NYU Wagner’s 2019 Ghanaian Women’s Social Leadership Program (GWSLP) for mid-career women from civil society organizations in Ghana

Application Deadline: February 3, 2019.

New York University’s Robert F Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and Fundacion Mujeres for Africa are pleased to invite mid-career women from civil society organizations in Ghana to apply to be part of the 2019 Ghanaian Women’s Social Leadership Program (GWSLP).

Eligibility Requirements:

• Be 25 – 36 years old.
• Be a mid-career woman with a minimum of 4 years of work experience in government or civil society. Experience in other fields such as academia, business or journalism is also accepted, as long as they are related to public and social issues, particular to women’s empowerment.
• Ideal applicants are program coordinators, managers or directors in civil society organizations or are journalists writing and advocating for women’s issues.
• Be a resident of Accra or the vicinity areas at the time of application.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• Be currently employed and must be committed to work in the same organization the year they participate in the GWSLP.
• Commit to participate in all GWSLP activities, and successfully design and complete an Action Learning project at the end of the program.
• Have the support of the employer and organization before completing the application.
• Submit an Employer Endorsement Letter together with the application. The letter should indicate your employer’s endorsement to participate in the program as described above, in relation to the organization vision and mission. 
• Before submitting this application, it is your responsibility to contact your employer to ensure that they have completed the endorsement letter and that they have endorsed your full participation to attend the training. We recommend you show the program schedule to your employer. 

Benefits:

The GWSLP program offers:

• Two week-long intensive leadership institutes, one in Ghana and one in New York City facilitated by experienced leadership development academics and practitioners; 
• Hands-on, interactive workshops, and site visits that offer opportunities for reflection, peer learning, team building, and networking;
• Opportunity to design and implement an Action Learning Plan to tackle a critical community or organizational need;
• Expert coaching through the duration of the program and during  the execution of the Action Learning Project; and,
• Opportunity to join a network of dynamic women leaders in Ghanaian civil society who are contributing to strengthen leadership and social sector organizations in Ghana.  

Program Component

The GWSLP participants benefit from the following components:

• Leadership Institute in Ghana — At the beginning of the program, participants meet in Ghana for a weeklong intensive leadership learning institute. Instructors from NYU collaborate with local faculty and leadership providers to provide instruction on critical topics in leadership and management. Sessions and workshops offer participants opportunities to learn from influential leaders in their field while encouraging peer-to-peer learning, reflection, critical thinking, and application of key concepts.
• Action-Learning Projects — Throughout the year, participants apply what they learn by developing and implementing action-learning projects in their home organizations or communities. Before the leadership institute, participants are asked to prepare by convening teams at their home organizations and soliciting project ideas for the organization or field. Through the duration of the program, participants continue to work in small groups on designing their action-learning projects with the support of a coach.
• Small Group Coaching — Following the intensive institute, participants work with coaches in small groups. Coaches — accomplished Ghanaian women leaders — support participants’ leadership goals and their efforts to apply their learning in their home organizations. Between meetings, coaches coordinate individual follow-up coaching sessions with each participant. This coaching provides essential opportunities for structured reflection on participants’ leadership skills and goals.
• Leadership Institute in New York City — Halfway through the program, participants attend a weeklong Leadership Institute at NYU Wagner. The institute integrates classroom workshops on leadership theory and leadership skills and site visits to social change organizations, giving participants a chance to understand practices of social change leadership in context and the opportunities and challenges that leaders face in their work.
  Individualized Assessment and Feedback — Throughout the program, participants assess their own progress and receive structured feedback about their leadership. Analysis and feedback from program staff and coaches help participants to make the most of their time in the program.
  Networking Opportunities — GWSLP also facilitates participants with the chance to develop connections with other leaders and GWSLP alumni. Program participants have diverse opportunities to practice networking skills and build a community of practice.

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Exhibited leadership: Capability for leadership at work and community; her ability to take initiative, motivate and work with others; and interest in developing her leadership and making a difference in her society.
• Interest and commitment to social change: Interest in issues of public importance or social change work, the displayed awareness of social realities in her country, and the desire to contribute to social change.
• Self-starter: Engagement in projects important to her, to judge her capacity to apply program lessons in her organization.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the NYU Wagner’s 2019 Ghanaian Women’s Social Leadership Program