Comprehensive Wellness and Leadership Academy for Young Women of Color 

What is the Young Women’s Wellness and Leadership Initiative?

The Young Women’s Wellness and Leadership Initiative (YWWLI) trains young 14–18-year-old East African young women and other young women of color to take the lead in their health and well-being, social-emotional well-being, gain policy and advocacy skills, and create social media advocacy campaign to address skin-lightening practices, self-esteem and promote reproductive health and raise awareness on issues that are impacting their communities. YWWLI will give them a safe space to flourish, re-discover, and explore parts of their health and wellness that they have not yet tapped into due to social and economic limitations. Each cohort will meet weekly for 18 weeks and conclude with a retreat. YWWLI will also include one-on-one mentorship for young women and will provide sustainable mentorship once they complete the Program.

Benefits of Participating in the YWWLI  

Develop Leadership Skills

• Participate in several professional development workshops
• Learn self and community advocacy skills
• Create a social media advocacy toolkit
• Public speaking skills
• Opportunity to testify during legislative session

Mind-body Wellness

• Have a safe space to unfold issues that impact them and co-create
• solutions to address the issues
• Gain health and wellness knowledge by participating in guided monthly
• sessions and ongoing coaching
• Participate in a wellness retreat

NETWORKING AND MENTORSHIP

• Build relationships and network with many professional women of
• color in public health and other fields
• Have one-on-one mentoring that will continue beyond the 18 weeks
• of the Program
• Opportunity to participate in networking events sponsored by Beautywell and other partners

RECRUITMENT

• YWWLI participants are recruited from local public and charter schools that have students of color.
• Partnerships with community leaders, community-based organizations, and faith-based institutions

Who should apply?

• Young 14–18-year-old East African young women and other young women of color who are enrolled in public or charter schools
• 1^st semester of college student young women of color
• Young women of color transitioning from high school to college
• Interested in gaining wellness and leadership skills and being part of a community of YWWLI young women of color

Success Highlights of the Program

• Well-established curriculum that is culturally responsive and through an equity lens
• We have graduated nine cohorts, and we are now doing the tenth cohort
• We have graduated more than 150 young girls from the Program
• 41% of YWWLI Program graduates are currently enrolled in college
• 59% of YWWLI Program graduates are in high school. Most of the students are part-time or full-time PSEO (Post Secondary Enrollment Options) students who take college courses that count toward both their college and high school credits
• Some of the girls are current student interns for Beautywell
• Serve on the organization’s Youth Advisory Board

Young Women’s Wellness and Leadership Initiative Application Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1261OWe0L3tC_46EAFb5sCs11mNGGy7h7295fl0gnsIw/edit

Contact information

  Fatuma Arab, fatuma.arab@thebeautywell.org, 501-312-757,

 Amira Adawe, amira.adawe@thebeautywell.org, 612-250-4263.