YOUNG LEADERS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Since 2015, Fighting Blindness Canada’s (FBC) Young Leaders Program has provided a supportive environment for Canadian youth living with vision loss to come together and develop their employment, leadership, and advocacy skills. 

Our Mentorship Program is part of this initiative, connecting young Canadians (ages 15-35) living with vision loss to a community-based mentor. Throughout the program, mentees are provided with career development resources, guidance, and support. In-depth conversation guides and support from Fighting Blindness Canada are provided. 

Benefits to mentorship include: 

  • Career planning 
  • Networking 
  • Getting support in coping with unique challenges people living with vision loss may experience 
  • Development of new skills such as public speaking, leadership, and advocacy 

Program Details

The FBC Mentorship Program is designed to connect young people (ages 15-35) living with vision loss with mentors who will offer support and encouragement in sessions over an nine-month term. The sessions will be designed to help mentees develop their skills, improve confidence, and learn from their mentor’s experiences. 

The mentor-mentees will meet one-on-one for a minimum of six one-hour Zoom sessions, scheduled between April – September 2025, at times convenient to both mentee and mentor. Each month FBC will provide a guide with resources and prompts to help support these conversations. We are here to support all participants as they work toward their goals. We also provide training sessions, virtual meet-ups and incentives to keep you motivated and connected along the way! 

2025 program schedule

January 31, 2025: Applications for mentors and mentees due 

February 2025: Screening calls and matching.

March 2025: Kick of session and online training sessions for mentors and mentees 

April – September 2025: Mentors and mentees will meet virtually once per month. FBC will provide resources each month to help guide the conversations. 

June 2025: Check in calls with FBC and virtual mid-year group session.  

October 2025: Evaluation survey and wrap-up call.  

Eligibility Requirements

To participate as a mentor or mentee, you must: 

  • Be between 15-35 years old for mentees and be 30+ for mentors 
  • Be living in Canada 
  • Be living with vision loss 
  • Have access to a computer and internet connection 
  • Be able to attend ten one–hour sessions over Zoom, from March – November 2025 

In 2025, we will be accepting up to 15 mentor-mentee pairs into the program. We will do our best to accommodate everyone who applies, but due to the numbers of applicants and particular skills/interests this may not be possible. We will be in touch with all applicants with an update on their status in early March 2025.  

BECOME a Mentee OR MENTOR

  1. Fill out the application here:  
    MENTEE APPLICATION 
    MENTOR APPLICATION  
  2. You will receive a confirmation email with an invitation to a short screening call in January 2025.
  3. If you meet all eligibility criteria and we are able to find a suitable match, you will be introduced to your match in March 2025.

If you have any questions, please email us at education@fightingblindness.ca 

WHAT PARTICIPANTS ARE SAYING

“Our call was very valuable to me. I strongly appreciate the transparency my mentor demonstrated while sharing her story. What really stood out to me was how my mentor’s perspective has evolved due to her vision loss regarding her career and family life.”

“Our session was a great exchange of sharing more details about our work history and history with sight loss, challenges and learning how I can be a resource for my mentee.”

“I really enjoyed talking with my mentor. They are very caring and understanding. I appreciate them asking questions that challenge the way I think.”

“I felt great after our call. I find that my mentee and I have a great connection and have great discussions. We are both sad that the program is coming to an end!”

“I really enjoyed speaking with my mentor. I left the call with more things to think about with regards to my self-awareness from a personal and professional level.”


The Young Leaders Program is supported by:

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