About the Girls Empowerment Leadership Initiative (GELI)

Welcome to the Girls Empowerment Leadership Initiative – also known as GELI!

Here at the MCSW, our mission is to advance the rights of all women and girls. We’re committed to building the future of the Commonwealth – starting by investing in the young women of Massachusetts. GELI seeks to empower young women ages 14-22 across the Commonwealth to advocate for themselves and their communities by focusing on developing leadership and civic engagement skills through educational workshops, skill-building opportunities, and the opportunity to connect with peers across the state.

The 2026 GELI Summit

Get ready to UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL at the 2026 GELI Summit! If you’re a fierce female between 14-22, this is YOUR moment to shine. Learn new leadership skills, develop new connections, and build alliances to advocate for girls’ issues. Engage in civic leadership training that promotes the well-being of all girls throughout the Commonwealth! This isn’t just an event – it’s your launchpad to becoming an extraordinary change maker in policy, leadership, and community impact. Are you ready to make waves? Join us and let’s rewrite the future, one empowered young woman at a time!

We hope you join us at this year’s groundbreaking GELI Summit! Save the date – the event will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2026, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

• 9:30am: Doors open to the public
• 9:30am – 10:30am: Breakfast and Networking
• 10:30am: Welcome & Opening Remarks
• 11:15am – 12:15pm: Morning Session I
• 12:30pm – 1:30pm: Morning Session II
• 1:30 – 2:30: Lunch, vendor fair, networking
• 3:45 – 3:45: Youth Town Hall/Listening Sessions
• 4pm: Group Share Our, Call to Action, Closing Remarks
• 4:30 – 5:30pm: Adjourn and depart, parent and bus pickup
• *schedule subject to shift slightly

Registration is now open! Register as an individual here or register to bring a group to GELI here!

The MCSW GELI programming is an opportunity for girls to learn new leadership skills, develop new connections, build alliances for advocating for girls’ issues and concerns, and promote girl leadership throughout the Commonwealth. This program serves as an opportunity to engage with emerging leaders and nurture our pipeline of leaders. This initiative focuses on developing leadership and civic engagement skills through educational workshops, skill-building opportunities, and the opportunity to connect with peers across the state.

Questions? Email: MCSWprograms@mass.gov.

Accommodations Available: If you are a D/deaf or person hard of hearing with a disability who requires an accommodation or are someone who would benefit from language interpretation in a language other than English (ex: Spanish, Portuguese, etc.), require physical access accommodations, or any other supports to participate, please indicate your need(s) on the registration form.

Help Us Spread the Word! If you know of someone who would be interested in joining us, help us spread the word! Use the materials below to share with any girl-serving organizations or youth leaders in your network. All are welcome to join us and register.