The Homeward Bound Project: a leadership initiative for femme in STEMM

The Homeward Bound Project

The Homeward Bound Project (HB) is a leadership initiative that aims to increase the influence and impact of women and non-binary people in decision-making to shape our planet.

Each year HB selects 100 remarkable women and non-binary people from STEMM* fields around the world to join this program that improves and draws attention to the systemic lack of gender equity in leadership positions.

*STEMM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine.

 

This happens in 3 steps:

  • 12 months of intensive online training that focus on strategy, leadership, sciences and wellbeing.
  • A three-week, totally immersive training expedition in Antarctica.
  • By 2036, a globally diverse leadership network of 10,000 women and non-binary leaders making actions with impact for the betterment of our communities and planet.

The year-long structured program culminates in a three-week intensive training on expedition to Antarctica. This program timeline was altered because of the COVID-19 pandemic — but Samantha is ecstatic to travel to the bottom of the earth now in November 2023!

HB2 in Antarctica by Oli Sansom
HB2 in Antarctica by Oli Sansom

 

Throughout the program and on ship HB participants will collaborate on a number of projects surrounding issues that affect the health of our planet.

A few notable projects that are already underway include:

  • Public campaigns communicating the importance of native biodiversity to human health by the Biodiversity and Health Working Group
  • and educating on and raising awareness of our diverse connections to water in its myriad of forms and how for all water is life by Water Working Group.

The initiative continues as alumni work together in The Convergence, a fortified network of ten thousand leading femme in STEMM all taking actions with impact for the good of our globe. Samantha is a foundational teammate, a member of the Homeward Bound leadership initiative’s 6th cohort (HB6).

 

Homeward Bound emerged in recognition of the lack of women and non-binary people in leadership, both in STEMM specifically and in global leadership generally, and how this has an impact on our planet.

HB BoatThis leadership initiative has three key strategic drivers:
  • Every participant is willing and able to lead
  • Every participant understands we are stronger together
  • We are taking actions with impact.
Help SEB get to the Antarctic_ square w_ QR code
Samantha Elie Botanist