Save the date: Applications for GirlTREK’s first Joy and Justice Academy open October 1. Here’s how you can be part of it.
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Think about the women in your community who always show up. The ones who check on a neighbor, bring people together, ask hard questions, and keep going when a problem feels too big to solve alone.
What could happen if those women had more time to learn together, stronger advocacy tools, and a team ready to act?
That’s the possibility behind GirlTREK’s inaugural Joy and Justice Academy.
What Is the Academy?
The Joy and Justice Academy is a 16-week virtual learning experience for GirlTREK members who want to strengthen their advocacy and organizing skills. Participants will explore issues affecting Black women and families, develop an advocacy action plan, and work with other women in their city to design a community project.
Our first cohort will include 32 members from Houston, Chicago, Montgomery, and Newark. From February through May 2027, they’ll join eight virtual training sessions, put what they learn into practice, and collaborate with their city teams. Participants should expect to spend approximately 10 hours a month on Academy activities.
Four Priorities
The work will focus on four priorities from GirlTREK’s 10-Point Plan for Joy and Justice. These are issues our communities know intimately.
We Want Healthy Bodies: affordable, high-quality, culturally respectful healthcare
We Want Healthy Families: policies and community conditions that strengthen Black families
We Want Economic Freedom: fair pay, mutual aid, and investment in community-owned solutions
We Want Care for Caregivers: care from the womb to the tomb, for every season of life
The Joy & Justice Academy is a chance to bring our experiences, relationships, and ideas to the same table and decide what we can move forward together.
Who We’re Looking For
You don’t need a formal leadership title to apply. Maybe you’ve organized a crew walk. Maybe you’ve helped a family member navigate care, connected neighbors to resources, or spoken up when something needed to change.
Radiant: You live our RADICAL values and use your voice for your community. Rallying Power: You build relationships across differences and move people to action. Reliable: You follow through and can make a realistic commitment.
If you know your community and are ready to learn and work alongside other women, we want to hear from you.
Key Dates
Applications open
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Application deadline
Friday, October 30, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET
Interview notification
By Monday, November 9, 2026
Academy program
February through May 2027
Open to GirlTREK members in Houston, Chicago, Montgomery, and Newark.
Before you apply, review the Program Overview and FAQ, or find everything in the Joy and Justice Academy folder. The application includes a 60-second video and short written responses. We encourage you to answer in your own voice.
Know a Sister Who Should Apply?
Not in one of these cities? You have a part to play, too. Think of a Trekker in Houston, Chicago, Montgomery, or Newark whose care for her community deserves room to grow, and send her this invitation with a note about why you thought of her.
This is our first Academy cohort. The vision behind it belongs to all of us: Black women walking, talking, and building the power to solve problems in our neighborhoods.
