Sarah Kear, Program Director

“What I love most about working with Fashion Takes Action is it gives me the opportunity to apply sustainability to a fun and inspiring topic.  Clothing is a practical part of every one’s daily life, as well as their creative expression, so our positive impacts for change can be far reaching. ”

Long before Sarah joined Fashion Takes Action in 2009, she explored the world of fashion and design in a stint as a grade 7 & 8 sewing teacher, up-cycling her mom's wedding gown into a new creation, and scouring Queen West and Kensington Market in Toronto for great independent designers and consignment finds.  Sarah is now happy to add her passion for positive change, fascination with sustainable design, and her skills as an educator, writer and manager to the Fashion Takes Action team. 

Sarah brings over 12 years of Canadian and international training and experience in sustainability, education and community development to her big but exciting responsibility at FTA: rolling out learning events and resources that grow knowledge, business savvy, and leadership confidence in our members.

She is a trained classroom teacher with a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, and has worked several years with the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Region Conservation (TRCA) in environmental education roles. In 2008 she enrolled in a Small Business Management program at the Toronto Business Development Centre, and has focused her teaching on the “greening” business community ever since then. 

Additionally, Sarah’s passion for community engagement has lead her to managing a community garden in the Jane Finch area for several years, and a three year career in International Relief and Development.

In addition to being responsible for programming, Sarah is the adaptable and systems-focused manager of the behind-the-scenes at Fashion Takes Action. She recruits, trains and manages our interns, writes grants, and works closely with Kelly on all matters of strategy. She is currently enrolled in a Project Management program at Ryerson University, which will give her the tools to keep all the work of a growing social enterprise straight!

Sarah can be reached at sarahk@fashiontakesaction.com