Girls Gearing Up International Leadership Academy

Meet some of the fantastic teen girls who are at our Germany Leadership Academy this week! Big thanks to ABURY Foundation for the collaboration that brought these incredible changemakers to the 2024 cohort.

I am incredibly excited to announce that I arrived in Germany a day ago to participate in the Girls Gearing Up International Leadership Academy, taking place from July 7 to July 14, 2024, at the Berlin Brandenburg International School. This program will bring together aspiring female teen leaders from around the world for a week of rigorous seminars and interactive workshops focused on leadership, project management, diplomacy, and much more. This opportunity would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Dodoo Coding Club particularly, its Christian Mehl, and my instructors Robert Mawunyo and Kirlin Mensah. I am immensely grateful for the encouragement and assistance that have paved the way for my participation in this prestigious program. My journey with the Dodoo Coding Club began in 2019, and it has been a transformative experience, allowing me to grow both personally and academically. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Dodoo Coding Club for believing in me and supporting my dreams. I am looking forward to representing the club and making the most of this incredible opportunity. Stay tuned for updates from the Academy! Safe travels to all my fellow participants!

What a great experience to have spent the afternoon with a dynamic group of young women dialing in from around the globe for a virtual hackathon in partnership with Future Holders org.. 👩💻 The event kicked off with a keynote talk by George Savva, Global ESG Practice Lead at Amdocs, who shared how their ESG policies are making a global impact. Next, our aspiring changemakers took an in-depth look at the Sustainable Development Goals 7: Clean Energy, 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, and 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.  After sharing how these issues affect them and their communities, they worked in small, international groups to develop and finally present their tangible solutions to these global challenges. 🌍  As always, it was invigorating and inspiring to support young changemakers in their quest to create a more equitable, sustainable, and peaceful world. We are excited to continue doing so during our upcoming 2024 Leadership Academies. 🌟 A huge thank you to Future Hoders for another successful collaboration! 🙏 #postcodelotterie #postcodeeffekt

Last week, some of the facilitators for our 2024 Leadership Academy brushed up on their knowledge and learned more about active listening and solutions focus from the engaging coach Juno Ziss! 🗣 Some of the key reflections from the workshop that we are looking forward to sharing with our GGU girls this summer include: ▪ Two underrated but crucial drivers of good leadership are asking questions and REALLY listening  ▪Asking powerful, intentional questions helps people reflect, and activates their potential to develop solutions and share their expertise ▪As a leader, it’s your responsibility to make others feel heard, connected, and safe. In today's increasingly polarized world, we believe it is crucial to provide aspiring leaders with the tools to navigate difficult conversations and engage in empathetic dialogue. We're looking forward to adding this important topic to our program this summer and are excited to see how the GGU girls put these powerful questions to use. 💥 Thank you Juno for volunteering to share your time with us!

Would you (or someone you know) like to connect with and inspire the next generation? 🙋♀️ We are looking for dynamic women to join us IN PERSON for participant-led interviews at our Leadership Academies in India and Malawi this summer. When: 📅 India: July 27th - August 3rd at Sangam World Centre, Pune, India 📅 Malawi: July 7th - 14th at Kamuzu Academy, Chimphepo, Malawi What: 🗣 An approximately one hour informal interview, moderated by GGU participants. No preparation needed. Our teen changemakers are eager to hear from women in a wide range of professional fields and are particularly interested in understanding how various careers or companies can make a sustainable impact. This is a great opportunity to connect with teen changemakers while sharing insights gained along your personal and professional journeys. ▶️ If you or someone you know would be interested in speaking to our diverse group of GGU girls in person at our locations in Malawi or India, please reach out. Let's inspire the next generation of female leaders together! 🌍

📣 Our 2024 mentees are gearing up for life and leadership 📣 With the first quarter of the mentoring program behind them, our mentees are reflecting on the important and useful strategies they've been learning from their mentors. We are grateful to the inspiring volunteer mentors who are helping shape our mentees' personal and professional journeys and are proud of our mentees for their commitment to learning and development. It's incredible to watch them grow!   ▶ Take a look and see which key takeaways have been the most valuable to our 204 mentees so far! ✨ https://lnkd.in/dPMuVXvA Our twelve-month one on one mentoring program supports rising changemakers by connecting girls with female role models who guide them in achieving their own individual goals and who connect girls to networks, resources, and internships. This program is game changing for many girls because as we know, you have to see it to be it! ✊

