“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