Introducing our newest initiative: The Lambert Light Fellowship Program, a transformative nine-month journey in creativity and leadership. Designed to empower young women, this program invites participants to discover and pursue their passions, develop essential creative and leadership skills, and make lasting impact through meaningful community collaborations. 

Fellows design and lead projects that ignite curiosity, foster deep connections, and inspire joy. With strong emphasis on building confidence in new ways, this program supports young women in navigating pivotal transitions—from middle school to high school, high school to college, and beyond—while expanding opportunities for authentic self-expression and personal growth.

 Photo and © Steve Uzzell

Through mentorship, hand-on experiences, and community-based collaborations, Fellows will engage in work that advances women’s health and well-being, promotes social justice, and nurtures environmental stewardship. Through storytelling in all its forms—whether original research, reflective writing, poetry, art, music, or movement—Fellows will explore the transformative power of narrative as a tool for renewal and hope, creating meaningful impact and discovering new ways to connect with others.

A fellowship offers a unique opportunity to explore passions, lead meaningful projects, and grow through mentorship and community collaboration. While interns typically assist with an organization’s daily operations, fellows are empowered as creators and ambassadors. They focus on their own research or creative projects while also contributing to the organization’s reach, impact, and capacity for partnerships.

Pseads Fellows benefit from our innovative approach to learning, developed over the past 20 years, and are supported by a dynamic network of mentors, advisors, and partners. As they pursue passion-driven projects, they also play a pivotal role in advancing Pseads’ mission to uplift the spark of brilliance in every individual and open new pathways to success and fulfillment—both personally and in schools, careers, and beyond.

Passion-Driven Projects:
Fellows create and lead meaningful projects inspired by their unique passions and toward social, environmental, or educational issues aligned with Pseads’ mission to inspire change and connection.

Original Research and Creative Work:
Fellows explore their creativity through original research, writing, art, or movement, using storytelling as a powerful tool for personal growth and community impact.

Mentorship and Collaborative Learning:
Fellows engage in regular mentorship and collaborative experiences, drawing from a diverse network of mentors, advisors, and peers to support their development.

Impact Tracking and Community Engagement:
Fellows learn how to document the outcomes of their projects, including through participatory action research and measures of community engagement.

Leadership Development and Contribution:
Fellows step into leadership roles, actively contributing to Pseads’ initiatives and events, building their confidence and strengthening the bonds of community through hands-on engagement.

Building on the joy and success of Pseads’ pilot fellowship program in the spring and summer of 2024, Pseads launched its inaugural expanded cohort in February 2025, welcoming 15 new Fellows to this newly named initiative. As they embark on this 9-month journey (February-October), we are seeking meaningful partnerships with organizations whose missions align with the values of this program. Pseads Fellows bring deep curiosity, creativity, and a dedication to service—offering their talents in writing, research, event co-creation, mentorship, and community engagement. Throughout the fellowship, Fellows will contribute to projects, support local initiatives, and create original work in collaboration with a growing network of mentors and partner organizations. They will also receive training in narrative research methods, participatory action research, community development, and intergenerational collaboration. The first expanded cohort was selected in response to students who expressed strong interest in continuing their learning journey with Pseads outside the classroom and contributing to their communities in new ways. Starting in October 2025, an application process will be opened for prospective Fellows interested in joining the 2026 cohort, which begins on February 1, 2026.

If you’d like more details about the upcoming application process or other opportunities to get involved the Lambert Light Fellowship Program this spring and summer, please feel free (and encouraged!) to reach out to Elizabeth anytime at elizabeth@pseads.org. We would also love to explore how Pseads Fellows can support your work, learn from your organization’s mission, and help amplify community impact.

We would love to explore ways Pseads Fellows can support your work and learn from your organization’s mission (email elizabeth@pseads.org). Potential areas for collaboration include:

• Supporting mentorship or engagement initiatives

• Assisting with community events and programming

• Contributing to storytelling, writing, or creative projects

• Volunteering with social impact and environment projects 

• Designing and leading interactive workshops

• Becoming a financial supporter

The Lambert Light Fellowship Program was launched with a heartfelt seed grant from Susan Lambert, whose legacy gift continues to inspire change. I believe in this so much that I’ve contributed what I can in this moment, and I hope you’ll join me in bringing more resources to support the next phases of its growth. As we move into the spring of 2025, I invite you to be part of this journey of possibility, creativity, and impact. Your contribution will fuel the dreams of current and future Fellows, providing stipends to support their important work and enabling them lead projects that will deepen connections, benefit communities, and bring waves of joy, confidence, and vitality to all involved.

You can make a tax-deductible contribution online or reach out by mail at Pseads, P.O. Box 612, San Anselmo, CA 94979. If you know of a grant source, or others who might be inspired by this work, please reach out (elizabeth@pseads.org). This work is really close to my heart, and I would love for you to join us in expanding this vision. We’d love to make this experience available to so many more people! – Elizabeth

This program was inspired by Susan Lambert (1948-2022), Elizabeth’s mother, who deeply believed in the transformative and healing power of curiosity, conversation, storytelling, and art, as well as in the strength of women’s visions and voices, especially when nurtured in community. Susan was a celebrated artist, photographer, writer, and creator, known for her adventurous spirit and tireless drive to dream. This fellowship was an idea she and Elizabeth began dreaming together more than 10 years ago. 

Susan was a dedicated artist, who could create just about anything.  She earned a degree in education from the University of Missouri, and taught for a number of years before returning to school to pursue a Master of Arts in Photography and Media Studies. Her creative work included commercial, large format architectural, and portrait photography as well as graphic design. Susan taught at many levels, from high school and college through adults and professional communities, and was the author of nine books, including multiple memoirs and collections of essays, among them a chronicle of the 18 months she spent exploring North America in an extreme RV. Susan was magnetic, warm and generous. She lived each day as a new opportunity to “see the extraordinary in the ordinary,” and she brought a spirit of boundless curiosity to the world that Pseads hopes to carry on and to nourish and embolden in people of all ages.

The Lambert Light Fellowship is more than a creativity and leadership program–it’s a call to nurture the next generation of storytellers, dreamers, researchers, and changemakers, fostering connections across generations and communities through shared wisdom, care, and action.