Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
The Lead Incubator
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.
Girls Write Now Collaboratory
This Journey Is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Fall 2026 Journey Now!
Journey Led By
Learning Objectives
Apply Here
Deadline: January 15, 2025
Prerequisite: You are eligible for this journey if (either of the following)
You completed the Lead Community Change journey, previously called Lead360 in the 2023/24 programming or you already developed/are engaged in a community activism project, are partnering with an organization, and would like to advance your project with the support of GWN resources.
As a participant in the Lead Incubator Journey, you’ll have access to two courses: one to support the development of your community-based social activism project and another to assist you in facilitating a community studio. You will be paired for two full cycles and are expected to meet with your mentee/mentor for at least two pair sessions each month. Mentees will work on their community-based social activism projects, attend one journey meeting per month, and facilitate three community studios per cycle, with support from their mentors.
- Cycle(s) Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
- Time 4 hours per month
- Areas of Focus Activism, Civics, Environmentalism, Advocacy
- Available Spots Per Cycle 20
Lead Incubator Courses
The Lead Incubator Journey offers three courses designed to support you in developing your community-based social activism project plan.
Courses:
Lead: Maintaining a Social Activism Project
This course focuses on providing participants with strategies and tools to effectively sustain and manage their community-based social activism initiatives. It covers topics such as project planning, resource management, and strategies for long-term impact and growth.
Teach GWN: Facilitating Community Studios
This course provides training in the techniques and best practices for leading and managing community studio sessions. It focuses on creating engaging and productive environments that support learning and collaboration among participants.
Podcasting Fundamentals
An introductory course that covers the essential skills and tools needed to create and launch a podcast. Participants will learn about podcast planning, recording techniques, and editing, providing them with a solid foundation in podcasting.
Lead Incubator Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in the Lead Incubator will be paired for a minimum of two cycles, with each pair meeting for at least two hour-long sessions per month. Mentees will advance their community-based social activism projects, while mentors will offer support and guidance throughout the process. This journey is open to both mentor-mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.
Lead Incubator Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors in the Lead Incubator Journey are required to attend monthly meetings, held on Saturdays from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. Additionally, mentees facilitate one monthly community studio (3 sessions/cycle), preferably with a focus on leadership. The weekday, time, and exact dates for your facilitated studio sessions will be determined based on your schedule before the journey begins.
Community Studio Weeks
Fall ’24 cycle:
- November studio: 11/12-11/25
- December studio: 12/9-12/20
- January studio: 1/13- 1/27
Spring ’25 cycle:
- March studio: 3/10-3/21
- April studio: 4/14-4/26
- May studio: 5/12- 5/23
Lead Incubator Orientation (Mentees & Mentors) :
- Lead Incubator Orientation: Wednesday, 10/9/2024, 6 pm
- Studio Facilitator Training: Tuesday, 10/15/2024, 7 pm ET
Lead Incubator Virtual Journey Meetings (Mentees only):
- November: Saturday, 11/16/2024, 1 pm ET
- December: Saturday, 12/14/2024, 1 pm ET
- January: Saturday, 1/18/2025, 1 pm ET
- March: Saturday, 3/15/2025, 1 pm ET
- April: Saturday, 4/19/2025, 1 pm ET
- May: Saturday, 5/17/2025, 1 pm ET
Lead 360 Adventure
The Lead Incubator 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
Independent Study (Summer 2026)
Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to help you plan creative projects and meet your goals.
Career Exploration: From Searching to Securing the Position (Summer 2026)
This Journey provides a strategic roadmap for navigating the modern workforce, moving from self-discovery to landing the position.
Explore Tour (Summer 2026)
Explore all of the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now has to offer through a multimedia, multi-genre experience that includes mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-on-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with offerings that range from fiction to journalism to publishing, and dive into formats like video, podcasting, visual storytelling, and more. Ideal for mentees who enjoy working across multiple genres and media or are focused on specific projects, this Journey offers the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your individual needs.
Writing Our Way to Wellness: A Podcast Journey, Pt. II (Summer 2026)
This Journey invites mentees to explore the intersection of storytelling and wellness through the art of podcasting.
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance (Summer 2026)
This Journey invites participants to dive into the world of young adult romance, exploring the joys, challenges, and complexities of love in adolescence and young adulthood. Through creative writing exercises, character development, and plot crafting, mentees will learn how to create authentic, relatable stories that resonate with YA readers. Participants will explore themes of identity, friendship, and emotional growth while honing their craft in storytelling that captures the heart and imagination.
Teach GWN (Summer 2026)
In this Journey, members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a Community Studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure. Each cycle involves facilitating three Community Studios, one per month. Participants will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and mentors can facilitate a Community Studio either solo (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.
Fresh Mouth: Confidence Through Comedy (Summer 2026)
This Journey transforms your unique observations and "wild and wacky" thoughts into a structured comedy set. Through bi-weekly Journey Meetings and personalized coaching, you will explore the mechanics of humor, moving from a raw premise to a polished delivery. You will learn to find the funny in the everyday while building the stage presence and confidence necessary to share your voice. The experience concludes in a live showcase alongside peers and professional comedians, where you will debut your original material and celebrate the power of humor as a tool for connection and self-expression.
College Ready: Drafting Your Narrative (Summer 2026)
This Journey offers a streamlined path to college readiness through interactive workshops, mentoring, and peer exchange. You will move from drafting a compelling personal statement to building a strategic school list and navigating financial planning, all while receiving personalized feedback on your work. By the end of the program, you’ve gained the skills to create a polished application and the insider knowledge needed to present your most authentic self to admissions committees.
Zine Makers: Crafting A Peer Poetry Zine (Summer 2026)
This Journey invites you to step into the role of editor and designer to transform poetry from the spring Poetry Rising Journey into a compelling, collaborative zine. You will move through the specialized stages of the publishing world, beginning with a deep editorial dive to refine existing verses inspired by heritage and created by your peers. As you master visual composition and multimedia design, you will learn to pair these powerful voices with a cohesive aesthetic, ultimately gaining the technical skills and creative vision needed to produce and share a high-impact, independent publication.
Book Club: Fantasy (Summer 2026)
This Journey offers an immersive dive into contemporary literature, shifting from passive reading to a strategic analysis of a writer’s craft.
