LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
The boldest youth leadership activity Girls Inc. PNW offers.
Leadership Council is a space for young leaders (8th-12th grade) from across the Pacific Northwest to explore their passions, engage in civic dialogue with peers about critical issues, meet local leaders, and develop advocacy skills such as public speaking & research. Leadership Council members use the power of their voice to create meaningful change within their own communities with the support of peers, Girls Inc. staff, and community partners. This multi-year program adapts and changes each year according to members’ interests and our ever-growing understanding of the issues that face our communities.
Leadership Council is open to 8th-12th graders anywhere in Oregon & Washington. Council takes place virtually twice/month from October 2022 – June 2023 with additional time spent outside of council on research and community action.
KNOW A STRONG, SMART, BOLD YOUTH INTERESTED IN USING THE POWER OF THEIR VOICE?
Fill out an interest form to be notified when applications open for the 2023-2024 school year!
Leadership Council is a space for young leaders (8th-12th grade) from across the Pacific Northwest to explore their passions, engage in civic dialogue with peers about critical issues, meet local leaders, and develop advocacy skills such as public speaking & research. Leadership Council members use the power of their voice to create meaningful change within their own communities with the support of peers, Girls Inc. staff, and community partners. The following are the various aspects of the program:
Girls Resist! Book – Each participant will be given their own copy of the book Girls Resist! by KaeLyn Rich. Participants will use the process outlined in the book to plan and implement their Advocacy Projects.
Advocacy Projects: Each participant is expected to complete an Advocacy Project which involves research on a community issue as well as community action according to the participant’s interests. This can be done on an individual level or as a group. Girls Inc. PNW will serve as a support system for allowing projects to come to fruition by providing resources as needed and connecting participants to pertinent community organizations.
Virtual Sessions: There will be two sessions/month from October – June for a total of 15 sessions throughout the year. The virtual sessions serve as a safe space for participants to engage in dialogue about issues affecting their communities, to discuss topics from Girls Resist!, and to be supported in taking community action. Participants will create their own goals to focus on for the year and participants will have the opportunity to participate in facilitating sessions throughout the year.
Guest Speakers: There will be opportunities to hear from local leaders throughout the year based on participants’ interests.
Our applications for the 2022-2023 Leadership Council have closed! If you would like to be notified when applications open again for the 2023-2024, fill out an interest form here.
Who is eligible to apply?
Youth who are entering 8th-12th grade anywhere in Oregon or Washington are eligible to apply. Girls Inc. is committed to providing a pro-girl and girl-centered environment. Our programming is designed for those who identify as girls regardless of their assigned sex at birth, those who are exploring their gender identity or expression, and/or those who are gender non-conforming or non-binary.
How much does the program cost?
There is no cost to participate in Leadership Council.
When are the program dates?
October 2022-June 2023. The program takes place virtually via Zoom twice/month. The exact program dates will be determined according to participants’ schedules.
What is expected of participants?
Participants are expected to attend the majority of program sessions and complete an Advocacy Project. We understand that participants may have unexpected things come up and Girls Inc. is here to support each participant in completing the program according to their individual needs.
Can participants return each year?
Yes! Participants are encouraged to return for multiple years as long as they are still in 8th-12th grade. The program changes each year based on feedback from participants and their interests.
YOUTH ADVOCACY PROJECTS
Throughout the season, Leadership Council members follow Girls Inc. National’s Taking Action Toolkit and work on individual/small group advocacy projects which focus on a topic that they are passionate about, as a means of leading and facilitating meaningful change in their communities. some of the topics explored throughout the 20-21 session included: Anti-Asian violence, mental health resources in schools, text banking, and community advocacy.
Two Leadership Council members, Rita and Anna, created a powerful project titled STOP ASIAN HATE. (Content warning: Anti-Asian violence and graphic images.)
HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COUNCIL?
For more information, please email leadershipcouncil@girlsincpnw.org.