Hi I AM WHY COMMUNITY!
Wow has it been a while!
In the past 6 months IAW has gone through a transformative transition! We are currently embarking on a strategic planning journey! On October 9-11, 2024, I Am Why gathered staff, consultants, board members, and advisors in Harlem for a strategic planning retreat. I Am Why staff members Alondra Aragon and Samantha Cortez were in attendance, who planned the retreat with advisor support. La’Nesha Baldwin, Lanitta Berry, and Dynasty Wynn-Bowen represented our cohort of young consultants at the retreat. The retreat was a significant step toward evaluating and refining I Am Why’s mission, structure, and activities. As a result, IAW now has a new shared leadership structure composed of 4 part-time staff, Samantha, La’Nesha, Lauren, and Alondra; the Board decided on that during collaborative leadership decision-making. As we continue the strategic planning process, we dive deep into what shared leadership looks like at I Am Why and what leadership structure best aligns with our commitment to young women’s leadership.
We are deeply grateful to our partners, Artistic Noise and Grantmakers for Girls of Color, for their unwavering support and for allowing us to gather in their vibrant and inspiring spaces. Our NYC community’s incredible support has been instrumental as we launched into our next phase.
Another result of our strategic planning retreat is our first-ever I Am Why youth leadership statement. This statement captures and clarifies what youth leadership means to I Am Why. The Board approved the statement at our last community meeting, and we are excited to put it into practice.
I Am Why centers transition-age youth, but also firmly believes in meeting young people where they’re at, understanding that young people grow and change at their own individual pace and are impacted by systems differently. Youth generally enter I Am Why between 17 and 26 and may continue in I Am Why programming beyond age 26. While I Am Why is an intergenerational organization, we are youth-led, with young people shaping the organization and programming as emerging leaders. We intentionally create conditions in which youth leadership is felt, seen, adapted, adopted, influential, and growing. All decisions related to programming, organizational structure, and the overall vision of the organization are made by young people holding power and making decisions in intergenerational space.
Stay Tuned for more IAW updates ((:
-Alondra Aragon, Director of Emerging Leadership Development
