LEAD Program

Our girls leadership program is a structured, multi-session series for middle school girls ages 11 to 15.

Summer Fashion Camp

Girls learn to craft their designs, launch a fashion business, and rip the runway at Winston-Salem Fashion Week!

Girls Rising Expo

Girls and their parents/guardians gather for a fun-filled day of learning, sharing and future planning.

Sponsor LEAD

Your opportunity to help middle school girls build brighter futures.

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Community Updates

Fall Program Update: Get Ready for LEAD Sessions

Dear LEAD Parents/Guardians,

As we collectively deal with the impact of COVID-19, we take our commitment to our girls, families, and partners very serious. We recognize how important it is for our girls to have a program where they can build community with other girls, express themselves, learn skills and grow into future leaders of tomorrow.

We have monitored the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 4 months and remain committed to providing programming in the safest way possible. We have spent the past month planning and preparing to create a safe space for our girls. With our cases rising in our community, we have decided that it’s best to continue our workshops virtually. We have determined that for a program like ours, which values connection and community building among the girls, they will be able to get more out of our virtual program than an in-person program with heavy restrictions such as social distancing, and protective barriers. We also believe the use of technology which we have spent the summer practicing, will allow us to structure our programs in more dynamic ways and offer more opportunities for connection with our girls. Please find below a few updates:

Sessions:
As you register for the fall semester, you will be added to Remind. Please make sure to accept this invitation. Each LEAD Girl will be assigned to a group, each group max will be 10 girls. This will allow for an easy hybrid model once we have a better understanding of this virus. We are looking forward to the day when we can hug and see our girls in person.

Please make sure to like and follow us on all of our social media platforms @leadgirlsofnc, we are embracing the virtual world, we encourage you to do the same. We will share all sorts of information on there!

All registered LEAD Girls will be mailed a LEADer box the week before the program starts. Yes, this box will be packed with program supplies, goodies, and a special surprise.

Sessions will be held on Zoom! Our team has worked hard to make sure sessions are engaging, encouraging and fun! The Zoom information will be mailed in the leader box and sent to you via Remind. For the safety of our girls, please don’t share this information with anyone.

LEAD Office:
LEAD office will be undergoing a deep cleaning. We have added hand sanitizer stations in every workshop room. We also have a thermometer available to check temperatures. Although our office is not open for workshops, we will be available for appointment only visits.

Staff Emails:
Joy Nelson Thomas, Executive Director – Joy@leadgirls.org
Janea Brunson, Program Director – programs@leadgirls.org
Julia Brenneman, Vista – support@leadgirls.org (Volunteers)

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly. We are looking forward to an amazing year.

Sincerely,

Joy Nelson Thomas
Founder/Executive Director

[COVID-19 Update] LEAD Girls of NC Sessions Go Virtual!

March 28, 2020
We are happy to share that our LEAD sessions are now being held on the web using the Zoom platform. If you are a current LEAD Girls participant, get signed up for the web sessions by sending us an email or calling 336-893-5755. If you are interested in joining LEAD Girls, submit an application here. We appreciate the continued support of our donors and partners to keep LEAD Girls going through this challenging time.
Read our full statement >

March 18, 2020
All LEAD sessions are going virtual starting Saturday, March 28th.

Acting in the interest of the community and doing our part to help ensure public health, we have created a plan for girls to participate in LEAD sessions remotely. We know even in the middle of the crisis, our girls still need a safe space to explore their feelings and challenges.

LEAD Girls programs will go virtual. This platform will launch March 28, 2020. To keep our girls safe, this platform is only open to registered LEAD Girls and can only be accessed with a passcode. The sessions will be accessible via phone, tablet (which Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools have provided to students in need) and computer.

Now is a great time to follow us on social media, Facebook or Instagram. Even in the midst of the uncertainty that is gripping our community, LEAD Girls is a small but mighty force committed to making huge strides to support our girls! We need your support and we’d love your help.

Read our full statement >

[COVID-19 Update] March 22 Soirée Event Rescheduled

Soirée Event RESCHEDULED
LEAD Girls Anniversary Soirée planned for March 22 is rescheduled.
A new event date and time will be announced soon.
Read the full announcement >