What We Do
OUR PROGRAMS
AYADA POLITICAL CAMPAIGN TRAINING
Our Ayada Political Campaign Training is a must for anyone who has the intention to run for public office. It can give you some much-needed clarity on how the political and electoral processes operate, and how you can fit into them. Before throwing your hat in the ring, it is essential that you know what kind of hat you need, and where the ring is located.
FUTURE LEADERS IN
THE MAKING
Our Future Leaders in the Making training series aims to inspire girls and young women so that they can find their power and become confident leaders. Designed for ages 14-25, our Future Leaders are paired with mentors from their community who will help them identify their purpose and create attainable goals.
VOTER EDUCATION & CIVIC LITERACY TRAINING
Voting is imperative to our democracy; it is the most direct way eligible individuals can peacefully express their political preferences.
Through our Voter Education programs, we are able to connect first-time voters with essential information like how and where to vote, voter rights and responsibilities, candidates and issues on the ballot, the recognition of voter disenfranchisement, and primary and caucusing processes.
Project Citizen promotes competent and responsible participation at the local and state level. This training helps diaspora women learn how to monitor and influence public policy, which in turns develops democratic values and feelings of political efficacy in its participants.
BORN TO LEAD EVENTS
Born to Lead is an event made by and for women of color (WOC) candidates. With a platform to come together, candidates come together to share their motivations for running for public office and talk about their experiences in their campaign fields.
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Past Born to Lead Alumnae:
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Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley
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MN House Representative Hodan Hassan
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St. Paul Councilmember Nelsie Yang
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St. Louis Park Councilmember Nadia Mohamed
BASHAAL EVENTS
Bashaal gatherings create spaces for women of all backgrounds and identities to come together and share critical information on leadership opportunities and challenges. African Diaspora women are a long way from full representation in leadership positions including elected positions, board members and commissions, and C-suite in many companies. For women to advance in leadership roles, we need to activate social capital advantage through strong female support groups. Research indicates the important benefits of women-led networking for supporting women’s path to leadership. Ayada Leads seeks to empower future and current leaders through our networking Bashaal events.
ENGAGED CITIZENS PROGRAM
We believe that a democracy only functions well when all of its citizens’ voices are represented and valued in the decision-making process. Yet, for a variety of reasons, this is not currently happening. ECP is developed to provide our participants the knowledge, skills and motivation necessary to participate in the decision making of their cities and state so to achieve positive community change.