you, explained by people who learned them first.
Internships and work experience
Connecting fellows with internship, volunteer and service placements through our partners, including Canada Service Corps, so they can build Canadian experience, references and confidence.
Mentorship and networks
Pairing fellows with mentors and community leaders who have walked the same road and can open doors, make introductions and encourage them to aim higher.
Funding and project coaching
Fellows who want to launch a community project receive coaching on the next steps: finding the right grant, writing the application, and having it reviewed before submission.
“We do not just prepare young people for opportunity. We walk with them to the door.”
Our first cohort, in numbers.
50+
young people applied for 13 available places; 13 were selected
12
fellows graduated with a Certificate in Youth Leadership Development
4+
community projects designed and presented by fellows
4
awards for leadership, dedication, community-building and curiosity
Cohort 1
Cohort 1 ran in Edmonton in fall 2026. Fellows met regularly, worked through the leadership curriculum and developed their own ideas for positive change in the community, from wellbeing and family support to sustainable small business.
Gala Night
The cohort concluded with a Gala Night celebrating our graduates. Fellows presented their projects to family, partners and community leaders, received their certificates, and were recognized for their outstanding contributions. It was proof of what happens when young people are given the space to lead.
Partners and Supporters
Built together.
Lead Where You Land is a program of the Lumina Bridge Foundation, made possible by partners who believe in young leaders.
Host organization
Venue
Support a Young Leader
Invest in the leaders our community is waiting for.
Every young person who believes they can lead becomes an example for the next one. Your gift keeps the Fellowship free for participants and helps us grow from one cohort to many, reaching more young people across Edmonton.
What your gift makes possible
$50
Provides a leadership journal and session materials for one fellow
$150
Funds a guest speaker or mentor session for the whole cohort
$500
Covers a full term of venue space for weekly sessions
$1,500
Sponsors one fellow through the complete Fellowship, from start to graduation
$5,000+
Makes you a Cohort Sponsor, with recognition at Gala Night and on our materials
Beyond Giving
Other ways to help
Offer an internship or placement
Give a fellow their first Canadian work experience.
Become a mentor or guest speaker
Share your story and open a door.
Sponsor a cohort or event
Put your organization's name behind the next generation of leaders.
Spread the word
Share this page with a young person who should be part of the Fellowship.
Event Highlights
Relive Gala Night
Join Our Next Cohort
Your leadership story starts here.
Are you a Black Canadian or African-Canadian young person in Edmonton who wants to grow, connect and make a difference? The Fellowship is free to join. No experience is needed, just the decision to show up.