🌟 GGU Alumni Spotlight: Naya This week, we are thrilled to shine the spotlight on another remarkable GGU alumna, Naya Sarah! Naya's journey with Girls Gearing Up began in 2016, when she joined our second-ever Leadership Academy shortly after arriving in Germany from Syria. Her commitment to growth and community was clear and she returned the following year in 2017, becoming an integral part of the GGU family. 👥 As a passionate advocate for our mission, Naya dedicated herself to fostering connections among alumni worldwide, serving on our Youth Advisory Board last year. Her efforts have helped to strengthen the bonds within our community, inspiring others to embrace the GGU spirit wherever they are. Following her high school graduation, Naya embarked on a new journey, completing a voluntary social year in a hospital. This experience lead her to pursue her dreams of studying medicine and becoming a doctor. 💬 About her experience with GGU, she says,  “GGU provided a network for me to exchange experiences with like-minded people and find my path. It offered numerous opportunities to learn new skills, from communication to confidence and self-love, enriching both my personal and professional life. In the upcoming future, I aspire to be a well-rounded doctor and provide a safe place for my future patients to heal and thrive.” We are so proud to witness Naya's journey and are thrilled to support her along the way. We know she will continue to make a positive impact everywhere she goes. 💜

We never stop learning from our dedicated next generation changemakers! In this post Leandra Voss (GGU alumna 2015-19 and honorary Youth Advisory Board Chair) shares what she has been working on and learning about extractivm and its detriment to maintaining socially just peace during her internship with the Consortium on Gender, Security, and Human Rights. We highly recommend taking a moment to read her reflections and then learning more from one of the many resources she's shared.

On a Friday afternoon in early March, I had a classic GGU moment.    I was tired and there were still numerous tasks to be completed before the weekend, but I had committed to doing a workshop with our Youth Advisory Board on hosting online events, as they are planning several for the wider GGU network throughout the coming year.    Five minutes into the call, all thoughts of my to-do list were forgotten.    I was leaning in towards the inquisitive and engaged faces of our Youth Advisory Board members. I was captivated by their questions, moved by their thoughtful comments, and inspired by their unwavering commitment to inclusivity.    In that moment, amidst their desire to learn and their dedication to taking action, I was reminded once again why we do what we do - for the boundless potential of the next generation. ✊🏼   For years, we've been working with very limited resources to make a very big impact. It's moments like these with our next generation changemakers that keep us going.   I’d love to give you the opportunity to see what we see: teen girls from various backgrounds all over the world who are excited about learning, concerned about a number of social issues, and committed to making a difference. I truly believe that their individual and collective actions will make the world a better place. 🌍   So, here are a few highlights from the first quarter of 2024 at GGU. I hope they leave you with a sense of hope, and the knowledge that the next generation is gearing up to lead. ⭐ ➡ Read about them here: https://lnkd.in/d_a3sCGP If you would like to be part of our newsletter mailing list to receive regular updates, let us know! 📩 Warmly, Courtney, for the GGU Team

How old were you when you first began strategically building your professional skills? ▶ Leila (14) is well on the way to developing hers. 📣 We were thrilled when Leila asked to do her 9th grade internship with Girls Gearing Up because we know how important it is to give young people the chance to consistently practice leadership skills - from project management and public speaking to networking and communication. 🗣 Over the course of two weeks, Leila explored a variety of aspects of non-profit management, including community outreach, program organization, and even grant research. During this time, she also prepared a presentation about our International Leadership Academy which she presented in front of 120 students at her school Berlin Metropolitan School alongside GGU alumni Eva. We couldn't be more impressed! We love supporting our girls as they develop the confidence and skills to show up as leaders for themselves and their communities. It's such a thrill to watch them shine. 💫