The Politically Savvy — Strategy for Civic Engagement Outreach initiative empowers girls and young women to become informed, active, and effective leaders in their communities and beyond. This interactive journey will equip participants with the leadership skills, political literacy, and strategic insights necessary to navigate the complex world of politics and civic engagement. Through workshops, mentorship, and community experiences, this journey will foster a new generation of politically savvy, service-oriented leaders who will champion social change and drive community action.
Learning Objectives
- Gain foundational knowledge in leadership: Understand what leadership looks like in various settings, from school to community activism, to political arenas.
- Build political literacy: Learn about local, state, and national politics, with an emphasis on the power of voting, policy-making, and advocacy.
- Develop essential civic engagement skills: Understand how to identify community needs, mobilize for change, and work collaboratively to build coalitions.
- Strengthen public speaking and advocacy: Hone skills in writing and delivering compelling messages, and develop the confidence to speak out on issues that matter.
- Create actionable change: Craft an individual action plan that applies leadership and civic engagement skills to real-world problems.
Apply Now
Applications for the Spring 2025 Cycle are open!
Priority Deadline: December 31, 2024
Final Deadline: January 15, 2025
Cycle(s) Offered:
Spring 2025 (March-May)
Time:
4 hours per month
Areas of Focus:
Public Policy, Leadership
Requirements:
- Have at least 1 pair session with a mentee/mentor per month
- Attend at least 1 suggested Community Experience per month
- Complete the Politically Savvy Course
- Submit 1 written or multimedia advocacy piece to be published on Girls Write Now’s website.
Politically Savvy — Strategy for Civic Engagement Outreach Package
As a mentee or mentor in the Politically Savvy Journey, you’ll have access to online courses designed to help you learn about all the options available to you to publish your creative work and how to use marketing as a tool to promote yourself and your work. You’ll be paired with a mentee or mentor for one full cycle, and you’ll meet with them at least twice each month. You’ll attend at least one community engagement experience a month..
Politically Savvy — Strategy for Civic Engagement Outreach Courses
The courses in Politically Savvy–Strategy for Civic Engagement are designed to equip participants with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to be powerful voices in their communities. Through a series of engaging workshops, participants will explore various aspects of leadership, political systems, and community organizing, as well as gain practical experience in advocating for change, both within local environments and on a broader scale.
Courses:
- Introduction to Leadership
Understanding what leadership looks like in diGerent spheres (school, community, and politics) and exploring diverse leadership styles and discovering personal strengths. - Civic Engagement & Political Literacy
Participants will learn the basics of local, state, and national politics, gaining a clearer picture of how decisions are made and who holds power. Emphasis will be placed on the impact of voting, policy-making, and advocacy, showing how each individual can influence change through active participation. - Building a Strong Community Network Participants will explore how to identify pressing needs in their communities and the importance of mobilizing others to drive change. They will learn effective strategies for building coalitions with others who share their vision, using collaboration to create a more powerful, unified voice. Additionally, this session will emphasize the development of interpersonal and communication skills, key components of successful leadership in any space.
- Leading Through Service
Participants explores the concept of servant leadership, focusing on the idea that leadership is about serving others. Participants will reflect on the importance of volunteerism and how service to others can be a pathway to leadership. They will also learn how to create meaningful opportunities for service that can benefit both their personal growth and the communities they serve. - The Power of Your Voice
Participants will learn the foundational skills of public speaking and advocacy in this session. The focus will be on crafting compelling messages that inspire action, and on how to use public speaking as a tool for influencing others. They will also gain strategies for writing powerful speeches and messages that resonate with diverse audiences and create lasting impact. - The Action Plan
Participants will apply the leadership and civic engagement skills they’ve learned throughout the program to develop a personalized action plan for continued growth. This plan will outline the steps participants can take to create real, sustainable change in their communities. They will also reflect on their journey and how to keep building on their leadership skills moving forward.
This course/These courses are offered as a part of this journey package. If you’d like to take a course without joining a journey, click here.
Politically Savvy — Strategy for Civic Engagement Outreach Mentoring
Mentors and mentees in the Politically Savvy_Strategy for Civic Engagement will be paired one full cycle. Each pair will meet for at least two 1-hour pair sessions each month.
This he Politically Savvy _ Strategy fir Civic Engagement requires two 1-hour pair sessions per month. If you’d like to mentor but cannot commit to this requirement, click here.
Politically Savvy — Strategy for Civic Engagement Outreach Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors in the Politically Savvy _ Strategy for Civic Engagement must attend at least one Community Experience per month. It is strongly recommended that they attend Group Meetings, Mentee Affinity Group Meetings, and Salon Experiences.
- March 15, 3-4 pm ET
- March 29, 3-4 pm ET
- April 12, 3-4 pm ET
- April 26, 3-4 pm ET
- May 17, 3-4 pm ET
- May 31, 3-4 pm ET
This Journey requires attendance at the Community Experiences noted above. If you’d like to attend Community Experiences but cannot commit to these requirements, click here.
Public Policy 360 Adventure
The Politically Savvy — Strategy for Civic Engagement Outreach Journey is a part of the Public Policy 360 Adventure.
Journeys in the Public Policy 360 Adventure focus on the ways that writing and creating can impact public policy. It is designed for those who want to learn more about how to make change in technology, reproductive health, climate change and more.
Not ready for a Journey?
If you want to be a part of the Girls Write Now Collaboratory but you aren’t ready to join a Journey, you can participate in individual writing courses, short-term mentoring services, and select community engagement experiences. See all of the options available to you below!
Writing
Take a course without joining a journey, being paired with a mentee or mentor, or attending community experiences.
Mentoring
Meet with a mentee or mentor without joining a journey, accessing writing courses, or attending community experiences.
Community
Attend Community Experiences without joining a journey, being paired with a mentee or mentor, or accessing writing courses.