Athena Center for Leadership

Don't have time to take on a specific project, or to explore a specific method of changemaking — or don't feel ready to do that yet? That's okay! SPARK, our event series, and the Athena Film Festival will inspire you and ignite your thinking about what's possible and what you might do. They're open to everyone and you can take part in whatever way works for you.

This year, our theme for SPARK is transition. Be sure to tell us what you'd like to see in this series! And save the date for the 15th Anniversary Athena Film Festival, which will take place March 6 - 9, 2025.

Communities of practice are where we roll up our sleeves and get to work here at Athena. Our communities of practice provide (1) meaningful connections with students who share your interests, (2) mentorship and guidance from experts and experienced changemakers, (3) an ungraded space to try something new, take a risk, get it wrong, and try again, and (4) funding or help accessing funding from external sources so you can dedicate the time and attention. 

Read about how these work and find information about eligibility and application deadlines. 

Not sure what community of practice is right for you? Or if you even want to join one? Or maybe you do want to join one, but the timing isn't working for you right now? Maybe you want to join one, but aren't seeing it on the list?

Whatever your reason, we'd love to get to know you so that we can identify ways to help you with your individual needs.

Our team members hold office hours and we welcome drop-ins too. Our space is open from 10-5 pm every weekday, and if the CoLab isn't in use, you're welcome to use it to collaborate with others.

Participants will build relationships with themselves and each other as they unpack key reproductive health topics. Part-discussion group, part-book club, part-innovation lab, students will reflect on past and current reproductive and healing justice movements, build personal wellness toolkits, and have a chance to propose action plans to advance broader reproductive justice moving forward.

Amelia Simone Herbert will lead a conversation about how Black feminist pedagogies center transition and transgression as conditions for learning. She will share how school field trips with students in Cape Town helped her understand what bell hooks called “teaching to transgress” and reflect on what Octavia Butler’s concept of Change teaches educators about fostering the will to learn. If time permits, ask her what she’s learned from the transitions of being a student and a teacher at elementary, middle, high school, and university level all in the same city of Newark.
 

Get your BC/CU Student Pass to the Athena Film Festival's 15th Annual fest on Barnard's campus! Barnard and Columbia students receive a discounted pass with access to films, panels, and student-facing events and gatherings. Get yours today! 

Follow Wynne's project through multiple Athena Center's programs, from inception to how to transition through her graduation in May 2024.  

The fourth annual Startup Summit featured seven experts leading five modules and was followed by a networking reception with Barnard alums and entrepreneurs. Read Athena Intern Lilly Montelle's '27 reflection on helping plan and run this perennial event. 

Meet three of Barnard’s most recent graduates—Grace Schleck ‘24, Ana Eveleigh ‘24, and Silvana Navia ‘24—as they reflect on their Laidlaw experiences and how the program launched them as researchers.

Athena alum Reni Calister '11 shares her Lessons From Leading, from starting her career to mentorship. Read about her insights and how to get connected! 

Check out the Field Notes Archive

Learn about the Social Change Ecosystem framework and how Athena students discovered how to best use their skills to create change.