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Leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room — it’s about discovering the strengths that make you unique and using them to inspire others.

Want to lead a committee, team, project, or club? Discover your leadership potential in our two-week residential Young Women’s Leadership Institute program.

Designed by our scholar-in-residence from Georgetown University, Dr. Erika Cohen Derr, DLS, the program’s curriculum blends leadership theory with hands on practice. You’ll hear inspiring stories from women leaders across industries, develop key skills through workshops, gain global perspectives by collaborating with participants from diverse backgrounds, and complete a final project that showcases your growth.

Participants earn a Certificate of Completion from the Young Women’s Leadership Institute (Saint Mary's students are eligible to receive credit) and leave empowered to lead with confidence, empathy, and purpose.

Program Dates
Two-week intensive,
May 31st - June 13th, 2026

Eligibility
For students ages 13 and up

Fees
$2,500 - Domestic Students
$4,000 - International Students

Curriculum Topics

Leadership Styles

Learn about different leadership styles, how to leverage your strengths when leading, and practice using different leadership styles based on the situation.

Addressing Conflict in Decision-Making

Discover how to approach disagreements with confidence, listen objectively to each perspective, and guide conversations toward solutions that build trust and unity. By learning to navigate conflict with clarity and courage, you’ll transform challenges into opportunities for growth and collaboration.

Motivating Others

Leaders have a special way of turning vision into action by inspiring others to give their best. Explore how great leaders spark motivation, recognize strengths, and create an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and energized to achieve more together.

Dynamic of Power and Its Effect on Leaders

Behind every great leader is an understanding of power—how it works, how it shifts, and how it can be harnessed to create positive impact. Dive into the dynamics of power and discover what it means for today’s leaders.

Ethics and Leadership

Explore how values-based leadership inspires confidence, shapes influence, and fosters meaningful change.

Speaker Series

Listen to world-class speakers, who have made a difference in their field, talk about their approach to leadership in their respective industries. 

Outcomes

  • Identify varied leadership styles and their effectiveness in a variety of situations

  • Course designed and taught by Georgetown University professor

  • 14 days of immersive leadership experiences, workshops, and training to build tools required to lead individuals, teams, or organizations

  • Skill-building workshops designed to help you practice leadership styles and skills

  • Develop insight from diverse women leaders in different fields on a wide variety of leadership topics and sessions

  • Gain global perspectives of leadership through collaborating with participants from diverse backgrounds and through the Speaker Series

  • Demonstrate mastery through Final Project 

  • Earn a Certificate of Completion from Young Women Leadership Institute at Saint Mary’s School

  • Earn credit if you are a current Saint Mary's student

Residential Life

  • Visit places in Raleigh and North Carolina

  • Daily on-campus team building activities

  • Use of campus facilities: gym, pool, etc.

  • All meals included 

  • 24/7 campus security

Course Designed by Georgetown University Scholar-in-Residence

Erika Cohen Derr, DLS
Erika Cohen Derr, DLS

Meet Our Scholar-in-Residence: Dr. Erika Cohen Derr

With over two decades of experience at Georgetown University, Dr. Erika Cohen Derr has been a transformative leader in student affairs, fostering engagement, leadership, and belonging. A dynamic educator and mentor, Dr. Cohen Derr’s work bridges research, practice, and global experiences to support students in becoming their most authentic selves in service of others.

From leading campus-wide programs to teaching leadership and development courses, her impact resonates across diverse settings—whether in Philadelphia, Las Vegas, or as far as Kenya and China. Want to learn more about her journey, expertise, and vision?

Click “Read More” to learn more about Dr. Cohen Derr.

Read More about Erika Cohen Derr, DLS

Hear from a Featured Speaker

Hear from our 2023 participants

Want to know more?

Request Information

Admissions

Our application process is easy.

Start Application

Frequently Asked Questions

How will you be graded? What are assignments like? How much time do you have to turn around a project? When do you find out if you’re admitted? Find answers to your questions here.

Scholarships

We offer need-based scholarships for participating students who exhibit high potential and an inability to pay the full tuition. 

  • If you haven’t applied to the program, apply here. After submitting your application, click “Apply for a need-based scholarship” on the confirmation page to request a scholarship.

 

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsorship opportunities provide a unique opportunity to support the young women that participate in the program.  With your contribution, you would be supporting the Speaker Series, the activities, field trips and sponsoring students who may not have the resources to attend the institute. If interested in sponsoring, click here and use code YWLI when making your contribution.

 

Presenting Sponsor - $25,000.00

Marketing Support: Your logo prominently displayed on the official Saint Mary’s Young Women’s Institute primary landing page at the Saint Mary’s School website. Your support announced through Saint Mary’s School social media. Your name included in press releases and all printed material used for the event.  

On-site exposure during the institute: Your logo prominently displayed at the event including the sponsor presentation. Certificate of Appreciation displayed during the event. Half page placement in Young Women’s Leadership Institute packet (Sponsor includes logo)

 

Platinum Sponsor - $15,000.00

Marketing Support: Your logo prominently displayed on the official Saint Mary’s Young Women’s Institute primary landing page at the Saint Mary’s School website. Your support announced through Saint Mary’s School social media.

On-site exposure during the institute: Certificate of Appreciation displayed during the event. Half page placement in Young Women’s Leadership Institute packet (Sponsor includes logo)

 

 

Gold Sponsor - $10,000.00

Marketing Support: Your logo prominently displayed on the official Saint Mary’s Young Women’s Institute primary landing page at the Saint Mary’s School website. Your support announced through Saint Mary’s School social media.

On-site exposure during the institute: Certificate of Appreciation displayed during the event. Quarter page placement in Young Women’s Leadership Institute packet (Sponsor includes logo)

 

Silver Sponsor - $5,000.00

Marketing Support: Your logo prominently displayed on the official Saint Mary’s Young Women’s Institute primary landing page at the Saint Mary’s School website. Your support announced through Saint Mary’s School social media.

On-site exposure during the institute: Certificate of Appreciation displayed during the event. Quarter page / Business Card placement in Young Women’s Leadership Institute packet (Sponsor includes logo)