[We are] participating in the transformation of culture by creating, naming, and supporting leaders in the practice of conscious feminine values: truth-telling, empowerment, nurture-with-rigor, transparency, vulnerability, conscious collaboration, depth-orientation, hospitality, [and] the capacity to hold paradox, especially the paradox of fostering individual gifts alongside fostering planetary and community well-being.
—Mary Pierce Brosmer, Founder of Women Writing for (a) Change in Cincinnati in 1991
Transforming culture through conscious feminine leadership, values, and practice
The Conscious Feminine Leadership Training program is a new kind of leadership program in Jacksonville for those who wish to take a transformative personal journey into deeper consciousness and evolved community leadership. Using writing as our primary tool of self-discovery, we will study what Conscious Feminine leadership means and how to apply it personally, professionally, and as a leaders in the community.
Many people find themselves frustrated by patriarchal-oriented leadership models such as Robert’s Rules of Order and the militaristic, hierarchical, bureaucratic, manufacturing methodologies we have relied on to run our organizations. The Conscious Feminine Leadership model uses a different set of values to balance out these overly structured methods and provide news ways of co-creating space for people to learn, create, and engage with the world. This was the vision of Mary Pierce Brosmer when she first developed the Conscious Feminine Leadership Academy in Cincinnati; we are continuing this tradition here in Jacksonville as the Conscious Feminine Leadership Training program.
An Investment in Personal Transformation
Participation in CFLT is an investment in transformational learning and renewal for those who hold space for others, whether in personal relationships or in the public sector. This intensive commitment to learning together represents an investment in one’s own personal growth and an evolving understanding of leadership. The most important resource of this work is a community of leaders who embody emerging consciousness.
Aims of the Program
- The desire to expand and deepen diverse leadership for the future of WWf(a)C Jacksonville
- Support conscious feminine leaders within their current vocations create a structure for those in transition from one phase of life or vocation to another.
- Participants in this program have included teachers, clergy, physicians, therapists, artists, activists, nurses, social workers, nonprofit and business executives, and entrepreneurs interested in integrating conscious feminine practices into their personal or professional lives.
Who Should Apply
- Those who want to wake up more fully to the conscious feminine, whether or not they have vocational aspirations for facilitating in the WWf(a)C community
- Those who want to incorporate WWf(a)C practices into social service, business, religious, or other settings
- Those who want to apply to teach WWf(a)C core and/ or specialty classes
What Participants Will Gain
- Immersion in a community of becoming conscious, creative individuals
- Learning within conscious feminine traditions and expanded awareness of intersections/ overlay regarding race and gender
- Seeking balance and understanding of the conscious masculine, and how feminine—and masculine—consciousness integrate in the 21st century
- Study of a spirituality of education, creating creative learning communities
- Training in ways to build community through the use of writing and ritual
- Training in ways to use writing as a practice of healing and innovation
- Practical problem-solving skills for personal and professional development
CFLA for me was filled with self-exploration; the acquisition of new knowledge to draw from and new friendships to lean into;
—Pam Temple, CFLA 2015 (Cincinnati)
the understanding of the power of new practices; and the possibility of moving more softly through my life. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever endured, and it was, maybe, the most magical thing I’ve ever witnessed. I emerged a better version of myself, with new ways to work toward healing my small part of this hurting world.
Facilitators
- Jennifer Wolfe (she/her), Founder and Executive Director of WWf(a)C Jacksonville. Jennifer is a 2013 graduate of the Conscious Feminine Leadership Academy in Cincinnati, the version of the program designed by founder Mary Pierce Brosmer.
- Diane Debevec (she/her), WWf(a)C facilitator and former Executive Director of WWf(a)C, Cincinnati. Diane is a 2006 FLA graduate (formerly the Feminist Leadership Academy).
Additional guest teachers will include other CFLA and YFLA graduates and guest artists.
