she’s here MEntorship Program

RaiseHER Co. and the University of Regina Champions of Change Club are proud to come together for their fifth year to host She's Here Mentorship Program. This program is a FREE, in-person, project-based mentorship opportunity for up to 20 female and/or gender diverse post-secondary students (from any post-secondary institution) or new professionals (with less than 5 years working in their field) aged 18 to 25 (“Associates”) and up to 20 female and/or gender diverse matched working professionals (with over 5 years in their field) aged 25+ (“Professionals”) to help foster leadership skills and help enhance the ability for local organizations (in which the “Professionals” work at) to better support, recruit and adapt to the needs of the leaders of tomorrow.

In our 5th annual year of the “She’s Here” Mentorship Program, RaiseHER Co. and Champions of Change Club at the University of Regina are proud to launch a bold new theme that all 2026 mentorship projects will be centred around: “Reducing barriers for Indigenous youth, women and Two-Spirit individuals across communities, workplaces and schools.”

Over the past five years, the She’s Here Mentorship Program has helped dozens of emerging women and gender-diverse leaders connect, grow and thrive. This year, we deepen that work by focusing our collective energy on one powerful mission: to reduce systemic, institutional and cultural barriers faced by Indigenous youth, women and Two-Spirit individuals — in our schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods.

We chose this theme to draw renewed alignment with the founders’ ongoing commitment to advancing truth and reconciliation in our community. This year’s focus is rooted in the spirit of reconciliation and the belief that mentorship must be intersectional, inclusive and justice-centred.

By naming “reducing barriers for Indigenous youth, women and Two-Spirit individuals” as our project theme, we intentionally centre voices and leadership that have historically been excluded, and we commit to catalysing change in spaces where equity still remains aspirational.

This theme will also support several Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, including TRC call to action #66 (developing community-based youth programs that strengthen leadership and reconciliation), #62 (advancing education systems grounded in intercultural understanding and anti-racism), #7 (closing education and achievement gaps for Indigenous learners), #92 (ensuring equitable access, representation, and culturally safe environments in workplaces), #43 (upholding the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in public institutions and systems), and #57 (training future leaders to confront systemic racism and build culturally respectful communities). Through mentorship and allyship, participants contribute to growing a generation of leaders committed to reconciliation in action across classrooms, workplaces, and community spaces.

Why this matters

• Indigenous youth and Two-Spirit individuals continue to be under-represented across all industries and face distinct barriers in academic, professional and community leadership spaces — our theme invites direct action to shift those patterns.

• By grounding mentorship in truth, reconciliation and equity, we cultivate stronger leadership ecosystems

• Partnering with the University of Regina’s Champions of Change Club means bridging academic, community and peer mentoring models — amplifying opportunities for Indigenous youth, women and Two-Spirit individuals to thrive.

BONUS: As a gesture of our appreciation for the time, insights and efforts that program participants put into their project, all participants (Associates + Professionals) will be awarded an honorarium thanks to the generosity of our Honorarium Sponsor, Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK).