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.
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
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.
Perspectives on Publishing & Marketing (Spring 2025)
Learn about the different ways to publish creative work and the fundamentals of marketing yourself and your creations. This Journey will take mentees and mentors through the process of publishing from beginning to end. This is a great opportunity to learn about the publishing industry from employees who work in in the field. Perfect for mentees who would like to be published or work in publishing. With the information gained in this Journey, you will be ready to enter the publishing industry as employees and writers. You will have the knowledge you need to create change in an industry that needs your fresh perspectives.
Perspectives on Editorial (Spring 2025)
Embrace editing as an essential aspect of writing in this journey that leads you through lessons and experiences that explore everything from line edits and grammar to the psychology of revision. Great for individuals who are interested in honing their skills for editing their own creative work (and the work of others!)
Audio Storytelling (Spring 2025)
The Audio Storytelling Journey is for mentees and mentors who want to learn about the ways publishing companies create audio books and other audible content for publication.
Perspectives on Public Policy (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)
The Perspectives on Public Policy Journey offers a comprehensive overview of public policy and its role in addressing societal challenges with a focus on inequalities, public policy frameworks, design, analysis, and justification.
Investigative Podcasts (Fall 2024-Spring 2025)
In this journey, you’ll collaborate as a production team to produce a podcast series about the Cop City project that includes research, pitching episodes, outlining episodes, hosting the podcast, and editing. We’ll try to understand why these cop cities are popping up, why people are resisting their construction, and different ideas around what makes a community “safe.” Great for mentees who are interested in social justice, journalism, and podcasting.
The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Spring-Summer 2025)
In this 2-cycle journey, participants will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, you'll learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Through workshops and performance coaching, you’ll develop your own comedic voice. Discover how satire and personal storytelling can raise awareness, inspire dialogue, and challenge the status quo— all while keeping your audience laughing. By the end of the journey, you'll have developed a 5 -10-minute stand-up routine that not only entertains but sparks meaningful conversations about the world around us. Comedy is a form of intelligence, whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.
