Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
Lead Community Change
Lead Community Change is a dynamic two-cycle journey that harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to drive social impact. Mentees in this initiative will unleash their creativity to develop innovative projects that make a meaningful difference in their local communities, all while being supported by Girls Write Now’s rich storytelling resources. This journey is designed for aspiring young leaders and activists who are eager to create and implement impactful community-based social activism projects. With a personalized approach, we tailor our support to meet the unique needs of each initiative, empowering participants to bring their visions to life and inspire change in their communities.
Journey Lead By
Learning Objectives
Apply Here
Deadline: January 15, 2025
As a participant in the Lead Community Change Journey, you’ll have access to two courses—one in the fall and one in the spring—to support the development of your community-based social activism project. You’ll be paired for two full cycles and will meet with your mentee/mentor for at least two pair sessions each month. Additionally, you’ll attend one journey meeting per month, one community studio (preferably focused on leadership), and any announced journey-related workshops.
- Cycle(s) Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
- Time 4 hours per month
- Areas of Focus Activism, Civics, Environmentalism, Advocacy
- Available Spots Per Cycle 20
Lead Community Change Courses
The Lead Community Change offers two courses designed to support you in developing your community-based social activism project plan.
Lead: Developing a Social Activism Community Project
This course guides you through the process of planning and executing a community-focused social activism project. You’ll learn how to identify community needs, set project goals, and develop an actionable plan.
Lead: Media Implementation & Resources
This course offers practical strategies for integrating media into your social activism efforts. You’ll gain hands-on knowledge of how to effectively use various media platforms and resources to enhance your advocacy, engage your audience, and amplify your message.
Lead Community Change Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in the Lead Community Change Journey will be paired for a minimum of two cycles. Each pair will meet for at least two hour-long sessions per month. Mentees will develop community-based social activism projects, while mentors will provide support and guidance throughout the process. This journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.
Lead Community Change Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors in the Lead Community Change Journey are required to attend monthly meetings, held on Saturdays from 3:00 to 5:00 PM ET. Additionally, they attend one community studio per month, preferably a leadership-focused community studio.
Lead Community Change Orientation :
October: Wednesday, 10/9/2024, 7 pm
Lead Community Change live virtual meeting dates for Fall and Spring:
-
- November: Saturday, 11/16, 3 pm ET
-
- December: Saturday, 12/14, 3 pm ET
-
- January: Saturday, 1/18, 3 pm ET
-
- March: Saturday, 3/15, 3 pm ET
-
- April: Saturday, 4/19, 3 pm ET
-
- May: Saturday, 5/17, 3 pm ET
Lead 360 Adventure
Lead Community Change is a Journey in the Lead 360 Adventure.
All journeys within this Adventure emphasize leadership, aiming to help mentees and mentors develop their leadership skills and work together to create a better future. Explore the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below to learn more.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Explore Tour (Summer 2025)
Explore all of the topics that Girls Write Now has to offer with mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with courses and experiences that touch on a range of topics from horror writing to journalism to publishing and much more!
Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Summer 2025)
Our words can change minds and the world. Discover what you can do with yours… Mentees will learn how to persuade audiences on issues that matter to them. By the end of the journey, they will not only gain confidence in self-expression and analytical thinking but also develop and deliver a final speech that showcases their growth in civil discourse and persuasive communication.
Aloud: Songwriting & Spoken Word (Summer 2025)
Mic check! Enhance the power of your words by speaking or singing them aloud. In this journey, we’ll examine a variety of ways to share creative work using our voices and audio techniques with open mic events, podcasts, and songwriting.
Multimedia Tour (Summer 2025)
Explore all of the topics that Girls Write Now has to offer with mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with courses and experiences that touch on a range of topics from horror writing to journalism to publishing and much more! Ideal for mentees who enjoy working across multiple genres or are focused on specific projects, this journey offers the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your individual needs. With a focus on adaptability, this program allows you to balance exploration with dedicated time for your independent projects, providing a comprehensive yet customizable Journey. Great for mentees who are not committed to one medium or who enjoy working in multiple mediums at once.
Lead Community Change (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)
Lead Community Change is a dynamic two-cycle journey that harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to drive social impact. Mentees in this initiative will unleash their creativity to develop innovative projects that make a meaningful difference in their local communities, all while being supported by Girls Write Now’s rich storytelling resources. This journey is designed for aspiring young leaders and activists who are eager to create and implement impactful community-based social activism projects. With a personalized approach, we tailor our support to meet the unique needs of each initiative, empowering participants to bring their visions to life and inspire change in their communities.
The Lead Incubator (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)
The Lead Incubator is a crucial extension of the Lead Community Change journey, offering mentees the space, resources, and support needed to implement their project plans and drive meaningful change in their communities. It acts as a dynamic platform where they can turn their ideas into action. Mentees participating in the Lead Incubator focus on advancing their community-based social activism projects with the support of their mentors and Girls Write Now’s resources. They will take on leadership roles, facilitate a community studio, and develop an episode of the Lead Podcast, interviewing an expert relevant to their project’s cause.
Screenwriting (Spring 2025)
The Screenwriting Journey is an immersive program designed for aspiring screenwriters eager to master the art and craft of storytelling for the screen. Whether one dreams of writing for Hollywood blockbusters, indie films, or television series, this program provides a comprehensive exploration of the essential elements and techniques of screenwriting. By the end of the Journey, participants will have developed a solid foundation in screenwriting, equipped with the tools and knowledge to start crafting their own compelling stories for film. Whether you're new to screenwriting or looking to enhance your existing skills, join us on this creative exploration and bring their cinematic visions to life.
Poetry (Spring 2025)
Join us for an immersive journey into the art and craft of poetry through the lens of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, renowned for its dedication to celebrating African American poetic traditions. The curriculum draws inspiration from the rich legacy of African American poetry, reflecting on themes of history, identity, social justice, and personal narrative. Mentees will have the chance to interact with guest poets, participate in workshops, and collaborate on creative projects that challenge and inspire their own poetic expression.
Advocacy Journalism (Spring 2025)
Leverage creativity and interest in world events, storytelling, and media technology to help shape society. You’ll learn how journalists pitch stories, interview subjects, write news articles and maintain high ethical standards. Great for mentees who would like to be journalists.
Love Well (Spring 2025)
The Love Well Journey focuses on building self-esteem and confidence through increased self-awareness and empowerment within the Girls Write Now community. Using guided prompts to elicit metacognitive writing, journal entries to encourage self-reflection, and specially tailored courses to promote further learning, this journey will guide you to explore your feelings in a structured and safe way.
