As a part of Women LEAD's flagship program, LEAD Course, LEADers (LEAD Course participants) “pay it forward” by applying the knowledge and skills they gained to empower other girls and boys by investing 300+ hours in creating change as they co-lead a four-month School Leadership Program (SLP). In the course of implementing this sub-program, each LEADer spends over 150 hours in training; establishes a formal partnership with a middle school of her choice; sets her own selection criteria and recruits participants; plans 15 sessions using WLEAD’s toolkit, and co-leads the sessions; mentors the SLP participants; and helps organize a Closing Ceremony.
The 2022 School Leadership Program began with a three-day orientation session for our LEADErs from 2nd to 5th November 2022. The orientation programs focused on approaching school management and presenting orientation sessions among students, application screening, interviewing participants, selection and onboarding participants to the program, etc. After two years of adopting virtual and hybrid modalities in our programs, we conducted in-person sessions this year!
The LEADers, in their assigned pairs or a group, led ten sessions on various topics among students of class 9. Some sessions included (and are not limited to) Goal Setting, Time Management, Team Work, Effective Learning, and Bullying. This year SLP was successfully conducted in 13 schools, out of which 5 were government (public) schools and 8 were private schools. 224 participants (young girls and boys aged 13-15) graduated from the program. Out of these participants, 166 were girls, and 58 numbers of participants were boys. The 2022 SLP concluded in March with a closing and certificate distribution ceremony that celebrated the achievements and successes of the participants.
Hear from some of our SLP Participants -
“SLP was a golden opportunity to learn some important skills and knowledge. I am confident to become successful.” - SLP Participant.
“I applied for SLP to know more about myself and build my confidence as I used to be very shy to maintain eye contact while speaking. I feel I am active and have started participating in the sports of my school and can speak in the public maintaining eye- contact.” - SLP Participant.
“After SLP, I can now openly accept my gender identity.”- SLP Participant.
Our 2022 LEADers are now preparing for Professional Development Week and Advocacy Week. Stay tuned to hear more about our LEADers and their LEAD Course journey!
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The new iteration of Women LEAD Nepal’s year-long flagship program, the 12-month-long LEAD Course, commenced on the 3rd of September with 29 amazing LEADers (young women currently studying in the 12th grade). The Leadership Institute is an intensive two-week-long training module that includes sessions on topics such as - public speaking, Time Management, Active Listening, Goal Setting, Gender stereotypes, and Privilege and Bias. The guest speaker was invited to facilitate various sessions per their experience and expertise. The sessions employed a participatory approach instead of a traditional lecture format to enhance learning. Each day session would end with a debriefing. Sessions like these mostly helped young LEADers have personal growth and have personal growth and social awareness.
After two years, the Leadership Institute was held in person, where 29 young women with various experiences, abilities, skills, and backgrounds participated. We also updated various aspects of our curriculum to be more inclusive and relevant. The 2022 institute gathered the most determined, remarkable LEADers, who will spend all year understanding themselves, their society, and the need for fair and just systems where everyone can live with freedom and dignity.
One of our 2022 LEADers says, “In the 14-day-day long Leadership Institute by the Women LEAD, I had the opportunity to learn and understand many things which I hadn't learned before. I learned Time Management, leadership, and teamwork. I learned how to explore outside my comfort zone.”
Currently, our 2022 LEADers are in the first phase of the School Leadership Program, such as - searching for a school, communicating with the school authorities, and finalizing logistics to start their SLP journeys. The 2021 LEADers look forward to transforming their learning into action through SLP.
Stay tuned to learn more about their journey!
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Time flies, but the memories stay. Looking back at my high school memories, one of the most highlighted memories is my LEAD course journey. Applying for Women LEAD Nepal’s LEAD course was one of my best decisions. If I were to describe my LEAD Course journey, I’d describe it as “the turning point of my life”.
Through the LEAD Course, not only did I grow personally and develop my leadership skills but I now have more clarity about my goals and vision in life. Also, I made tons of friends and got mentors who are now my sisters. The course began with the Leadership Institute where I understood leadership in depth. I not only understood what it takes to be a leader but with the various practical activities, I also developed the much-needed skills to be a leader.
