Our Program
The WEP Leadership Academy
The WEP Leadership Academy is built upon four pillars—a grassroots approach, supportive sisterhood, holistic leadership, and a Next Steps program. Through a certificate-based curriculum, students complete 6 courses to develop both professional and personal skills. After graduating from the Academy, alumna are set up with opportunities to further their education and careers, such as training programs or local colleges. From their first day in the program all the way through the Alumnae Association, young women are a part of a sisterhood offering supportive friendships and mentorships.
Leadership Academy Activities
Students enroll in Foundation, Skills and Exploration, Entrepreneurship and 21st Century Certificates. WEP Sisterhood continues with each student as they become Alumnae.
My Foundation Certificate
The students learn about health, nutrition, hygiene, financial literacy, rights, gender, the environment, and Ripple Effect.
My Skills Certificate
Courses teach skills in computer, communication, and specialized skills.
My Exploration Certificate
Students participate in field trips, workshops, and calls with women in 11 different career fields.
My Next Steps
WEP prepares students and teaches them about scholarships to colleges, vocational, and training programs.
Our Partners
Girl-Focused India-Based NGO Partners
The WEP Academy and its impact is made possible by its partnerships with India-based NGOs, each partner knowing the unique circumstances of the local community to most effectively run the Academy. WEP and NGOs together provide a bridge for young women as they enter adulthood, the Academy serving as an extension to preexisting programs that end at adolescence. Partners range from independent to transformation, depending on the funding infrastructure.
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, South India
Hyderabad, Telangana
Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh
Our Students and Alumnae
“My favorite part of the Leadership Academy is the life skills workshops to help our students make informed decisions, communicate effectively and [become self-reliant]. It imparts soft skills relating to emotional and social intelligence to cope in a competitive world.”
“Academy journals teach life skills, taught neither at college nor home. These journals fill the important gaps in their understanding of the world around them. The self confidence, skills, and self-worth they develop at WEP – one cannot put a price tag on it.”
“In our first year in Madurai, we noticed girls crying about their mother’s illness, a loan shark’s visit, or marriage pressure. We began the Leadership Academy for young women gain their voice to make decisions and choose how they wish to participate.”
edWeb.net is a WEP sponsor and award-winning professional learning network that serves the global education community. edWeb provides free edWebinars and an online forum to support women’s leadership.