Above: Past participants of the WELA leadership program at a face-to-face retreat (Image credit – WELA)
We are excited to announce the creation of a new scholarship to support women and gender diverse people in Merri-bek develop environmental leadership skills.
The Merri-bek Community Scholarship has been established by the Merri-bek City Council to support women from our community participate in the Women’s Environmental Leadership Australia (WELA) leadership development program in 2021.
We particularly encourage applications from women and gender diverse people from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities, or from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities within Moreland.
The scholarship will cover the full costs of participation ($5,500, including travel costs) for one person from the Merri-bek community.
Applications close 15th February 2021.
Click here to apply.
What is WELA and the leadership development program?
WELA is an organisation that empowers women and gender diverse people to gain the critical leadership skills required to make the urgent move to a sustainable future.
WELA runs an annual leadership development program that runs from May to October which includes both online and face-to-face retreats.
The program is limited to 20 places for women and gender diverse people actively engaging in paid or unpaid environmental work.
What is the new Merri-bek Community Scholarship?
The Merri-bek Community Scholarship will allow one Merri-bek resident to attend the full 2021 leadership program. This includes all costs of the program including travel, food and lodging for the retreats, materials and program delivery.
The scholarship welcomes applications from women and gender diverse people currently living in the Merri-bek local government area, and who are actively working for (paid or unpaid) and committed to our environment.
We particularly encourage applications from women and gender diverse people from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities, or from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities within Moreland.
Why are we funding this scholarship?
It is our goal to work with the community to achieve a zero carbon Merri-bek by 2040. The key components of our vision are 1) efficient and 100% renewably powered energy, 2) active and zero emissions transport, and 3) circular economy with zero waste.
This scholarship will support the further development of leadership from within our community, enabling a better future for our planet, our city, our community and our children.
There are so many great examples of leaders in our community.
Check out our Local Legends to get inspired by the fantastic actions that Morelander’s are taking to address the climate crisis.
How to apply
Learn more about the program here for more details on course content and dates.
To apply for the scholarship, please fill out the application form located at the bottom of WELA application page and select the Merri-bek Community Scholarship option within the form.
Applications close 15 February 2021.
Interested residents who are not successful or eligible for the scholarship are still welcome to apply for the program and consider other available scholarships as part of the program application.