School Leadership Program (SLP) was the most intriguing module of all the LEAD course modules. Learning to not give up even after harsh rejections will be one of my key lessons from SLP. Through SLP, we were able to put the leadership skills we'd learnt during the Leadership Institute into practice.
Advocacy week was my favourite part of the journey. That's when I actually felt like a true leader and very powerful like never before. Seeing the changes we brought via our advocacy project among the students and their teachers will always be one thing I am super proud of. I have always been very passionate about my career, my future and everything regarding it. The LEAD Course’s advocacy week was just the perfect session for me that helped me build a clear path and plan for what I have always aimed for.
The schedule was quite hectic for sure but that’s how I learned time management. I will always be very grateful to Women LEAD for all the skills I was able to develop, for all the learning and for all the fun memories. After my LEAD Course graduation, I joined Women LEAD Nepal as a communications intern. I am equally excited about this new role and journey.
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Our 2021 LEADers successfully completed the 3-month long School Leadership Program in pairs (known as co-leaders) which ended with virtual graduation ceremonies on the 5th and 12th of March. Hear from some of our LEADers regarding their experience so far; especially in the School Leadership Program (SLP).
1. What were your biggest learnings through the SLP?
"Before I used to be very hesitant to do new things but not anymore. After SLP I have noticed a lot of changes in me. My brother also commented regarding the changes in me like how I speak more now." - Manakamana
"I learnt how to come out of my comfort zone and time management." - Pragati
2. What have you learned about leadership, and being a leader?
"I have understood that if I can contribute to someone’s improvement I should be doing that, making others feel good and empowering them, helping them become a better version of themselves. And it doesn’t matter if your name comes up or not but it actually contributes to someone’s growth." - Reshma
"As a leader when you make mistakes, you should be able to take accountability. You don’t have to be perfect to be a leader" - Shristi
3. Did you hear/see SLP students applying what they learned during sessions?
"There was one student who wasn't very active during the sessions and so when she volunteered to perform a poem during the Graduation ceremony, it felt so nice." - Moxada
"During the orientation, the parents and teachers we met expressed that WLEAD’s SLP is a really good program." - Reshma
4. What advice do you have for next year’s LEADers?
"Share if it’s hard for you, don’t struggle alone, also speak to your mentors and build that bond, be transparent with your Co-LEADer." -Shrena
Stay tuned to get more exciting updates from our 2021/22 LEAD course in the upcoming months.
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Women LEAD’s 12 month-long 2021 LEAD course started on 18th September with amazing 30 LEADers. While the program was conducted virtually in the beginning, most of the programs now are being run in-person.
The LEAD course is divided into five parts such as - the Leadership Institute, School Leadership Program (SLP), Field Visit, Advocacy Week, and Professional Development Week. The program is designed in such a way that it allows the learning to be directly applied practically. After the successful completion of the two-week-long Leadership Institute, SLP school hunting has begun. The 2021 LEADers are looking forward to transforming their learning into action through SLP.
One of our LEADers says, “Through SLP, I believe I will not only be teaching the students but also be learning. I want to help the SLP students to enhance their confidence, develop their skills, and become leaders while I too learn to get out of my comfort zone and work on myself to do better”. - Bitisha, 2021 LEADer
SLP is one of the major highlights of the LEAD program which includes one-to-one mentoring that is provided by our LEADer to the students of grade 9. SLP serves as a two-way learning process for LEADers and SLP students as school-level students are guided on their leadership skills while our LEADer will get first-hand experience of actual program design in the field.
One of our 2021 LEADer Pragati Bimali shares her takeaway from Leadership Institute as, “Women LEAD Nepal taught me that being a leader is not about having the best idea, but about facilitating conversation within a group. I learned to have patience and listen to others to be a good leader. I learned that I should respect everyone’s thoughts and feelings”. - Pragati 2021 LEADer
Stay tuned to get more exciting updates from our 2021/22 LEAD course in the upcoming months.
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