Athena Center for Leadership

Come on a field trip with Athena to Peoplehood! We're visiting their flagship NYC location to learn about their mission “to equip people with space, support and skills to build deeper, more meaningful relationships with others and themselves.” Founded by the same people that created SoulCycle, Peoplehood provides 60-minute sessions called “Gathers,” where participants practice active listening, the #1 relationship-building skill and a key component in healthy dialogue. To get better at listening you need to practice. Peoplehood is that practice! Sign up in via form above, space is limited.

Join the Barnard Media Center, in collaboration with the Athena Center for Leadership, for a film screening and conversation of 2023 film Birth/Rebirth as part of our feminist film series. Filmmaker Laura Moss and Artemis Rising Filmmaker, Sushma Khadepaun, will discuss the film after the viewing! Pizza and snacks will be provided.

Join us for Dinner and Dialogue, a series of delicious dinners and quality conversations about topics that we don't often find ourselves having the right time, space, or conditions to discuss. Each dinner will take place at the NYC home of an alum and will bring together up to 5 students and 5 alums of different perspectives for a lively, facilitated conversation that we hope will leave you feeling like you have a better understanding of another point of view and like you're part of an amazing community - because you are.

The topic for dinner on Monday, December 4th at 6:30PM is political engagement. What does it mean to you? What does it look like for you?

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 dialogue. Be sure to tell us what you'd like to see in this series! And save the date for the Athena Film Festival, which will take place February 29-March 3.

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 here. 

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.

Athena Senior Programs Assistant, Lauren Carr, interviews Festival and Program Manager, Kristin Molloy, about her promotion, the Athena Film Festival, and working in film. 

Flavie has been a part of Athena in some form since 2019! This spring, she was the LeFrak financial wellness ambassador for our Conscious Investing community of practice. Learn how talking about money in community became central to how she approaches making social change here.

Athena Intern Joyce Zhou shares an overview and insights from the 2023 Startup Summit, for which she was the student lead. 

The Athena Film Festival is thrilled to announce Sarah Granger as the recipient of the Loreen Arbus Foundation Fellowship, an important new initiative to support writers with disabilities.

Check out the Field Notes Archive

Athena’s pre-college programs offer high school students the opportunity to explore what collaborative changemaking looks like, just like Barnard students do here at Athena. Athena runs the Athena Summer Innovation Institute and assists with the Young Women's Leadership Institute. Read a reflection about summer 2023 programs here.