FAQ

Minerva is a Vancouver-based charity dedicated to advancing the leadership of self-identifying women and girls. Like our namesake, Minerva’s work is rooted in wisdom and justice. For more than two decades, we have helped women and girls across British Columbia expand their career opportunities through education, mentorship, leadership training, and advocacy. We do this because we believe in the leadership potential of women and the promise of an equal world.

Sue Hammell and Nancy McKinstry are credited as founders of Minerva and provided the vision and leadership needed to start the organization. They are the first to say that Minerva was founded by a community of women, men, supporters, and allies who came together because they believed in the importance of advancing economic and leadership opportunities for girls and women.

Minerva is for everyone! We design and deliver career and leadership programs for self-identifying women and gender diverse people and create opportunities for allies and partners to advance gender equity through engaging with our research reports, leadership workshops, webinars, and learning events like our Inclusive Leadership Forum.

Yes! Minerva was founded on the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish people. From the very beginning, Minerva sought to engage Indigenous women as beneficiaries, advisors, consultants, and teachers in our work. For over 10 years, our Combining our Strength™ initiative offered leadership and career development programs in communities like Bella Coola, Cranbrook, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Haida Gwaii, Kamloops, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Terrace, and Vancouver. This work was supported by Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders and impacted over 800 women. As a settler-led organization committed to right relations, we continue to look for ways to support and uplift Indigenous women leaders in our work.

Women’s leadership development programs offer several key benefits:

1. Skill Enhancement: These programs provide targeted training to enhance leadership skills, such as communication, negotiation, and strategic thinking, all tailored to address the specific challenges women often face in leadership roles.
2. Supportive Network and Mentorship: Access to a diverse network of peers, mentors, and role models can be invaluable for career advancement, providing opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas.
3. Addressing Gender-specific Challenges: Our leadership programs are designed in recognition of gender-specific barriers and biases and offer strategies to navigate these challenges in the workplace.
4. Cultivating Authentic Leadership: They encourage the establishment of authentic leadership style, enabling women to lead in ways that align with their values and strengths rather than conforming to traditionally masculine leadership models.

Thanks to the generous support of donors and sponsors, all youth programs are offered at no-cost to participants. Our tuition-based programs range from $1600-3200.

Paying online with a credit card is the quickest and easiest way to secure a place in our programs. Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an invoice with a link to our secure payment portal.

If payment is made via cheque (company or personal) please send to:
Minerva BC
Suite 320-111 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4

Please include a copy of your invoice or indicate the invoice number on the cheque.

You can also make payment via Electronic Funds Transfer. To use this method please let us know when you are sending payment and we will send you EFT details.

Yes – please talk with our programs coordinator to arrange a payment schedule.

As a first step, we encourage you to talk with your employer about professional development funding to cover or offset some of the tuition cost. We have resources and tips to help you start this conversation. We also have bursaries available for women who face financial barriers to participation. Please contact us to learn more.

Thank you for supporting a youth in your life to develop their leadership potential! Please head to the Youth Programs page for all the info about our upcoming youth programs and the link to the registration form. For any other questions regarding our opportunities for youth, please contact Ashley, the Youth Programs Manager, at ashleym@minervabc.ca.