800+
Sparks Graduates
Young women in Türkiye grow up navigating gender norms, age-based hierarchies, and narrow definitions of leadership that limit whose voices are trusted and whose ideas are taken seriously.
They are encouraged to participate, but rarely invited to decide.
They are full of ideas, but given few spaces to practice leadership in real life.
As a result, leadership opportunities often remain hierarchical, inaccessible, and disconnected from young women’s lived realities.
Sparks Program in Türkiye was created to change this — by making leadership something young women practice together, not someday, but now.
Every year since 2009, a new cohort of young women steps into the Sparks Program in Türkiye, carrying forward a culture of shared leadership, trust, and collective action.
Across cities and universities, participants enter not just a program, but a growing community shaped by those who came before them. Alumni return as facilitators, mentors, and contributors, ensuring that leadership is passed on, not repeated.
This continuity is what makes Sparks more than a moment. It is a living ecosystem where leadership is learned, practiced, and sustained over time.
SPARKS-Türkiye is an experiential leadership program designed for university women across Türkiye, created by Değişim Liderleri Derneği (DLD), also known as the Change Leaders Association, and supported by Turkish Women’s Initiative (TWI).
Rather than teaching leadership as theory, the program creates the conditions for young women to practice it in real life. Over a sustained eight-month journey, participants work in small, facilitator-guided teams of eight, taking responsibility for social change projects shaped by their own questions, curiosity, and community needs.
What distinguishes Sparks is its holistic approach. Alongside project work, participants are supported to question gender norms, care for their well-being, and develop an empowering leadership style rooted in trust, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
THREE PILLARS OF THE SPARKS-TÜRKİYE APPROACH
A DIFFERENT WAY OF BECOMING A LEADER
SPARKS Türkiye recognizes young women not as “leaders of tomorrow,” but as change leaders of today. Given trust, responsibility, and the right support, participants actively shape solutions in their communities while the program is still ongoing.
Leadership at SPARKS is learned by doing. Instead of classroom-based instruction, participants design and lead real social change projects, take responsibility, and practice leadership in real-life contexts where decisions, collaboration, and impact matter.
SPARKS Türkiye is not a one-time experience. Graduates remain engaged as facilitators, contributors, and mentors, forming a growing ecosystem where leadership, learning, and solidarity are continuously passed on across generations.
HOW SPARKS-TURKIYE PROGRAM WORKS
“I used to think leadership had to be tough. Now I know it can be empowering and shared.”
The Sparks Program shows young women who aspire to become tomorrow’s leaders that they can, in fact, be leaders of change today.
Becoming a Spark meant making visible the quiet light that had been glowing inside me. I saw how a small spark can grow into a powerful flame. This year brought me closer to myself and to others. My courage is now stronger than my fears, and my voice stronger than my silence. I now know that change begins in one’s own heart and then reaches the hearts of others.
Being part of the 2024–2025 Sparks cohort was truly a transformative experience for me. Throughout the program, I had the opportunity to develop both my communication and leadership skills while pushing beyond my own limits. Every session, discussion, and piece of feedback helped me better understand myself and connect with others more effectively. There were moments when the process felt challenging, when I felt discouraged or faced disagreements, but those very moments became some of the most valuable parts of my journey. I am deeply grateful for this experience, and I am confident that the lessons and growth it offered will stay with me for a long time.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SPARKS-Türkiye is designed for university women in Türkiye, typically in their 2nd or 3rd year, who are studying with scholarship support and are motivated to grow as active citizens and change leaders. The program welcomes young women who want to better understand themselves, society, and their role in creating social change.
Facilitators are trained women leaders, many of whom are SPARKS alumni themselves. They are experienced in creating safe, inclusive, and empowering group spaces, and guide teams through a shared leadership approach rather than traditional top-down instruction.
No. SPARKS-Türkiye is designed for young women at all stages of their leadership journey. You do not need previous leadership roles or formal experience. Curiosity, commitment, and openness to learning are far more important.
No. SPARKS-Türkiye is an experiential program. Leadership is practiced, not taught through lectures. Participants learn through teamwork, reflection, discussion, and by designing and leading real social change projects together.
Participants meet weekly in small teams for approximately 2–3 hours, from October to May. In addition, time is spent collaborating with teammates on social change projects throughout the program.
University women in Türkiye, typically in their 2nd or 3rd year, with scholarship support and motivation to create social change.
Applications are announced each year through Change Leaders Association (Değişim Liderleri Derneği-DLD) channels and partner universities. Interested candidates complete an application form and may be invited for a follow-up conversation.
Thanks to the support of donors and partners, SPARKS-Türkiye is offered free of charge to all participants.
For over a decade, Change Leaders Association (DLD) has worked to strengthen young women’s leadership through the SPARKS program.
By investing in trust-based learning, shared leadership, and real social impact, we help young women turn confidence into action. Support this work. Support the next generation of change leaders.