The annual She Leads College Conference features inspiring talks and interactive workshops to equip young women and non-binary people in years 11 and 12 with the practical skills and knowledge they need to become confident leaders. Students also have the opportunity to connect with inspiring women and non-binary people who share their leadership journeys throughout the day.
The She Leads College Conference was developed in response to demand from educators following the success of our She Leads Conference and the results of the 2014 YWCA She Speaks survey. This survey of 1600 young women, aged 15 to 30, found that while 70 per cent of participants want to be leaders in the future, they also say that negative gender-based stereotypes damage their working lives, their sense of self, their safety in relationships, and their leadership capacity.
The She Leads College Conference actively addresses these issues involved with leadership for women and non-binary people.
Our 2023 She Leads College Conference is return on Wednesday 5 April at the Ann Harding Conference Centre.
To find out more about the event, click on the following button.
On Wednesday 14 September, girls and non-binary people in years 11 and 12 from across Canberra and regional NSW joined us at the 2022 She Leads College Conference to come together, be
inspired and ignite their leadership journeys. This one-day leadership conference at Kambri Cultural Centre at ANU was inspired by the theme Dauntless which highlighted how women and gender diverse people can be resilient despite the challenges and adversity we face day to day, and that we will continue to challenge the status quo to benefit everyone.
The speakers included our MC and keynote, writer, public speaker, actor and model April Hélène-Horton, and keynote, disability and gender advocate Ajar Sana. Panellists included BOHIE, Han Worsley, Jean Du and Zainab Farouk. There were also workshops by Han Worsley and members of our youth engagement team who provided tools on how to communicate during difficult conversations and unpacking unconscious bias.
See the photos from the 2022 She Leads College Conference on our Flickr.
On Friday 26 March, 100 girls and non-binary people in years 11 and 12 from across Canberra and regional NSW joined us at the 2021 She Leads College Conference to learn about overcoming adversity and using it to power their leadership journeys. This one-day leadership conference at Kambri Cultural Centre at ANU was inspired by the theme Wild and, in light of the wild events of 2020, aimed to help young people explore and discover their own leadership identity and values, and use their personal experiences to grow and develop resilience.
Our program included our bubbly MC, Karina Judd, with keynotes speeches from professional mountain biker and Olympian Bec McConnell who shared her personal stories of overcoming adversity and what leadership meant to her, and writer, podcaster and activist, April Hélène-Horton, who spoke about stress and resilience as well as the importance of breaking stereotypes and living as our authentic selves.
Attendees also participated in interactive activities from YWCA Canberra’s Youth Engagement Team and Canberra’s acting group, Lightbulb Improv. They also got to hear inspiring leadership journeys from a panel of inspiring speakers that included, Leah House, Jakida Smith, Jenessa O’Connell and Krishaa Tulsiani.
Our conference attendees said:
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Our sixth annual She Leads College Conference was held on 12 March at the Ann Harding Centre, thanks to the support of our venue partnership with the University of Canberra. This year we hosted a record-breaking 120 young women and non-binary students from Canberra, the surrounding regions and rural NSW.
The conference was themed Unstoppable, inspired by the 2019 International Day of the Girl Child theme: GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable. 
Attendees left the conference with a greater understanding of leadership, how to effect meaningful change, how to identify positive and negative situations in their homes and communities, and gained new skills and tools to manage the myriad of issues they face each day. Attendees were exposed to a range of post-school career options through the diverse speaker line-up, providing them with an opportunity to explore their future options and define their interests and aspirations. They learned how to communicate effectively through the art of improv and had the ability to network with key young women leaders in the community.
The program included the return of College favourite, local MC and comedian, Maddy Weeks, keynote speeches from Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts and Han Worsley, a panel featuring Vendulka, Mariam Mohammed, Gina Zheng and Taylor Fitzgerald and two workshops, one on self-care and mindfulness hosted by YWCA Canberra Youth Engagement team members, Annie-Lea Rowley and Ciára Duggan, and an improv session hosted by Lightbulb Improv.
Our conference attendees said:
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Our fifth annual She Leads College Conference was held on 20 March at the Ann Harding Centre, thanks to the support of our venue partnership with the University of Canberra. This year there was over 100 young women and non-binary students in attendance, with students from Canberra, the surrounding regions and rural NSW.
The conference was themed Innovators – (You)th Can Change the World, which paid homage to the global political and social action demonstrated by Gen Z within the past year. Further, it honoured the drive of young women and non-binary 
people, aiming to cultivate their drive and provide them with the skillset to become innovators.
