High school girls from across the province will now come to Prince George to develop their leadership skills.
A girls leadership program, run by Vancouver-based non-profit Minerva, is making its second home in Prince George as part of its northern expansion.
The program is called Learning to Lead and it's a weekend-long conference currently held once a year in Vancouver that serves about 50 Grade 11 girls from all over B.C.
“There needs to be the encouragement to develop a leadership identity,” says Tina Strehlke, Minerva's CEO. “Girls are often not encouraged in the same way as men because of how we value things in society and how we understand leadership.”
She says girls often self-select out of leadership opportunities because of issues like lack of confidence.
“We are trying to develop that self-knowledge, that leadership identity, and that concept of self so they can step forward and influence however they want in whatever areas they want,” says Strehlke.
Minerva held a luncheon at the Courtyard Marriot Hotel in Prince George on Oct. 10 to announce the expansion and connect with interested community members. Strehlke says they are still in the process of finalizing dates but the Prince George leadership conference will take place next year at the University of Northern British Columbia.
“We have more than 100 applicants each year so we are currently turning away as many girls as we are serving,” she says. “We know from an accessibility place, having a more central location can enable us to open up opportunities to more girls.”
She says the Vancouver-based conference has seen girls come from Prince George, Fort St. John, Chetwynd, McKenzie, and as far as Klemtu, Deese Lake, and Bella Coola.
“I think it would make sense for some of those girls to hub in Prince George, given the travel time and the distance,” says Strehlke.
A big part of the conference is bringing in mentors who break stereotypes. Shrehlke says they are looking to connect with local partners and tap into the talent in Prince George.
“We also really try and create a safe and welcoming space for Indigenous girls,” she adds. “An example is we do a welcoming circle in Vancouver and have a traditional welcoming from Elders, so we will look to the local First Nations here to help guide us and participate to create something that is culturally relevant to the context of Prince George."
Prince George is Minerva’s first expansion of the Learning to Lead program. It's expected the number of participants attending the conferences each year will double.
