Now in its eighth year, the Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Media has transformed the careers of more than 450 women in news media and tech. During a week often described as overflowing with “Poynter magic,” each participant learns to manage teams more effectively, hone and communicate their strategic vision and steer their organizations toward success. But perhaps more importantly, graduates of the Poynter Academy and ONA’s partner program, the Women’s Leadership Accelerator, join a global community of support.
This sisterhood is established during the program through honest, candid and often vulnerable conversations, hands-on activities, formal and informal social activities, and shared experiences. Each participant’s network expands after the program as graduates from different classes network, connect online and in person, and even mentor each other.
We will once again host three women’s leadership academies, each open to 30 participants:
- Cohort 1: May 15-20, 2022
- Cohort 2: Sept. 18-23, 2022
- Cohort 3: Dec 4-9, 2022
We plan to host these programs in-person at Poynter’s campus in St. Petersburg, Florida. However, if public health guidelines require the academy to be offered completely virtually, we are confident the experience will be just as robust.
Poynter directly impacts your career
The Poynter women’s leadership training propels careers and changes lives. In a 2019 survey of graduates from our first four years of the program, we learned:
- 73% make more money, with around half of those people making substantially more
- 83% are tapping into the Leadership Academy cohort for ideas and support
- 86% have more self-confidence
Follow #PoynterWomenLeaders or #PoynterSisters to see the first hand experience of past participants.
I didn’t realize magic was happening when I was in the class. I realized it two weeks later. And I’m realizing it every day two years later. Those five days are not when your life changes. It’s the experience of those five days that end up changing your life after you’re very far from St. Petersburg.
— Dhiya Gerber, manager at Microsoft and alumna and instructor
Learn from prominent women leaders
Samantha Ragland, Poynter faculty and an alumna of the 2016 Leadership Academy for Women, directs the women’s leadership program. She specializes in developing journalists as people and professionals, reinventing local news, and advocating for diversity and inclusion. Learn more about Ragland here.
Ragland will be joined by other Poynter faculty (see below). Guest instructors and keynote speakers for 2022 will be announced closer to the seminar dates. Recent keynote speakers include:
- Millie Tran, vice president of content strategy and growth at Condé Nast, and Stacy-Marie Ishmael, co-host of “Slate Money” and former editorial director at Texas Tribune
- Danyel Smith, former editor of Billboard and Vibe
- Korva Coleman, newscaster, NPR
- Lydia Polgreen, managing director, Gimlet (formerly editor in chief of HuffPost )
- Charo Henríquez, editor, newsroom development and support, The New York Times
For an idea of the type of guest instructors we might feature in 2022, see all of the instructors and participants from past Poynter programs.
Questions?
Here are some frequently asked questions. Check out lead faculty Samantha Ragland’s checklist for submitting a strong application. And subscribe to Poynter’s newsletter about gender in media, The Cohort. If you need more assistance, email us at info@poynter.org.
