SAN BERNARDINO, CA- BLU Educational Foundation (BLU) will host its second annual Soul Sisters Leadership Academy starting Monday, July 18 at San Bernardino Valley College. The four-day, intensive training program is designed for young Black women ages 14 to 21. The purpose of the academy is to help young women connect with the historical legacy of Black women who have made, and are making, significant contributions throughout society and the world. In addition, the program is designed to help young women develop a strong sense of self, cultural identity, and a connection to the importance of civic engagement and the positive impact they can make on their campus and in their community.
Believing that service is key to civic engagement, BLU utilizes program alumni, college interns, and volunteers to help design and facilitate the trainings thereby developing valuable transferable skills and giving program participants real-world creative and project implementation experience. Program attendees are encouraged to take their experience back to their respective centers of influence and continue to create and lead. Last year’s academy consisted of 36 young women from 14 local cities and representing 23 high school and college campuses.
The Soul Sisters Leadership Academy is one of the many leadership trainings BLU is conducting as part of their ongoing African-American Civic Engagement (AACE) Project.