The SOAR Fellowship is the Aspen Forum on Women and Girls’ signature leadership initiative. It is an investment in visionary leaders committed to an intersectional approach and at an inflection point that will enable a quantum leap forward for gender equity, economic justice, and well-being for women, girls, and families in the US and around the world.
Over the course of 18 months, Fellows commit to attending four in-person convenings; creating and implementing an action plan that furthers their vision to enable women, girls, and families to reach their full potential; and optimizing quarterly individual and/or peer group check-in calls. In return, Fellows receive dedicated support and space to advance their leadership and bold ideas, connect and heal with other women leaders across disciplines and lived experience, and expand their voice.
SOAR Forums are high-trust environments that enable candid, authentic, and brave peer-to-peer leadership conversations. We use the Socratic method and compelling contemporary and historical texts to ground our seminar discussions and spark self- and system-examination. We combine the gift of time and space for reflection, meaningful conversations, and connecting with exposure to big ideas, innovations, and diverse leaders and mentors to deepen each SOAR Fellow’s capacity and imagination to break down barriers and open doors of opportunity that women, girls, and communities face today.
Throughout the program, we will be guided by our commitment to three core principles:
- Intersectional: Acknowledgment of the many ways that discrimination because of social and political identities, such as race, gender, sexuality, class, and ability, intersect and overlap to shape women’s experiences in their everyday and collective lives.
- Intergenerational: Respect for the experiences, points of view, strategies, and ideas for women at every age.
- Cross-Sectoral: Acknowledgement of the need for collaboration across sectors of society.
Each class is selected through a highly competitive nomination and application process.