Yes, if you're a mid-career or seasoned professional with a drive to lead change — whether formally or informally — in your organization, sector, or system.

Fellows come from education, workplace learning, healthcare, nonprofits, tech, and beyond.

If you’re wrestling with a thorny challenge or shaping a new initiative, this is a space built for you.

Yes! Some Fellows come in with a defined initiative; others are exploring a question, tension, or early idea that’s still taking shape. You don’t need a polished plan to begin — just a sense that something matters, and a desire to work through it with structure and support.

The application itself is reflective. You’ll be asked questions like:

• What’s the challenge or opportunity you’re noticing in your context?
• How do you hope to grow as a leader or changemaker?
• Where might this inquiry lead — even if it’s still unfolding?

If those prompts spark something for you, you’re in a good place to start.

There’s no single mold. Some Fellows focus on designing programs or learning experiences. Others are rethinking systems, leading strategic shifts, or shaping new approaches to professional learning, communication, or collaboration.

Inquiry topics range from staff onboarding, student assessment, and team dynamics to culture-building, stakeholder engagement, and trust across departments. Some projects are tightly scoped; others begin as open-ended questions or hunches.

What matters is that your focus feels meaningful, and that you're ready to explore it with structure, reflection, and support.

No. Many Fellows lead from the middle: as consultants, team leads, coordinators, or system influencers. Others are in transition or shaping new roles entirely.

What matters most is that you're positioned to influence change in some way, and that you’re ready to learn alongside others doing the same.

To join the Fellowship, you’ll start by registering in the course to secure your spot. Once registered, you’ll receive a link to complete a short application that helps us understand your goals, context, and focus area.

The process looks like this:

• Step 1: Register to secure your seat.
• Step 2: Complete your short application.
• Step 3: Receive confirmation and onboarding details.

The application is not a test. It’s a tool that helps us better understand your goals, and assemble the right team to support your work.

You’ll be supported through a combination of coaching, expert insight, and peer collaboration:

• Your Process Facilitator, an ICF-certified coach who provides providing guidance, mentorship and one-on-one coaching sessions
• A team of Experts-in-Residence with diverse experience across systems, sectors, and strategies — meet them here
• A peer learning group who you'll engage with bi-weekly for reflection, collaboration, strategy and shared progress

The Professional Learning Fellowship is not about advice or top-down instruction. It’s about being surrounded by the right structure, strategy, and community to help you make meaningful progress.

“When you have that triad of coaching, expert insight, and peer community, you’ve got the resources to navigate and start making sense of what you’re trying to advance.”

- Dr. Elisabeth Rees-Johnstone, Executive Director

Upon completion, you’ll receive a Master Certificate of Completion from OISE Continuing & Professional Learning at the University of Toronto — one of the world’s top-ranked faculties of education.

This recognizes:

• Completion of a 125-hour structured professional learning program led by expert coaches and facilitators
• Demonstrated ability to engage in strategic thinking, reflective leadership, and applied problem-solving within your context
• Growth aligned to a research-informed competency framework used to assess growth throughout the Fellowship

What you'll walk away with:

• One or more applied deliverables, such as a prototype, strategy brief, implementation roadmap, or presentation deck
• A clear throughline between your challenge, learning, and action, documented in a way that supports portfolios, performance conversations, or internal buy-in
• Language and evidence to articulate your leadership growth, aligned to strategic goals in your context

How Fellows use it:

Participants often use their outputs to shape new initiatives, strengthen internal proposals, advance cross-functional collaboration, or support career transitions.

Note: While the Fellowship is not credit-bearing or degree-linked, it’s designed to support applied learning, leadership growth, and strategic thinking in complex or evolving professional contexts.

The program fee is $3,985 CAD, payable in full at the time of registration. This includes all sessions, coaching, resources, and access to OISE Continuing & Professional Learning supports.

Funding support may be available through:

• Organizational professional development or innovation budgets
• The Canada-Ontario Job Grant (COJG)
• The Canada Training Credit (CTC)

To help you make the case internally, we’ve created a one-page resource you can share with your manager or HR lead: Download the 'Convince Your Boss' PDF

Need more time to plan? You can join our PLF interest list to stay in the loop about future cohorts and upcoming dates.