Women Lead YYC is a free leadership program offered at the Women’s Centre of Calgary that takes place over a period of six weeks. The program’s goal is to support, encourage and connect Calgary women who want to improve their communities through leadership. I was lucky enough to participate in the fifth cohort of Women Lead YYC, with our final session and program graduation occurring on March 2, 2020. During the program, a group of 21 women came together and learned from a number of community leaders, including past Women Lead YYC participants.
Throughout the program we learned how to focus our ideas into a community vision, mapped our community assets, learned how to approach and communicate with both allies and those in opposition to our visions, and discussed how to make and follow through with an action plan, including the celebration of successes.
What struck me about this program was how much I was inspired by all the other participants. Our group represented a diverse number of communities, and everyone was so passionate about their own particular communities and projects. Through the sharing and participation aspects of the program, I was able to learn a great deal about different communities that exist within the city, and the challenges that they are facing. I was greatly inspired by the other participants’ passion and by the work and leadership actions they have already taken.
I would encourage anyone who self-identifies as a woman, and who is interested in leading but doesn’t quite know where to start, to participate in this program. Both Women Lead YYC and the Women’s Centre of Calgary offer a safe and supportive environment in which you can connect with other women to grow your network and facilitate change. I will be able to apply the skills learned through Women Lead YYC to not only further my activist efforts to make positive change in society, but also to grow and succeed in my career.
Written by Hanna, Women Lead YYC participant
The next Women Lead YYC cohort will take place in the spring and will run Tuesdays from May 5 – June 9, 2020 from 5:30-8:00 P.M.
For more details, feel free to contact Monique at monique@womenscentrecalgary.org.
Applications for Spring session are now open, please apply by April 1, 2020 on our website here.