ACTC celebrates 8th Young Women LEAD conference with virtual event

Aug. 28, 2020

For the past seven years, Ashland Community and Technical College has partnered with Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc. and SOAR to offer a leadership conference for local high school junior girls. 

This year marks the 8th year, and despite challenges with COVID-19, the conference will transition to a live virtual event so even more girls can participate. This year’s conference, Sept. 24-25, will feature award-winning presenters Julie Marie Carrier, Maryam Rehman, Nivaal Rehman, and Monique Coleman. 

Chrisha Spears, ACTC’s GED Plus Coordinator, Technology Coordinator for Student Support and Enrollment Services and YWL Chair, said organizers have been working since April to transition to an online platform that is no longer restricted by venue size. 

“Kimberly Clayton Code from Northern Kentucky University and I have worked closely since April to develop an exciting online program for the 2020 YWL event,” she said. “Julie Carrier will be joining us again and has been at the forefront of online conferences for youth – providing a fun, engaging experience that includes polls and gamification.”

Since venue size is not a concern, all five YWL sites will come together for one large event.

“Girls from the Ashland area will join girls from Louisville, Lexington, Northern Kentucky, and Jasper, IN to share in this experience,” Spears said. “We have also created a Teen Advisory Board, with two girls representing each of the five host sites. We value the input and insight that they can provide for future conferences.”

In addition to Toyota and SOAR, other sponsors are Duke Energy and Northern Kentucky University.
ACTC is also accepting sponsorships from local business and organizations for scholarships that will be awarded to a future ACTC student who participated in the conference. Anyone interested in sponsoring can contact Spears at chrisha.spears@kctcs.edu.  

About this year’s speakers:

Featured on the Today Show, The New York Times and Boston Globe, Julie Carrier is a trusted national authority on leadership development and confidence for teens and youth. Additionally, she is recognized as the No. 1 coach in the world for young women by Leading Global Coaches/Thinkers 50. Julie is also the No. 1 national bestselling author of “Girls Lead” and is featured in “Chicken Soup for the Extraordinary Teen Soul” and the “Success Principles for Teens.” 
The Emmy-nominee has also been seen in millions of homes as a confidence and success coach who has been featured on MTV’s positive goal-setting show, MADE. Julie is also a former senior management consultant in leadership development for the Pentagon. She specializes in applied neuroscience in leadership development—translating current best-practice research into applied learning experiences that engage students and have lasting connection and impact long after her programs end. Because of her work as thought leader in student leadership education, Julie is one of only 100 people worldwide to be named as one of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coaches, along with the Dean of Harvard Medical School, the President of the World Bank and the CEO of the Rockefeller Foundation. She has reached more than a million teens, young women, and those who care about them, worldwide.

Monique Coleman is most recognized as Taylor McKessie from the tremendously successful High School Musical franchise, as well as the 4th place contestant on season 3 of ABC’s hit show, Dancing with the Stars. Additionally, the Teen Choice Award and Billboard Award Winner has co-hosted The View, appeared on such shows as Rachael Ray, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Ellen and The Tyra Banks Show. Monique was also named the first-ever United Nations Youth Champion for the International Year of Youth and led a global 24-country tour to empower and inspire young people. Monique has worked closely on projects with UNFPA, UNICEF, UNESCO, USAID and UN. Monique’s real and down-to-earth speaking style engages audiences of thousands. She is a Champion for UN Foundation’s Global Girls Program, “Girl Up” and is Allstate Foundation’s “Good Starts Young Ambassador.”

Maryam and Nivaal Rehman became activists when they were eight years old, and started inspiring girls in their village in Pakistan to continue their education, when poverty was leading them to quit school and work instead. The now 18-year-old twins have since worked in their local and global community for causes including girls' education in Pakistan and around the world, climate justice, gender equality and inclusivity. They even have their own non-profit, The World With MNR, that uses advocacy, storytelling and development to take action and inspire others to do the same. They are continuing their activism through volunteering, traveling and sharing their experiences through their social media and their YouTube channel, The World With MNR. They’ve used their platform to cover several events — from the Social Good Summit in New York City, to the Girl Up Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. — and interview global figures, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, and Madame Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the IMF. Their activism has led to recognition in media and several awards, including the Governor General's Caring Canadian Award (now the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers). Most recently, they released their documentary on the status of girls’ education in Pakistan, and held global screenings to spark further conversation and inspire audience members to take action themselves.

Full conference information is available at http://youngwomenlead.com. Registration will close Sept. 8 and girls will receive the invitation to register from their school counselors.