The Leadership Department was awarded a $20,000 grant by BLBB Charitable Advisors. With this grant the LEAD Initiative has the ability to purchase two new programs that inspire the next generation of female political leaders and work toward championing gender stereotypes in leadership. The first program called IGNITE, will educate Gwynedd girls into agents of change with the opportunity to develop their political ambition and increase their political engagement. LEAD will supply IGNITE’s curriculum to train our young women to understand government policies and instill in them the confidence to compete with men for leadership positions in office. Additionally, LEAD will enhance the resiliency of Gwynedd girls through GirlUp curriculum. Founded by the United Nations, GirlUp’s programming grants us the chance to motivate Gwynedd girls to be forces for social change. The mission of GirlUp aligns with ours: to focus on shaping leadership within the individual girl first. Then, she can utilize her leadership skills to become a change-maker on issues like gender equality and gender violence. Both IGNITE and GirlUp amplify LEAD’s ability to position Gwynedd girls to be leaders across industries where women are underrepresented. The LEAD initiative fosters female empowerment by granting the next generation of female leaders imperative tools for the future.