A Long Walk Home (ALWH) is a girl-serving organization based in Chicago whose mission is to use art to empower young people to end violence against girls and women. Founded in 2003 and operating through a Black feminist lens, ALWH advocates for racial and gender equity in schools, communities, and the country at-large. ALWH provides arts-based leadership programming to Black girls, creating safe spaces for survivors to share and support each other, conducting research, and advocating for public policies that center health, safety, and well-being.
In 2009, ALWH established the Girl/Friends Leadership Institute, a year-long program that trains and organizes Black girls into artists and activists in Chicago. The Girl/Friends Institute is made up of various girl-led and focused initiatives, including after-school programs, summer leadership institutes, parent engagement programs, public exhibitions, research projects, emergency funds, and curriculum development. To date, ALWH has trained more than 600 Girl/Friends who have been at the forefront of Chicago’s most recent campaigns to end racial violence and gender inequality.
The Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will support the development of the first online curriculum for the Girl/Friends Leadership Institute to reach a larger audience and provide tools for other girl-led and girl-serving organizations. The curriculum will center youth voices and include girl-led campaigns and lesson plans focusing on gender-based violence prevention, radical storytelling, and wellness. 10 youth fellows will support the curriculum development and receive stipends for their research and contributions. Ultimately, through the curriculum’s first pilot year, 30 youth leaders will develop critical thinking skills, build confidence, and cultivate a sense of agency and leadership in their communities, with the goal of reaching thousands of girls across Chicago, the U.S., and Canada in the future.
For more information about A Long Walk Home, please visit the organization’s website and social media pages:
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