PROGRAMS
Program Overview
As the world shifts and demands more from our spaces, claiming diversity, equity and inclusion is not enough. Not prioritizing the mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of students, participants, and staff is unacceptable. More than ever people are demanding connection and to be seen as human beings not “machines.” A vision of an institution and wider community that has overcome systemic racism is a pipe dream. The world is “sensitive.” Leaders are struggling to heal the harm that structural and oppressive barriers continue to cause, and champion change.
We believe society will thrive when it invests time and resources in our youth, provides us all with opportunities to reimagine community, and cultivates an ecosystem that is conducive for healing, growth, and unleashes our collective courage and dreams.
“May those from under our feet
breathe the warmth of community unto us
so that the peace we seek
mounts our bodies and sit on the chairs of our hearts,
sprinkling love and joy around us all.”
–Prayer of the African Medicine Man
Anti-Oppressive Leadership Institute
A vision of an institution and wider community that has overcome systemic racism has become a pipe dream as leaders are struggling with how to both heal the harm that structural and oppressive barriers continue to cause and champion change.
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In-Person Training Series or Retreat
We are all subjected to capitalist, colonial, imperialist, patriarchal, and individualistic paradigms. The legacy of these paradigms has impaired our ability to effectively build and be in community.
LTW designed a space that calls all members of a group to engrave their fingerprints to the clay as we facilitate a space where the greater community has a willingness to take responsibility for what we know and what we need to learn.
Change is messy and disruptive and requires a collective and continuous commitment towards a common mission, and agreements that provide a foundation of grace towards the process.
This series is designed to
Humanize each individual who is called to the space
Deepen a sense of self and what is necessary for one to thrive
Define community and reimagine how that shows up within the group
Co-develop a set of guiding principles that influences the work and group culture
Create a sense of belonging and comradery where all perspectives are centered and valued
LTW wants to support your group with building community and team building. This is a great way to bring your group together for a retreat or kick off an organizational change process.
More information coming soon - click here to join the waiting list!
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(Includes Anti-Racism + DEI Competency Building)
Virtual Training Catalog
Groups are struggling with access to knowledge of the oppressive systems and barriers we all inherited. We understand that we can’t do better if we don’t know better. Moreover, higher education professionals have made it nearly impossible to understand the language and apply the lessons to the barriers we are facing.
LTW is offering anti-oppressive training that is digestible, accessible, and can be modified to serve the needs of your group. We offer these virtually and with flexible scheduling.
Click here to get more information on how to bring this to your group.
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Lead the Way will be offering select groups Youth Development and Staff Capacity Building opportunities to advance the effectiveness of their programming, increase student engagement, and invest in staff.
Challenges youth programs are facing:
The turnover rate is extremely high.
Staff are in desperate need of professional development and coaching.
Youth are disengaged because programming is failing to create interactive, emotionally safe, supportive, and healthy environments.
Youth voice is not valued and their perspectives are often patronized
Leadership is struggling to meet the need of the problem and lack support and guidance.
What is youth development?
There is a natural development process that traditional schools do not consider. This process centers on the growing capacity in which young people understand and act in their environment.
Youth development is applied to a set of principles, a philosophy, or an approach that challenges us all to commit to cultivating an environment where young people can thrive through emphasizing active support for their growing capacities.
“Development is a process, not a goal. People continue to develop throughout their lifetimes. Therefore, promoting youth development is an enduring, overarching purpose, not a goal that is ever finally achieved.”
-John Dewy (1938)
How we can support your program or group:
Learn the youth development principles and methods
Learn how to apply the methods to advance the experience of your youth and staff,
Receive support with curating a planned set of practices or activities that fosters the developmental process in youth.
Click here to get more information on how to bring this to your group.
Beacons of the Future Youth Leadership Institute
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As higher education becomes more expensive it continues to widen the economical gap that disproportionately impacts communities of color. To combat the inaccessibility to college, Lead the Way will be launching a Youth Apprenticeship that will center some of the most marginalized youth as we seek to close the economical gap. In year one of our Youth Apprenticeship our focus will be information technology (IT).
Core Components of the Lead the Way IT Youth Apprenticeship:
Participates in the A Plan with Purpose workshop series
Participates in concentrated training within a specific area of expertise
Gets placed in an internship with a company within the field of specialty
Graduates from the program certified and with experience in a leading industry and support with job placement
Click here to learn more about this opportunity.
We believe society will only thrive when it has invested time and resources in our youth, provides them with opportunities to reimagine community, and cultivates an ecosystem that is conducive to healing, growth, and the unleashing of their dreams for this world.
Community & Movement Building
Through a train the trainer approach, we design tools and programs to equip concerned citizens with the resources and education needed to create campaigns that enacts social and systemic change in their direct communities.
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It’s time new voices are centered at the table of change. It’s time the people who are oppressed and lack access to movement spaces voices are amplified.
Problem
There is a major crisis on our hands, systemic disinvestment in communities of color, and constant disenfranchisement of basic rights, which has led to a lack of faith in political leaders.
Local leadership continues to be overshadowed by federal elections while direct change comes from these local offices.
Local disengagement contributes to uneven prioritization of public spending which continues to impact the social and economic outcomes of people of color.
There are thousands of groups organizing across the country but we are lacking unity and strategy
Larger groups are gatekeeping and locking out the most marginalized voices from joining the conversation.
Plan
We will no longer look to national public figures, politicians, celebrities, or influencers, but, instead, be the change we wish to see ourselves. We will disrupt and challenge what leadership looks, sounds, and feels like, starting at the local level, reimagining community, and building tactical strategies for effective movement building.
We The People Collective will:
Center the most marginalized voices across the county
Center issues that impact the most vulnerable communities,
Build a steering committee,
And unify a collective movement towards change.
Vision
We will build locally based multi-gendered, multicultural, and multigenerational models of community freedom fighters nationwide composed of grassroots organizations, associations, concerned citizens, activists, students, and organizers that will amplify the collective movement on the ground and within their respective communities.
Join the waitlist by clicking here for more information on this collective here.
We understand the importance and impact of community-based entities; therefore, we prioritize training and providing strategic direction and support to community-based initiatives, organizations, associations, and other institutions or anyone who wants to establish a community-based entity.
Program Development & Strategic Planning
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We are supporting Community Leaders and Social Entrepreneurs by defining or strengthening the mission of their work through af five-step process.
Steps Overview
Step 1 Discovery
Step 2 Define the Why, Impact
Step 3 Conceptualize the Vision and Define the Mission
Step 4 Create Your Program Manifesto
Step 5 Create Your Journey Road Map
If you are called and know the purpose of your journey to lead but struggling with where to start to make that vision realize, we are here to help!
Join the waitlist by clicking here for more information.
Freedom Practice Spaces Launching Soon
Join our waiting list now and be alerted for the launch of our Freedom Practice Spaces - monthly virtual interactive workshops to position Leaders, Educators and Community Organizers to reflect, learn, heal, imagine, and create new possibilities for Community and Leadership. LEAD THE WAY fosters interactive, emotionally safeguarded, sacred, and brave spaces through wholistic and spirited facilitation practices, that transforms people and community.
Organization Size and Program Pricing
As a small organization of volunteers our sustainability is essential which is why we offer a sliding scale starting at $0 in order to keep our programming accessible to the most marginalized communities. We ask you to deeply consider your power, privilege, and access to resources when determining the cost.
Land Acknowledgement
Lead the Way delivers programs on the occupied lands of the Piscataway and Susquehannock, the Indigenous people of what today is known as Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. We recognize the history of colonization and its impact on first peoples. Find out whose land you occupy.