The Aspire program provides professional development and governance training for young leaders who are:
Participants will learn how to improve governance within their community organisations while also developing their own leadership skills.
Applications for the Aspire program closed on Monday 11 October 2021.
Sir Zelman Cowen Centre’s Aspire program offers governance and leadership training for young leaders and has been supported by the Islamic Council of Victoria and the Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation.
The Aspire program has been gradually devolving to be taken over by a community organisation. For the final year of the devolution we have partnered with Happy Brain Education to offer leadership and governance training for young leaders of all faiths and genders.
Thirty-two young women completed the 2017 and 2018 Aspire programs, which were delivered by the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre in partnership with the Islamic Council of Victoria.
In 2018 the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre was awarded a grant from the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation to deliver Aspire for two more cohorts of young women and, while doing so, train select past participants to progressively assume responsibility for subsequent iterations of the program.
Sixteen young Muslim women completed the program in 2019, creating digital governance resources for their community organisations and building a strong network amongst themselves and Aspire alumni.
Aspire Graduation, 21 November 2018, Guest speakers (L-R) Nasya Bahfen, Ayman Islam and Professor Kathy Laster
Aspire is designed for individuals who:
During the Aspire program you will:
"It has been great meeting such like-minded young women who are as ambitious as me and as interested in wanting to implement positive change within our communities."
– 2017 participant
Dates: December 2021 – February 2022 (approx one day/week)
Offered by: Sir Zelman Cowen Centre.
Location: 295 Queen Street, City Campus, Victoria University, Melbourne (plus 1–2 offsite events).
Fees: The program is free for successful applicants.*
*Course costs only. Travel costs (to and from the course) will not be covered but participants will receive a volunteer contribution to acknowledge their participation in the course.
Aspire workshop presented by Portable
You will participate in a series of on- and off-campus activities.
Please note that these workshops are indicative only and subject to change.
Learning from expert mentors
Working together to create change.
Aspire is open to high-achieving young leaders who:
We encourage you to apply if you:
Note: you do not have to be a current or past student of Victoria University. If you meet the other eligibility criteria, you are welcome to apply for the Aspire program.
Step outside of your comfort zone.
15 young leaders (aged 18-22) will be selected for the Aspire program each year. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed.
Applications for the Aspire program closed on Monday 11 October 2021.
Email cowen.centre@vu.edu.au for any queries or questions.
"...working with others and learning from each other, the opportunity to feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself, giving hope that we can address the issues sooner than we think.”
– 2019 participant
Each year, the Aspire cohort creates a suite of resources. These resources are made freely available online.
Participants of the 2019 program created online interactive resources on four governance topics:
Participants of the 2018 program created training packages on four governance topics and facilitated tailored governance workshops for their respective Muslim community organisations.
Participants of the 2017 program created five governance guides which were displayed to over 300 people at the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre’s Faith Based Governance and Dispute Resolution Conference in December 2017.
Resources designed by the community for the community.
The Centre enlists the help of ‘model agencies’ – organisations with excellent governance – to assist with several aspects of the Aspire program, including the mentoring component.
If you have any questions about the program, or would like to become involved as a guest speaker or partner organisation, please contact cowen.centre@vu.edu.au.
"The program was incredible! It was a great way to meet passionate individuals who later became great friends."
– 2017 participant
