Girls Who LEAP: Lead to Empower & Act With Purpose
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what we do

“It’s really hard to get comfortable with being uncomfortable all the time.  But when you do, amazing things happen.” 
​– Unknown –​
We believe that no child should ever be left behind and should have equal access and opportunity;
​regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or social standing.

MISSION:

To mentor and empower female-identified youth as leaders by nurturing life skills, building meaningful connections and purposefully impacting our community.

VISION:

To promote positive social change on a local, provincial, national and global scale by fostering community engagement, mentorship and early intervention for youth.

CONSTITUTION:

1.  Build LEADERSHIP skills and capacity with the purpose of encouraging life-long engagement in community and mentorship.
2.  EMPOWER female-identified youth with the confidence, life skills and tools to propel them on their journey ahead.
3.  Instill the concept of taking ACTION by nurturing youth ambassadors towards effecting impactful change in their own lives and the lives of those around them.
4.  Provide opportunities to explore the true PURPOSE of being an active leader that is empowered to create impact within our community locally, nationally and globally.
Girls Who LEAP: Lead to Empower and Act with Purpose is a year-round program that provides leadership and mentorship opportunities for inner-city girls in the Downtown Eastside and Grandview Woodlands communities. The Girls Who LEAP Society engages preteens, teens, mentors and elders throughout the year!

​Using the tri-mentorship model, this program connects existing female-identified youth from Britannia Secondary with pre-teen girls in its feeder elementary schools – Britannia, Seymour, Grandview/¿Uuqinak’uuh, Xpey’ and Strathcona – along with community mentors and elders. There are weekly ongoing sessions that continue to target life skill and leadership development. Once a month, there are LEAP opportunities for collaboration between groups to foster community engagement and connection. Four times a year, in each programming season, GWL will host a LEAP POWER weekend to reinforce strategies and tools to help our youth navigate transitions from elementary to high school and post-secondary. GWL monthly workshops and seasonal POWER weekends are a combination of curriculum-based and interactive activities to provide real-world context and practical application.

​Girls Who LEAP seeks to nurture youth ambassadors towards volunteerism, environment, culture and reconciliation by stressing importance on Leadership, Empowerment, Action & Purpose.
​
  • Develop life skills and leadership skills through weekly and monthly empowerment workshops
  • Improve sense of belonging and connection to school, community and environment
  • Foster leadership capacity to encourage community engagement
  • Building resiliency using holistic approaches for mental, emotional and physical well-being
  • Tri-mentorship model connecting pre-teens, high school youth and our volunteer mentors and elders
  • Nurture youth ambassadors towards understanding of reconciliation and culture
  • Assist with transition from elementary to high school and from graduation to post-secondary
  • Introduce new outdoor education opportunities through monthly and seasonal POWER events
  • Gain confidence to lead, empower, and act with purpose!

​GWL targets any self-identifying young women; including indigenous, two-spirited, LGBTQQIA+, vulnerable and at-risk youth. We believe that promotion of community engagement, prevention and early intervention are key methods to bring about positive social change. By aligning our communities together, GWL works with a 5-7 year plan that connects our female LEAP leaders with resources and support at every stage of their life.

Topics covered in sessions are included below but not exclusive to:
  • Accountability
  • Appreciation/connection to indigenous culture & environment
  • Communication
  • Community connectedness
  • Conflict resolution
  • Connecting past, present and future
  • Crisis interventions
  • Cultural awareness
  • Empowerment vs Victimization
  • Financial literacy
  • Global citizenship
  • Goal Setting
  • ​Healing journeys​​
  • Healthy lifestyles
  • Indigenous history
  • ​Mental wellness
  • Mentorships/Role Models
  • Personal growth
  • Physical literacy
  • Problem solving
  • Reflections
  • Safety awareness (online and in person)
  • Social media literacy
  • Talking Circles
  • Traditional rites of passage ceremonies
  • Volunteerism
  • Ways to work towards an understanding of reconciliation​​
Girls Who LEAP: Lead to Empower & Act with Purpose Society
418 Main Street, PO Box 88066, Vancouver BC V6A 4A4​
​
Registered Canadian Charity: 72628 7477 RR 0001

We acknowledge that we live, learn, play and work on the unceded and traditional territories of the
sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), selí̓lw̓itulh (Tsleil‐Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Coast Salish Nations.​
© GWL 2022
  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
  • WHAT WE DO
  • WHERE WE GO
  • WHY WE DO
  • COMMUNITY
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