The program included local MC and comedian, Maddy Weeks, a keynote speech from Emma Byrne, a panel featuring Georgia Maq, Renee Songoro, Tina Dixson and Kemiso Matlho, a networking activity facilitated by Ashleigh Streeter and two workshops: You Can Be An Innovator hosted by YWCA Canberra Youth Engagement team members, Annie-Lea Rowley and Ciára Duggan, and What YOU have to offer hosted by Defence Force Recruiting team members.
Our conference attendees said:
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Our fourth She Leads College Conference was held at the Ann Harding Centre, thanks to our venue partnership with the University of Canberra. The conference was held on Thursday, 22 March, and welcomed 80 young women from 10 ACT and Canberra-region schools in years 11 and 12.
The conference theme, Trailblazer, drove the design and outcomes of the event, with attendees being exposed to a deeper understanding of leadership that extends to the changes that leaders have the potential to make in their homes, schools, communities, and workplaces.
Through our evaluation process, the 2018 conference changed format slightly, with more activities for shorter duration’s, and more of the day being hosted by YWCA Canberra staff, including the Youth Engagement team, and more local and accomplished young women.
The program included local MC, Codie Bell, two keynote speeches from Hani Abdile and Karlie Noon, a panel featuring Hannah Gissane, Laura Piscopo, and FLTLT Esther Suh, a speed networking session including Engy Salah, Tahlia-Rose Vanissum, Ashleigh Streeter, Lavanya Kala, Ashley St George, Tomasina Purcell, Joanna Richards, and Elizabeth Bowler, and two workshops: Making Positive Change hosted by YWCA Canberra Youth Engagement team members, Annie-Lea Rowley and Aoife Herrick, and Leading Together to Achieve as One hosted by Defence Force Recruiting team members FLTLT Esther Suh and PO Alee-Marie Scarfone.
Our conference attendees said:
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The event was designed to provide a safe space for girls in year 11 and 12 to be inspired by young women leaders and gain the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to kick-start their leadership journeys.
As well as providing an engaging, interesting experience, our objectives were that attendees would walk away with:
Building on the success of the 2016 program, our program for 2017 included plenary sessions (including keynote presentation), two workshops, and an afternoon networking session. The conference was emceed by yLead’s Bel Yorston, was opened by Madalein Tier, and included a keynote presentation by Sarah Moran. The networking session included eight young inspiring women from a range of sectors that discussed their leadership journey with attendees, and included Sarah Moran, Alice Workman, Alex Schumann-Gillet, Ciára Duggan, Codie Bell, Elise Pirotta, Sally Moylan, Cathy Pecotz, and Esther Suh. Workshops were facilitated by Bel Yorston and Esther Suh, and focused on leadership, confidence, and communication skills.
Our conference attendees said:
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The 2016 conference was built around dismantling the traditional definition of leadership, which is one that has seeped into our collective consciousness and contributes to making the identity of a ‘leader’ inaccessible to many young people—especially young women. To combat this idea of traditional and inaccessible leadership, the conference included a wealth of young women leaders to discuss their leadership journey and offer advice to the next generation of young women.
The event was emceed by yLead’s Bel Yorston, opening remarks were delivered by Caitlin Sandercock, and the Keynote speaker was Amelia Telford. The networking session allowed participants the opportunity to learn the value of networking while interacting with young women from the Canberra community who are leading and creating change. The networking sessions speakers included Farz Edraki, Caitlin Figueiredo, Erica Hediger, Emma Pocock, Ange Reakes, Rachael Stevens, Annabel Szekely, and Hannah Wandel, and workshops were facilitated by Bel Yorston, Annabel Szekely, Esther Suh, Kylie McGuinness, and Kirsty Bird.
Our conference attendees said:
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The theme for the 2015 conference was Discover. Connect. Ignite. The event was designed to provide a safe space for girls in year 11 and 12 to be inspired by young women leaders, and gain the confidence, knowledge and practical skills to kick-start their leadership journeys.
The overarching theme of the conference covered topics such as leadership myths and realities, what it really means to be a leader, awareness of gender stereotypes, supporting positive body image, self-confidence, unconventional leadership/career paths, and learning to deal with failure and building resilience.
The conference was emceed by Zoya Patel, and saw speakers and panellists from various industries including Carly Findlay, Sally Moylan, Ashleigh Grogan, Haylee Collins, Annabel Szekely, and Meredith. Workshops were run by Heather Dawson and independent magazine Young Vegabond, and focused on finding a leadership identity and identifying that there are many types of successful leadership styles, and engaging attendees to think critically about how constructs of gender affect their lives.
Our conference attendees said::
Learn more about the 2015 She Leads College Conference: