“As a Minerva alumni, serving as a mentor within this community feels especially meaningful. I’m inspired by the futures these women are designing—grounded in their strengths, values, and sense of purpose. It’s an honour to support this community and to be part of these young leaders’ journeys.”
Mentor | Learning to Lead™, Spring 2026
In April 2026, Minerva BC was thrilled to welcome its largest virtual Learning to Lead™ cohort to date, with nearly 60 girls and gender-diverse youth joining from across BC. Its success marks a clear appetite for spaces that allow youth to comfortably show up as themselves, connect peer-to-peer, and share their struggles without judgment.
In the session’s opening circle, Kiana Hill, Urban Métis Leader, guided participants to begin with both an intention and a declaration.
“I want my story of Learning to Lead to be _ .”
It is a recognition that each participant has a unique story that has led them to this moment, and has the agency to decide where they go next. Pulling on the power of lived experience, women from different fields shared their stories of challenges faced and lessons learned to provide mentorship and guidance to the next generation of youth leaders. Through workshops and discussion groups, these young women and gender-diverse individuals redefined what leadership is, gained clarity into their natural points of strength, and reframed that failure is not only okay, but necessary for confidence progression.
One month later, Kiana closed the circle with a rephrasing of her opening prompt.
“My story of Learning to Lead is _ .”
It is a reflection that growth can occur in a short period of time – that each youth leader is not the same as they were when they started Learning to Lead™. They have witnessed and gone through new experiences, and have grown and changed because of it.
There is immense power in young women coming together to honour who they are, what they stand for, and how they can show up for themselves and their communities. Together, these young leaders will make a difference.
Thank you to Minerva BC’s supporters
The impact of Learning to Lead™ would not be possible without the continued generosity of its partners, especially our Lead Supporter, Aritzia, and the incredible mentors dedicating their time to motivate and inspire. Thank you for empowering the next generation of leaders!
Special thank you also to Ocean Brands, BC Maritime Employers Association, Victoria Foundation – The ALACS Fund, Telus Friendly Future Foundation, Eldorado Gold, FortisBC, The Vancouver Board of Trade Foundation, and our learning partner Shad.
Invest in youth leadership
As a charity, Minerva BC relies on the generosity of its supporters and partners to operate its youth programming at no cost to participants. If you are interested in inspiring the next generation of leaders, please consider donating or get in touch at admin@minervabc.ca.
