CHICAGO (WLS) — A Chicago-based nonprofit is stepping in to shift the future of civic engagement.

Run by 20-year-old Cherie Animashaun, Her Rising Initiative is launching Girls Who Lead chapters in high schools and colleges nationwide, and even internationally, to educate and equip young women, particularly Black and Latina, to become changemakers in government, business and media.

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“This isn’t just another after-school club,” said Animashaun, a Princeton Prize-winner and former Congressional Black Caucus Foundation intern. “We’re working with former White House staffers, Hill leaders, activists, and CEOs to build a curriculum that demystifies government, teaches girls to organize around issues they care about and how to educate their communities.”

After multiple videos documenting her experience studying policy at Cornell went viral, Cherie realized the importance of educating people about career pathways in the policy field. Now, she is on a mission to educate hundreds of thousands of people about policy and ways they can make a difference. Her Rising will host virtual Gen Z town halls this summer and distribute chapter toolkits and civic engagement curricula ahead of the August semester. Students from over 25 U.S. universities and high schools as well as Nigeria, India, and Uganda have already applied to start chapters.

With polarization and apathy threatening the democratic process, Her Rising Initiative sees Gen Z girls as a political force in the making. The initiative’s goal is to reach thousands of students by 2026, arming them with the knowledge, networks, and confidence to challenge misinformation, run effective campaigns, and even run for office. Cherie is currently building an even larger team of students, from Stanford grads to HBCU leaders to help Her Rising bring all of this to life.

“At a time when it feels like so much is broken,” Animashaun said. “We’re betting on girls to help rebuild it.”