Trailblazer Fellowship
Become a changemaker in your community.
A 20-month youth leadership fellowship for undergraduate students from the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills. Fellows identify challenges in their communities, design and implement solutions, and grow as leaders — through residential trainings, mentorship, peer learning, and real project work.
The Fellowship So Far
Across four cohorts, young people from Darjeeling and Kalimpong have taken their ideas beyond the classroom and into their communities.
65
Young people supported
34
Community projects
4
10
Fellowship cohorts
Colleges in current cohort
Why Be a Fellow?
The Trailblazer Fellowship gives you the opportunity to learn beyond the classroom, discover your potential, and take meaningful action in your community.
Take action on what matters
Social Action Projects
Identify a challenge in your community and turn your ideas into action.
Understand your community and your rights
Citizenship — From Awareness to Practice
Explore your region's history, understand your rights and responsibilities, and learn how to engage with institutions and governance systems.
Explore new opportunities
Exposure and Access — From Understanding to Opportunity
Connect with professionals and organisations, explore new ideas and discover future education and career pathways.
Grow as a leader
Leading Self and Others — From Self-awareness to Collective Leadership
Develop confidence, self-awareness, emotional regulation, communication and the ability to work effectively with others.
What Fellows Do
From understanding yourself and your community to putting ideas into action — here's what the fellowship journey looks like.
1. Begin Your Fellowship Journey
Join a cohort of young changemakers from colleges across Darjeeling and Kalimpong, and begin learning together through residential sessions and peer activities.
2. Build Your Foundations
Participate in monthly residential training sessions to develop self-awareness, leadership, communication and problem-solving skills.
3. Identify a Community Challenge
Explore local issues, speak with people affected and design a Social Action Project with clear goals and an implementation plan.
4. Turn Ideas into Action
Implement your project, collaborate with communities and receive regular guidance from mentors.
5. Engage with Communities and Institutions
Learn how local organisations, government systems and community groups work while building partnerships for your project.
6. Reflect and Graduate
Document your project's progress, reflect on your development and present your learning at graduation.
Stories of Change
Meet the young changemakers turning ideas into action across the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills.
Niyati Sharma
RESOIL Project: Turning Waste into a Resource
Established a campus composting system and helped form Eco Harvesters, a student-led group working to sustain environmental action.
Priyansha Chhetri
Protecting Kurseong's waterways
Engaged communities and institutions to develop a waste-management solution for local streams, securing a conditional collaboration with Plastic Fischer.
Meet our Fellows
Meet the young changemakers shaping their communities and building their futures.
2025-27 Cohort - 25 Fellows - 15 Social Action Projects
Alumni of 40 Fellows
How to be a Fellow
Ready to begin your Trailblazer journey? Here's what you need to know.
Who Can Apply?
Second-year undergraduate students studying at colleges in Darjeeling or Kalimpong.
Selection Process
Registration and a short pre-work assignment, followed by interviews for shortlisted candidates.
2027 Fellowship
Applications expected in June 2027. The 20-month programme begins in August 2027.
Priority is given to first-generation learners and students from rural or underserved communities.