Discover the 2026 Cohort: OpenMedia Summer Fellowship

OpenMedia announces its inaugural cohort for the 2026 Summer Fellowship. Six outstanding next-gen policy changes will join the team to explore innovative approaches to pressing challenges in AI, online harms, and democracy.

OpenMedia is pleased to announce our 2026 Summer Fellowship cohort! This is our inaugural year in running a three-month immersive program to empower young leaders and researchers in Canada to tackle the most pressing digital rights issues.

From June to August, six outstanding next-gen policy changemakers from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec will join OpenMedia’s team to dive deep into the heart of digital rights, advocacy, and community power. 

Our program combines hands-on opportunities with engaging over 230,000 members in the OpenMedia community, as well as personalized mentorship and support for fellows to launch policy initiatives on pressing issues they wish to make better for Canadians.

The cohort will work together to explore urgent issues that challenge their generation, from AI-driven job displacement, safety challenges of AI chatbots, digital surveillance, and how technology is influencing our democracy.

As one of the leading civic engagement groups in Canada, we look forward to this opportunity to share our platform with passionate future leaders to bring in next-gen perspectives and marginalized voices to Canada's digital policy landscape.

Meet our fellows

Abde Amr (Quebec)

Abde is a disinformation researcher specializing in the global circulation of misinformation and digital propaganda. His work focuses on the intersection of technology, human rights, and information integrity. Previously, he was a researcher with Simon Fraser University’s Disinformation Project where he studied the spread of false information in Canada. He advocates for stronger technology accountability and policy reforms to address systemic digital harms.

Elruma Dixon (Quebec)

Elruma is a bilingual youth advocate and Juris Doctor graduate from the University of Ottawa, with additional degrees in civil law and international development. Her work sits at the intersection of law, technology, and public policy, with a focus on digital governance and AI. She is particularly interested in questions of AI regulation and literacy, as well as the broader legal and policy challenges that emerge as technology continues to reshape public life around digital rights and equity. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, visiting museums, and long walks in nature.

Jasmine Cha (Alberta)

Jasmine is a Calgary-based human rights and community advocate working at the intersection of AI governance, equity, and civic engagement. With a background spanning technology, youth engagement, and public policy, her work focuses on making digital systems safer, more inclusive, and accountable. She has contributed to initiatives with organizations including the International Telecommunication Union, UNICEF, and the Center for AI and Digital Policy. Jasmine is particularly interested in upstream accountability and ensuring marginalized communities aren't left behind as emerging technologies shape society. Outside of work, she enjoys local theatre, film, and volunteering her time to causes she cares about.

Marley Hearn (British Columbia)

Marley is an engaging, curious and community oriented person! She loves to be outside and meeting new people. With a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from University of British Columbia, she brings an interest in international law and public policy to community engagement interconnected with the privacy sphere in Canada. Marley previously initiated a youth engagement partnership with OpenMedia to raise public awareness about their privacy rights. She is excited to expand her work to bring youth into the discussion of privacy law reform.

Nicholas Grant (Ontario)

Nicholas is a graduate of the Sheridan College journalism program, where he spent time writing and reporting passionately on issues that matter deeply to him. Human rights, politics, Internet history and the state of media in the 21st century are just some of the topics that he has touched on with a strong will to make a difference. He believes that by bringing the public honest, factual and objective information, that it will stir people into organizing and advocating for change in their community.

Vipon Kaur (Ontario)

Vipon graduated in 2024 with a double major in Computer Science and Professional Writing & Communications from the University of Toronto. Her interest in AI ethics emerged after deepening her knowledge through AI courses at Vanderbilt and Michigan universities. Previously, she navigated platform safety and creator content as a software engineer at Wattpad. Today, her work sits at the intersection of technical systems and human impact. As an emerging AI ethics advocate, Vipon is committed to helping build Canadian policy that protects creatives from the unconsented use of their work by AI corporations.