Turning Lived Experience Into Civic Leadership with PowerUp
On October 1, Women Creating Change (WCC) and College and Community Fellowship (CCF) launched PowerUp. The program empowers participants to become changemakers in their communities and advocates for democratic values by helping women turn their lived experience with the justice system into expertise on issues such as criminal justice reform, education, and voting rights.
Over the course of three months, participants engage in a curriculum that combines civic education, advocacy practice, and direct collaboration with government and nonprofit partners.
Why This Work Is Urgent
Over 70 million people in the United States have criminal convictions, raising significant challenges for the communities they are part of. Building pathways to civic leadership is particularly difficult in areas affected by mass incarceration, systemic disinvestment, and voter suppression.
PowerUp works to remove obstacles to civic participation, provide nonpartisan information about candidates, and elevate the leadership of directly impacted advocates. The cohort is designed to bridge the gap between lived experience and public decision-making.
Learning and Leadership with PowerUp
The PowerUp cohort is designed to be both practical and transformative, providing hands-on strategies, actionable skills, and meaningful guidance that empower participants to create real, lasting impact in their communities and careers.
Real-world Experience
Participants will deepen their learning through real-time exposure to advocacy in action via three experiential options:
- City Hall Visit: Engage with municipal government and meet local officials.
- Albany Trip: Partner with organizations like the Center for Community Alternatives to explore state-level policy-making.
- Community Partner Visit: Learn directly from local nonprofit partners engaged in issue-based advocacy.
Step-by-step Roadmap
PowerUp is about tangible outcomes so that education can result in pragmatic change. Each participant will create an individualized Advocacy Action Plan that applies their training to real-world community challenges. These plans serve as a blueprint for continued civic involvement and system-level change.
The Broader Vision
For CCF and WCC, PowerUp is about more than skill-building; it is about strengthening democracy itself. PowerUp is a community-driven cohort that uplifts justice-impacted women as organizers, voters, and defenders of democratic values, offering a hands-on approach to civic engagement.
We welcome inquiries from potential participants, community partners, and anyone interested in advancing civic engagement and leadership in their communities to [email protected].
About
About Women Creating Change
Women Creating Change (WCC), formerly known as the Women’s City Club of New York, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan activist organization dedicated to advancing women’s rights and shaping the future of New York City. Founded in 1915, WCC works to advance gender and racial equality by equipping women of color, women experiencing financial hardship, and gender-expansive individuals, with the knowledge, tools, and resources to advocate for the issues that matter most to them. WCC collaborates with partners, policymakers, and advocacy groups to drive real change in economic opportunity, education, healthcare, safety, reproductive justice, and environmental justice. WCC connects women with key stakeholders to learn, act, and engage. We empower women to lead change, shape policy, and strengthen communities, redesigning systems for a more equitable New York City. At WCC, we believe every woman has the power to make a difference. Visit wccny.org.
About the College and Community Fellowship
For 25 years, The College and Community Fellowship (CCF) has provided financial and community support to justice-involved women pursuing college degrees and professional certifications. As one of the few organizations nationwide dedicated exclusively to women, we foster both academic and personal growth through mentorship, workshops, and a strong peer community.
Recognizing that policy plays a vital role in successful reentry, CCF has been a driving force behind initiatives such as Education from the Inside Out, Ban the Box, Pell Grant Restoration, and Justice Votes NY, all of which advance equity and inclusion on campuses and in communities. By equipping members with the tools to advocate for change, CCF not only strengthens their educational journeys but also empowers them to become effective leaders and champions of social transformation.
Media Contact
For interview requests or media inquiries, please contact Lynsey Billet at [email protected] or 347-361-8449.