Blog: professional development

Small grants empowering innovative partnerships
15 February 2022

YWCA Canberra has been pleased to have the Canberra Innovation Network (CBRIN) as a partner for our Great Ydeas Small Grants Program since 2017. Every year, CBRIN has returned with enthusiasm to see what local women and girls are coming up with, so we took a moment to speak to Sharyn Smith, Chief Operating Officer […]

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Finding the perfect formula for innovation
18 January 2022

At YWCA Canberra we love to see women and non-binary people excel in all their creative and professional endeavours. We understand that for them to truly thrive, they need to have the right balance of support and resources to help lift their projects off the ground.    In celebration of the opening of our 2022 Great Ydeas […]

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Seven ways to help keep your COVID-19 anxiety at bay this new year!
11 January 2022

With last minute summer plans, and COVID-19 cases rising, it has become nearly impossible to escape the anxieties that come with living through a pandemic.  But do not stress! We’re here to remind you that you don’t have to go through this alone, and there are plenty of precautions you can take to reduce your […]

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Leadership advice from She Leads Diploma facilitator, Angie Ford
6 December 2021

Leadership is constantly changing and evolving, and it can be confusing and overwhelming to determine how to start your leadership journey or take it to the next level. We’ve spoken to one of our She Leads Diploma facilitators, Angie Ford, and asked her to give us some leadership advice, talk about her leadership journey, and […]

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Launching a Great Ydea with the Phoenix Sisters
26 October 2021

YWCA Canberra’s Great Ydeas Small Grants Program provides grants up to $2500 to support women, girls and non-binary people in the ACT to pursue their passions and improve our community.  Since launching in 2019, the program has helped more than 60 local women and girls to progress projects including establishing a podcast, launching a public awareness campaign, running empowering programs […]

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She Leads? Yes she does! Thoughts on the 2021 She Leads Conference
27 August 2021

After our 2021 She Leads Conference, we asked a select group of women the question of how attending the event has enriched their lives. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing their answers and insights with you. Here is what Clare Hourigan had to say.    I entered the SheLeads 2021 conference with a pretty […]

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Five quick questions with Catherine McGrath
3 August 2021

Our She Leads workshop on Building confidence in public speaking is less than a month away, and we couldn’t be more excited! In anticipation of the event, we sat down with our facilitator, Catherine McGrath to talk about her workshop, gender equality and overcoming leadership challenges.   Catherine is a giant of the Australian media, a well-known […]

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2021 She Leads Conference – Taking control and redefining power!
30 July 2021

On Friday 23 July 2021, YWCA Canberra hosted our seventh annual She Leads Conference at the Kambri Cultural Centre at the ANU. After a long-anticipated wait following last year’s break due to COVID-19, the 2021 Conference was set to be even bigger and better than ever, with an incredible lineup of keynotes, panels and seminar […]

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Five quick questions with Trish Bergin
10 May 2021

In anticipation of our upcoming She Leads workshop on Creating your strategic vision, the She Leads team sat down with facilitator, Trish Bergin to discuss her passions, leadership challenges and future goals.    Trish Bergin is the Co-Director, Governance of the 50/50 by 2030 Foundation and Chair of the Women’s Legal Centre, ACT and Regions. She has held […]

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Leadership from self-care with Heidi Prowse
10 March 2021

On 2 March 2021, local emerging and established women leaders gathered to attend YWCA Canberra’s first She Leads Workshop of 2021: Resilience and Mental Agility in the time of COVID-19 with Heidi Prowse. The session began with a story of resilience, preservation, and stress: Heidi’s own story about how her husband was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, […]

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