A transformative 9-month journey in creativity, leadership, and purpose.

Launching with a cohort of young women, this new Pseads initiative empowers participants to explore their passions, develop vital skills, and lead meaningful projects that spark curiosity, learning, connection, and joy. Fellows engage in community-rooted work while building confidence, expanding self-expression, and navigating key transitions–including from middle school to high school, high school to college, and beyond.

This program asks what hasn’t yet been imagined, which spaces are as yet without a voice or a listener, and what kind of listening and creativity can help uplift whole communities? It honors the wisdom and ingenuity of young people and opens new pathways for their ideas to take root, resonate, and make a lasting impact.

 Photo and © Steve Uzzell

Through mentorship, hand-on experiences, and community-based collaborations, Fellows 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 explore the transformative power of narrative as a tool for renewal and hope, creating meaningful impact and discovering new ways to connect with others.

At Pseads, a fellowship is more than a position – it is an invitation explore and discover your passions, lead meaningful projects, and grow through mentorship and community engagement. While interns often support the day-to-day operations of an organization, Pseads fellows are seen as creators, collaborators, and ambassadors. Fellows pursue original research or creative projects while also contributing to the Psead’s evolving programs, cross-sector partnerships, and collective impact. Through this journey, Fellows help shape a learning culture rooted in the power of listening, story, relationships, and transformation.

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.

The Pseads Fellowship builds on the joy and success of our 2024 pilot, and we are thrilled to welcome the 15 new Fellows, supporting a total of 18 on their journeys from Feb. to Oct., 2025. As they embark on their experience, we reach out to our community with open hearts—inviting collaboration, support, and the shared spirit for creativity and curiosity that makes Pseads a home for possibility.

We’re excited to grow this program with equity and care, and in October, will open applications for young people interested in joining our February 2026 cohort. We can’t wait!

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

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 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 fall 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

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.