Catamount Fellowship receives generous boost for Giving Day

For students in the Catamount Fellowship Program, learning happens in the middle of community life — in conversations with partners, at neighbourhood meetings and through the steady work of understanding issues that matter to people. As one of Mount Royal’s signature community-engaged programs, it gives students the chance to work on complex social and environmental issues while building the skills and relationships that shape who they become as leaders.

This year, the fellowship is receiving a meaningful lift thanks to a generous gift from Mount Royal chancellor Arlene Strom and her partner Colin Jackson. Their contribution reflects a shared belief in collaboration and community, values at the heart of the fellowship.

“Colin and I know that making progress on social and environmental challenges requires strong collaboration and community,” Strom says. “The Catamount Fellowship is designed to support students in strengthening the deep listening, learning and collaboration skills necessary to effect real and sustainable positive change.”

Their gift strengthens the program directly and comes with a hopeful message for others who care about supporting emerging changemakers. “In times of disruption and division, we see opportunity and supporting Catamount is an opportunity to support students who are seeking ways to make a difference.”

"The Catamount Fellowship is truly a transformational experience for students.  As one of our signature programs for the past five years, we have witnessed students grow in ways they never imagined and blossom into active community changemakers,” says Lena Soots-Haley, executive director of the Institute for Community Prosperity. "Generous donations such as the one made by Arlene Strom and Colin Jackson not only make this unique program possible, but every dollar is a direct investment in students, community and our shared future."

On MRU Giving Day on Dec. 2, you can join in supporting the Catamount Fellowship and have your gift go twice as far. Through the Catamount Challenge — made possible by a generous anonymous donor — every donation to the fellowship will be matched up to $125,000, doubling your impact and helping fuel the next generation of thoughtful, committed leaders.

Catamount is rooted in a simple idea: students learn best when they’re learning with and alongside the community. Fellows work with a faculty mentor and a community partner on a community-identified issue, using systems thinking and research tools to understand root causes and engage thoughtfully with people affected by the challenge.

The fellowship brings students together from across faculties, creating a mix of perspectives that strengthens the work. Throughout the year, they build skills, learn from one another and produce a systems scan, a creative project and a scholarly output shared through the Institute for Community Prosperity. Guided by collaboration and deep listening, Catamount helps students develop the confidence and clarity to take on issues that matter.

Past fellows have explored topics ranging from newcomer belonging and climate adaptation to youth civic engagement, producing research and community projects that continue to inform local conversations. Support from donors helps ensure students can take on projects that matter while growing as emerging changemakers.

Support from donors helps ensure students can take on projects that matter while building their confidence and capacity as emerging changemakers.

With Catamount continuing to grow in reach and reputation, this Giving Day match offers a timely opportunity to strengthen a program that equips students to make meaningful contributions in community.