Y Leaders Fall 2024-Spring 2025 School Year

Applications first come first serve. Space is limited, so apply below!

Our 2024-25 program will take our participants through interactive, engaging workshops that explore important leadership topics including We also use creative activities, storytelling, mindfulness exercises, group conversation and positive affirmations for personal development and healthy emotional wellbeing.

Y Leaders workshop dates (mandatory attendance): Wednesdays from 5pm – 6:30pm on:

  • October: 10/16, 10/23, 10/30

  • November: 11/6, 11/13, 11/20

  • December: 12/4, 12/11

  • January: 1/8, 1/15, 1/22

  • February: 2/5, 2/12, 2/26

  • March: 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26,

  • April: 4/2, 4/9, 4/23, 4/30

  • May: 5/14, 5/21

  • June: 6/4 - final presentations/celebration

Y Leaders School Year Program Components

Arts-based Workshops

  • Y Leaders meets on most Wednesday afternoons at the YWCA, 515 North Street, White Plains, NY to discuss important leadership topics, develop skills and passions and deepen relationships with like-minded students. Topics include: identifying values, beliefs, and priorities; strong communication skills; building healthy relationships; setting goals; public speaking; teamwork; DEI and leadership; racial equity; conflict resolution; and more.

Y Leaders 2024-25 workshops are Wednesdays from 5pm – 6:30pm on:

  • October: 10/16, 10/23, 10/30

  • November: 11/6, 11/13, 11/20

  • December: 12/4, 12/11

  • January: 1/8, 1/15, 1/22

  • February: 2/5, 2/12, 2/26

  • March: 3/5, 3/12, 3/19, 3/26

  • April: 4/2, 4/9, 4/23, 4/30

  • May: 5/14, 5/21

  • June: 6/4 - final presentations/celebration

    Community guest speakers

    Y Leaders welcomes various community leaders who join us as workshop speakers to share their expertise and knowledge with the group. This deepens your learning

    as future leaders of Westchester

Broadway empowerment day

Y Leaders heads to Broadway in March 2025 for a full day of empowerment activities. This includes a panel discussion with Broadway actors, an improv/storytelling

workshop to physicalize leadership in a fun, creative way, lunch and a matinee performance of a hit Broadway show.

Community service project

Y Leaders creates and implements a service project that serves a need in the Westchester community. The 2023-24 Y Leaders partnered with Aunt Flow to raise funds

and awareness about Period Poverty that allowed us to install free period products in all YWCA White Plains bathrooms.

Job shadowing opportunity

Each Y Leaders member picks an industry of interest, and we make a connection for you with a Westchester leader to spend an afternoon in April/May 2025 learning

and exploring together.

Final leadership report

Each Y Leaders member creates a final leadership report to present at the end of the program. The report focuses on what leadership means, what you learned from the

program and an issue or community challenge that you are passionate about impacting and transforming.

Additional optional opportunities as part of Y Leaders

  • During our Y Leaders school year program, there are many additional opportunities for our members to join. These are optional but meaningful experiences to use your newly developed leadership skills to engage in the Westchester community.

  • Leadership Workshops for YWCA Children (Spring 2025)

  • Help develop and facilitate an arts-based empowerment workshop for the younger children at the YWCA

  • Girls Leadership Events (Multiple dates throughout school year)

  • Join other young women at several leadership summits and workshops throughout Westchester.

  • Youth Lobby Day in Albany (April 2025)

  • Join Planned Parenthood in Albany, NY to discuss reproductive health care for women. Meet our New York State elected officials and make your voice heard!

  • Civil Rights trip to Alabama (April 14-18, 2025):

  • Join other like-minded youth for a civil rights journey through Alabama. During school spring break. Presented in partnership with NecSpace (https://necspace.org/)