INSPIRE Leadership Program
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What is INSPIRE?
INSPIRE is a three-year program (sophomore to senior) with three cohorts simultaneously developing leadership, personal, and career building skills. INSPIRE offers a unique opportunity for undergraduate students with an interest in women’s and gender studies or feminist studies to come together across disciplines, schools, areas of interest, and life experiences to learn how to successfully collaborate and communicate as leaders. Students develop leadership skills by reflecting on their own experiences and practicing outreach strategies for their lives and careers.
INSPIRE’s curriculum is based on student-driven and facilitator-led meetings and activities.
Sophomore Cohort - Leadership activities will create group cohesion. Students will acquire a mentor, learn about public leadership, and conduct a community service project.
Junior Cohort – Students will sharpen their research skills and write and present an original scholarly project. In addition, career development activities will begin.
Senior Cohort – Students become a mentor to students in the Sophomore and Junior cohorts. They will also plan and organize a variety of program activities and continue professional development skills.
All Cohort Activities – During each year there are many activities that will involve all three cohorts. Most of these activities are optional and are meant to improve group cohesion and leadership skills.
INSPIRE does not have a course requirement, but we do expect the students in the program to attend twice monthly meetings. There are additional occasional activities/opportunities outside of these meetings but most are not mandatory.
For more information, please contact Ashley Berry, ashley.berry@austin.utexas.edu.
For program support, we thank The Mary Braunagel-Brown Excellence Fund for Young Women Leaders, the Jody Conradt Excellence Fund in Equity and Leadership, Dr. Joan Lewis Endowed Excellence Fund, the Creekmore and Adele Fath Charitable Foundation, and our many individual donors.
