Fall 2025-Spring 2026
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.
This Journey is only open to participants in the Fall 2025 Lead Incubator Journey.
You may express your interest for this Journey in Fall 2026 by filling out the form below.
You may also sign up for Mentorship on Demand and/or membership at any time.
Learning Objectives
The Lead Incubator Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors in this Journey are required to attend the monthly one-hour Journey meetings listed below.
Fall Cycle:
- Saturday, November 15, 2025, 3 pm ET
- Saturday, December 13, 2025, 3 pm ET
- Saturday, January 10, 2026, 3 pm ET
Spring Cycle:
- Saturday, March 14, 2026, 3 pm ET
- Saturday, April 18, 2026, 3 pm ET
- Saturday, May 16, 2026, 3 pm ET
If you’re unable to attend a Journey meeting, you must notify your Staff Lead in advance and attend a community event to make up for it—strongly recommended options include Leadership Community Studios, Community Conversations, and Career Chats.
The Lead Incubator 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.
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.
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.
The Lead Incubator Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in The Lead Incubator Journey will be matched for two cycles. Each pair will meet two times per month and, as a pair, attend all of the community events listed above.
Journey Teaching Artist
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.
The Lead Incubator is a Journey in the Lead 360 Adventure.
Explore All Journeys
Explore All Journeys
Teach GWN (Summer 2025)
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.
On-Demand Mentoring Sessions
On-Demand Mentoring sessions are available for young writers who would like support or advice on a specific topic. These sessions are offered for Career Development, College Preparation, Creative Writing, or Wellness.
Independent Study (Summer 2025)
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.
Community Togetherness (Summer 2025)
Come together in this wellness-focused Journey based in collaborative writing prompts and support for one another.
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.