Format and Schedule
The 2022 Conscious Feminine Leadership Academy offers a hybrid residential and virtual training program. We will build our community of practice in person at the Sisters of St. Joseph Retreat Center in St. Augustine, Florida; and we will use ZOOM technology for four of our meetings so we can bring in guest speakers from Cincinnati and beyond.
- February 23-27, 2023: Opening In-Person Retreat at St. Joseph’s
- March 13, 2023: Virtual circle, 6-9 p.m.
- March 20, 2023: Virtual circle, 6-9 p.m.
- April 13-16, 2023: Mid-Training In-Person Retreat at St. Jospeh’s:
- April 3, 2023: Virtual circle, 6-9 p.m.
- April 24, 2023: Virtual circle, 6-9 p.m.
- May 18-21, 2023: Closing In-Person Retreat at St. Joseph’s
- Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023: Graduation
What’s a Practicum Project?
Each participant will design and offer a practicum intended to embody the learnings of CFLA. In developing, planning, and holding writing circles from start to finish, each participant will gain valuable facilitation experience.
Practicums are to be completed in September and October of 2023, with practicum portfolios due November 8, 2023. Participants will also complete a reflective paper on a relevant topic of their choice, which is due October 29, 2023.
Tuition
$3,800 / $3,040 / $2,470 Sliding Scale
Sliding scale is a pricing model that aims to increase accessibility of this program by asking those who can afford a full-priced experience to help subsidize the experience for those who can’t.
To help you decide what fee is the best fit for you, please refer toThe Green Bottle graphic, designed by community healing practitioner Alexis J. Cunningfolk.
Certification Program Tuition includes room and board; program materials, planning, and instruction by facilitators; guest artist fees, and administrative staff support. Books not included. Copies of articles will be provided.
If you need scholarship support beyond the Sliding Scale, please complete a scholarship application. Limited scholarship funds are available through the Patricia Geiger Scholarship Fund, which honors a longtime member of our community. Requests will be considered in the order received.
Payment Plan
If not paying in full, choose a schedule of equal payments made over 2, 4, or 6 months. Depending on preferred schedule, payments begin on Nov. 1, 2022, and end on April 1, 2023. ($250 deposit due at time of application to program.)
To Learn More About CFLT
We invite you to attend one or more CFLT Discernment Circles! These gatherings—which incorporate writing circle practices—are designed to help determine whether CFLA is right for you and you for it.
2022 CFLA Discernment Gatherings will be held on:
- Saturday, Oct. 15,10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in person
- Sunday, Oct. 23, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in person
Gatherings will be held at WWf(a)C Jacksonville, 1610 Osceola Street, Jacksonville, FL 32204. These sessions are free of charge. Donations gratefully accepted to benefit CFLA scholarships. Register at womenwritingjax.org.
How To Apply
To be considered for acceptance in CFLA 2023, please:
- Attend at least one Discernment Circle (more than one encouraged).
- Complete the online application.
- Attach a 1–2-page resumé to your application.
- Submit a deposit of $250 by check, Venmo, or PayPal. (Deposit refunded only if application is not accepted.)
Class size limited to 10. Applications (and scholarship applications) will be considered in the order received.
Application Period
From Oct. 16, 2022 to Fri., Dec. 16, 2022. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis as application materials are received, but no later than Jan. 15, 2023.
Questions
For questions, please contact jennifer@womenwritinjacksonville.com
In my first writing circle at CFLA, I saw this quote: “…in the circles, where we face ourselves, we listen like a miracle, and I reclaim the song which is mine…” (Janice Mirikitani)
I felt it immediately. The circle where we face ourselves. Where we face ourselves and each other. I felt the power. And I felt exposed and vulnerable. Paradoxically, I also felt protected and safe. I knew that it was only in safety that I would have the chance to “reclaim the song which is mine.”
That’s the short answer to why I went to CFLA: To reclaim my song. It’s why I took risks and allowed myself to be vulnerable. I left CFLA feeling empowered, with renewed confidence in my writing and in the value of what I have to say. I learned my story was valuable, too.”
—Marilyn Jones, Jacksonville facilitator, CFLA 2019 (cincinnati)