GirlGov Summer Leadership Academy (GGSLA) is an opportunity to spend three weeks of your summer learning how to make a HUGE difference in your community, meet other passionate young women and femmes in your city, and have a ton of FUN all at once!

GGSLA is a project of the Women and Girls Foundation (WGF), a non-profit organization working to break down barriers so that every girl can rise and every woman can soar. Over the last ten years, WGF has served over one thousand teens through our school-year based GirlGov program which currently serves teens in 7 counties and over 60 schools. This summer, WGF has teamed up with the University of Pittsburgh to create the GirlGov Leadership Summer Academy to serve teens in our area interested in learning more about civics, activism, and their own leadership potential. This will be a hybrid program with Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in person on Pitt’s Campus (with safety and social distance measures in place in accordance with the CDC) and Tuesdays and Thursdays in virtual activities. The program will run half days from 9:00-12:30 in person on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays and online on Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 12-July 30. Apply at: https://wgfpa.org/girlgov-summer-leadership-academy/.

GGSLA will support teens as they translate their passion for justice and equity into tangible, systemic change. To do this, teams of teens will first identify issues of injustice and/or inequity in their communities. They will then be mentored by University of Pittsburgh Faculty as they analyze and use data to understand the root causes and effects of these systemic inequalities. Teens will then work with GirlGov alumni and WGF staff as well as attend workshops and panels led by professional artists, advocates, and elected officials to explore policy level solutions and build an action plan to create the change they want to see in the world. Throughout all of this, we will foster a community together through community building exercises.

GGSLA is for young women and femmes who are entering 9th through 12th grade in the Fall of 2021. This is the perfect program for teens who have always wanted to participate in GirlGov school-year program or are already a part of GirlGov and want a more intensive experience exploring civics, activism, and leading for social change. GGSLA is trans and non-binary inclusive.

Enrollment and Registration (enrollment is limited and based on first come first served):

  • Tuition for Early Registration is discounted at $995 until May 15th. A $250 non-refundable deposit must be paid at the time of registration and full registration will be due on June 15th.
  • Regular Tuition for registrants on or after May 16th is $1250 and includes a $250 non-refundable deposit to be paid at the time of registration. Tuition may be paid in full at the time of registration OR by June 15th.
  • We have a limited amount of scholarships to subsidize costs. If you would like to be considered for a full or partial scholarship, please be sure to complete the scholarship application LINKED HERE by April 15th. Applicants will be informed of their scholarship status by May 1st in time to register for the Early registration special if necessary. Application for scholarship does not ensure enrollment.

For any additional questions related to GGSLA, please reach out to our Director of Education: Beth Sondel at beth@wgfpa.org

Excited to participate? Register here: