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Knowledge to Action Conversation on Girls Leadership Development in Schools

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In today’s competitive landscape, whether pursuing college admissions or career pathways, empowering young women with resilience and leadership is crucial.

Join Akilah Blount as she shares stories of BEE Club Inc., where over 400 girls in Atlanta and Athens, GA communities have been inspired to drive positive change.

Discover actionable strategies to cultivate resilience among young women in YOUR community, focusing on:

promoting race and gender equality
nurturing leadership
building a strong community support network

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In her YouTube talk, Bettina Love discusses the harsh disciplinary measures Black girls face in schools and the systemic issues that contribute to these inequities, advocating for educational reform and restorative practices to support their well-being and academic success.

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Bettina Love: On Black Girls, Discipline, and Schools

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ShoutOut Atlanta talks frankly with Akilah Blount about this inspiring leadership program.

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The organization's main webpage provides a host of information regarding their history, programs and initiatives.

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For those looking for further inspiration, Brave Girls by Leslie Goldman and Stacy Radin provides insight into raising empowered leaders.

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Brave Girls: Raising Young Women with Passion and Purpo...

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Read 24 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. An empowering guide to cultivating confident, passionate, and powerful young leaders during...

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Dr Susan Madsen discusses having a positive framework around girls to become leaders using four useful strategies.

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Raising Girls to Become Leaders | Dr. Susan R Madsen | TEDxBountiful

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A short but meaningful video that motivates us away our inner critic to move forward and become powerful leaders.

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Teaching Girls to See Themselves as Leaders, with Tara Sophia Mohr

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Rutgers University provides a host of modules and lessons to use for those wishing to extend learning into their classrooms.

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Children study the Founding Fathers and presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. They discover the stories behind major national holidays and mileposts of American history. Yet female historical figures fare poorly in classroom curricula and textbooks, and no national holiday honors the accomplishments of a woman. Boys grow up thinking that public leaders look like them, but rarely are girls taught to envision themselves as leaders and innovators.

These resources are designed to help teachers and others integrate women's political history and leadership into their lesson plans and program activities.
Lesson Modules Additional Resources
Stay tuned for more!

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Children study the Founding Fathers and presidents like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. They discover the stories behind major national holidays and mileposts of American history. Yet female historical figures fare poorly in classroom curricula and textbooks, and no national holiday honors the accomplishments of a woman.

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This powerful blog explores why it’s crucial to foster inclusive leadership traits in girls and shares practical steps to empower them to lead confidently and authentically.

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Are you prepared to inspire the girls in your life to lead on their own terms today and into the future? Let's check. When you think of a strong leader, what traits come to mind? For each of the lines below, select the attribute that you most associate with leadership.

Leaders tend to be...

Did you select more of the attributes listed first in the exercise? If so, you're far from alone. For many of us, when we think of a leader, we picture someone - often a man - who is competitive, vocal, and tells others what to do. But that image represents a narrow definition of leadership that isn't always inclusive and makes it hard for a lot of girls to be seen and to see themselves as leaders. It's common, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to lead! In fact, there is no one way to lead, and this definition misses so much of what leadership is about.

The truth is that everyone can be a leader. We can lead in big, bold ways and through the small actions we take every day.

Girls often face limiting stereotypes about how they should and shouldn't lead. And even when girls do not buy into negative messages about their ability to lead, bias can still make them feel self-conscious and unwelcome in leadership positions. That's why it's so important to expand our collective definition of leadership so girls can see - and celebrate - themselves as leaders.

The truth is that everyone can be a leader. We can lead in big, bold ways and through the small actions we take every day. Leading could look like speaking up, working toward a shared goal, or respecting and including people around us. But it could also look like encouraging or inspiring others, or creating something new on our own or alongside a team.

Here's what you need to know

Girls' perceptions of leadership - including their own desire to lead - are formed in significant ways before the age of five and have lifelong impacts. 1 Early on, girls get the message that they aren't supposed to be leaders. For example, while boys are often commended by teachers for being direct and taking the lead, girls who do the same often receive backlash and risk being seen as unlikeable or bossy. 2 Additionally, research finds over a third of girls say that they have been told they are too loud or opinionated when they take the lead. 3

These kinds of early negative messages are based on common stereotypes that girls should be quiet and deferential to others, and they can have a tremendous impact: girls who are subjected to them are more likely to avoid leadership opportunities. 4 To add to this, girls can face likeability bias, whereby they're seen as less likeable when they deviate from outdated gender expectations - like being kind or communal - and instead lean into being more assertive. 5

When girls know how to push back against unfair treatment, they are less likely to internalize negative messages or blame themselves when they experience bias.

The good news is that parents, caregivers, and educators can help shift the narrative and empower girls to be all that they can be. Although we can't eliminate the negative stereotypes girls are up against entirely (at least not right away), we can reduce the power they have over girls by helping them recognize them. Research shows that this level of awareness is good for girls. When girls know how to push back against unfair treatment, they are less likely to internalize negative messages or blame themselves when they experience bias. 6

Lean In Girls is teaching girls that there are many ways to lead, and giving them the tools to see - and celebrate - the many ways they're already leading. You can reshape girls' perceptions of what it means to lead, and ensure that every girl is set up to be a leader today and in the future.

Here are 5 ways to #InspireInclusion by expanding a definition of leadership to include girls:

Get Real About Stereotypes - Talking to girls about the gender stereotypes that shape misconceptions about their capabilities is critical to ensuring they feel included in leadership. 7 Start by calling out stereotypes like girls are too quiet to lead, or women are too emotional to be effective decision-makers. This can be followed by a conversation about who they view as a leader in their lives and why. Research finds that when we provide diverse examples of accomplished women who don't adhere to stereotypical, narrow perceptions of leadership, we can shift girls' thinking about gender roles in a positive way. 8

Redefine Leadership - Expanding the language we use to describe leadership goes a long way to making girls see themselves as leaders. Whether that be better monitoring the way we describe other women leaders at work, or more intentionally talking about the variety of ways we demonstrate leadership, we should all consider expanding our view of what an effective leader looks like. For example, lauding a leader for being compassionate or a good listener can serve as a model for girls looking to see themselves as leaders.

Reframe How We Speak About Girls Who Lead - Pointing out gender bias and reframing terms like "bossy" to describe girls who like to take charge can help girls feel more confident when leading others. This could also look like switching the term "pushy" to "determined," "conceited" to "strong-willed," "loud," to "confident," or "quiet" to "observant." Offering descriptors with a positive connotation can help girls shift their mindset around taking the lead. Additionally, calling out bias in language can help them better identify and challenge sexism in their environments. 9

Model Inclusive Leadership by Advocating for Others - Acting as an advocate and ally for others is another powerful way for adults to model a more inclusive form of leadership. When women model behaviors like speaking up and championing other women, girls are more likely to follow suit and develop the courage to do the same. 10

Celebrate When Girls Lead - When we champion girls for taking the lead by starting a new club at school, speaking up for others, or standing up for what they believe in (even when it doesn't go the way they hoped), we send the message that they are demonstrating valued leadership traits. 11 This is important because when girls lead assertively, they can be told that they should dial it back. 12 Taking the opposite approach and encouraging leadership helps build resilience to setbacks and develop the confidence we want to see in all future leaders. 13

BONUS ACTIVITY
1. Invite your teen to picture a "strong leader." Share that you're going to read a list of character traits. Ask your teen to call out the traits they most associate with being a leader. Consider joining in the activity with them.
- Are more competitive OR collaborative - Tell people what to do OR rely on the collective wisdom of the group - Make their voices heard OR elevate others' voices - Show confidence OR show vulnerability - Teach others OR learn from others 3. Share that many people will choose the first trait in each prompt because they associate leaders with people who are competitive, outgoing, and tell others what to do.

- Are more competitive OR collaborative - Tell people what to do OR rely on the collective wisdom of the group - Make their voices heard OR elevate others' voices - Show confidence OR show vulnerability - Teach others OR learn from others
6. Share that these are all leadership traits and that your teen shows leadership every day. 5. Read the below traits, pausing after each prompt to share your responses. 4. Invite your teen to do the exercise again. This time, have them call out the traits that most align with their personal values and who they are as leaders.

2. Read the below traits, pausing after each prompt to share your responses.

SAMPLE SCRIPT: The truth is, these are all leadership traits, and you model leadership in the actions you take every day. There are unfair ideas out there that the leadership traits girls more often exhibit - like being compassionate and inclusive - are less valuable. But that's not true. The more you lead in your own way, and on your own terms, the more the world recognizes all the ways there are to lead.

Visit our Tips for Adults page to explore more Lean In Girls resources and activities you can do with the girls in your life.

Learn more about International Women's Day and join us for a special virtual event on March 6th 9am PST / 12pm EST to learn five ways all adults can lift up the girls in their lives.

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5 Ways Adults Can Lift Girls Up as Leaders | Lean In Girls

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Thank you for your interest! A member of our partnerships team will follow up with you shortly. Awesome! You're all set - just start your download. We've also emailed you everything you'll need to run all our Lean In Girls sessions.

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Relating some personal stories, Katie Hurley highlights actionable strategies to prompt girls to catapault from one stage to another.

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A 9-year-old girl sits in my office, twirling her hair and averting her gaze as she speaks. She's trying to find the courage to run for student council at her school, an honor bestowed upon just a few fourth and fifth grade students. To do this, she has to write a letter to the director of the student council detailing her strengths and why she wants the position. That's where she's stuck. She wants the position, but she can't think of a single reason why she should get it.

"I'm not the kind of girl that gets picked for something like this," she says.

"What kind of girl do you believe gets chosen?" I ask.

"You know, the ones who talk a lot and everyone likes and the teachers always call on because they aren't afraid of sharing answers in front of the class."

This young girl is a quiet leader. Her teacher later tells me that she counts on her to lead group projects and set a positive example walking to and from other classrooms. Her teacher also shares that, though she doesn't always raise her hand, her input is always insightful and well-received by her peers. As it turns out, her peers actually look up to her. She just doesn't see it.

This young girl is not alone. As I detail in my new book, "No More Mean Girls," research shows that girls lack the confidence to take on leadership positions for a variety of reasons. According to the findings from the Girl Scout Research Institute in a report titled, "Change It Up!", common barriers to leadership among young girls include lack of confidence in skills and competence, stress, fear of speaking in front of others, fear of embarrassment, fear of appearing bossy, and negative peer pressure.

Research also indicates that girls struggle to support other girls reaching for leadership roles. In fact, results of a 2015 administered by the Making Caring Common (MCC) team at Harvard's Graduate School of Education found that girls are reluctant to support leadership roles for other girls due to highly competitive feelings among girls, lack of self-confidence and self-esteem, and girls viewing other girls as "dramatic."
Related: I'm raising girls who are 'includers' instead of 'mean girls'
What the research shows us is that girls continue to get the message to be quiet, kind and inclusive and to avoid being loud, bossy, and in charge.

In a time where girls are consistently told to follow their dreams and aim high, the messages they internalize remain confusing:

Be a leader, but not a boss.

Be assertive, but be nice about it.

Be successful, but don't brag too much. You don't want your successes to hurt someone else's feelings.

It's no wonder girls hesitate to step up and lead. Yet taking on leadership positions is exactly what young girls need to do to thrive in this world. When girls are leaders, they experience greater self-confidence, they internalize the message that they are competent, and they become more independent, responsible, and resilient.

Leadership helps girls prepare for adulthood. It's up to us to inspire our girls to lead.

Rethink leadership roles

The problem with our current narrative on leadership is that it feels stressful. When we think of leaders, we think of presidents, CEOs and business owners. What we need to do is redefine leadership on a girl-size scale.

When my daughter was in kindergarten, she became fixated on helping the victims of a hurricane. She wanted to send sweatshirts to kids who might be cold after losing all of their belongings. She asked her classmates to donate outgrown sweatshirts and organized a school-wide sweatshirt drive. In her own quiet way, she found a way to lead.

Girls can lead in all kinds of ways. They can organize a mother's helper club to provide an extra hand to moms in need in the neighborhood. They can host monthly bake sales to raise money for a cause. They can start a dog walking business or a homework helper club or a kid book club. The options are endless. All we have to do is give them the time and space to come up with a plan.

Practice public speaking

Public speaking is hard, even for adults. It's anxiety-producing to stand in front of a crowd staring back at you in silence. Girls can learn to work through the feelings that hold them back by practicing deep breathing and visualization exercises. They can also practice speaking up at home by engaging in fun family events like running for president of the house, playing TV game show host, or giving speeches about changes they would like to see at home.

The more girls practice projecting their voices and speaking with confidence, the more comfortable they are when they do need to speak in front of a group.

Address self-criticism

It's natural for parents to dismiss self-criticism when girls verbalize their inner thoughts because we always see the best in our girls. What girls need is for us to hear them out, empathize and help them learn to practice self-compassion, instead.

We all experience feelings of self-doubt at times. That's perfectly natural. How we choose to confront that self-doubt is important. I encourage parents to help girls learn to flip their negatives into positives by evaluating their inner thoughts.

If your daughter says, "I can't run for student council because I'm not popular and no one will vote for me," for example, you want to help her verbalize the emotions hidden beneath the surface (anxiety, fear), evaluate the statement for accuracy ( list her positive qualities, name her friends and supporters), and flip the negative to a positive ("Running for student council is something I've never done before, but I am ready for the challenge.")

Learning leadership skills requires time and practice, but it's essential that we empower girls to take these healthy risks and confront challenges that make them feel uncomfortable. In doing this, girls learn that they have what it takes to step into leadership roles and amplify their voices.
A version of this post was published October 9, 2020. It has been updated.

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Katie Hurley, child psychotherapist, shares tips on how to empower girls so that they grow up to become women in leadership roles. Category : Parenting, Child Learn & Play

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Blogger Roxana Bouwer highlights four actions to turn girls into future leaders.

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Four Actions to Raise Your Girl Into a Natural Leader

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Girls That Create encourages leadership in young girls by helping parents become active participants in molding their daughter’s identity.

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Maria Scott emphasizes the importance of gender equality and supporting female leadership, highlighting the significant value women bring to businesses despite facing substantial barriers in accessing funding and leadership roles.

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Maria Scott, CEO of TAINA Technology, provider of a world-class regulatory technology platform.
As a mother of two girls, I care deeply about gender equality. Not just because I want to protect my daughters from the challenges faced by recent generations of women, but because my dream for them is a happier, kinder, more inclusive world.

In this piece, I want to share how we can all lean into supporting a diverse leadership for the future, which will ultimately result in a more prosperous, diverse and equitable world for all of us.

I will never forget when meeting a male investor in his glamourous office, he asked me if my motivation for launching my business was boredom.

This came at a time when both of my girls were under three years old. I was missing them desperately and my family was making huge sacrifices to allow me to leave my well-paid corporate job to launch TAINA.

No words can describe the emotions that went through me at that moment, and I must admit that I did cry on my way home from work that day, feeling embarrassed by my emotional fragility. At that moment, I promised myself that I would do everything in my power to ensure my girls would never experience any prejudice based on their gender.

The Business Case For Female Leadership

Female-led businesses build more value with less investment. The stats speak for themselves:

According to the European Central Bank, despite receiving less than half of the investment capital of their male peers, female-founded companies deliver twice as much revenue per dollar invested.

According to BCG: "Startups founded and cofounded by women are significantly better financial investments [than those founded by men]. For every dollar of funding, these startups generated 78 cents, while male-founded startups generated less than half that-just 31 cents."

It is well known in the startup community that female founders tend to be incredibly disciplined with their resources; they are very scrappy and creative in making the same amount of funding going a long way.

What about the value of female leadership for large, established corporations? Again, the stats speak for themselves -on average, companies with the highest percentages of women board directors outperformed those with the lowest by 66%.

Broader Societal Benefits Of Female Leadership

Women leaders prioritize connection, collaboration and inclusion. They lead with love and compassion. This is not just at the leadership level but across the organization. Who is organizing all of our birthday gift collections, get-well cards and Christmas parties? Which of our colleagues do we go to for sympathy and advice at work? We all know that one wonderful female colleague who is there for us.

This is proven by data. Female leaders are twice as likely to drive diversity and inclusion, according to extensive research conducted over several years by McKinsey and LeanIn.org.

The Status Of Female Leadership

With these impressive stats, surely female founders should have no issues getting funded, and we should have a strong representation of women in leadership across the board. Sadly, it is quite the opposite.

Startups with all-female leadership received just 2% of all venture funding, with mixed-gender teams receiving just 10%.

Women across Northwestern Europe received a tiny fraction of venture capital raised in 2023, with all-female founding teams receiving 0.6% in France, 1% in the Nordic countries, 1.9% in Britain and 1.7% in Germany.

In more mature companies, thanks to their policies, the position is slightly better; however, percentages are still very low-in FTSE 100, only 9% of CEOs are women (only 7% in Europe).

What Are The Causes Of This Imbalance And What Can We All Do To Correct It?

Over a decade since Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In, how is it possible that we have so few women in leadership roles, despite all the compelling advantages?

There are many systemic reasons for this. These vary by industry/region but, overall, in my experience the following "big four" tend to come up most frequently:

1. A lack of role models.

2. Challenges to accessing funding, networking and support.

3. Unconscious and conscious biases.

4. Challenges integrating caring for the family with the pressures of work.

As an entrepreneur, my bias is to focus on concrete actions that are within our control:

We can all share our learnings, make introductions and broadcast stories of successful women.

The integration of caring for the family with work is made more difficult by the stereotypes of what a good woman, mother, daughter or wife is. It is time we embraced a more open and fluid way of living that makes sense for each family concerned.

We can all make an effort to be aware and challenge our assumptions and biases.

I have been extremely blessed to have the support of some amazing women-and men-as my mentors and investors, and I very much hope to be able to give back the same to future generations.

Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?

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Council Post: Empowering Female Leaders Of The Future Will Create A Better World

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We can all make an effort to be aware and challenge our assumptions and biases.

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Examples of female leadership across various fields, empowering them to stand up for themselves using 10 careful tips.

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10 steps to encourage leadership in girls

The 21st century is an exciting time to be a young woman. Our daughters have more examples than ever of female leadership. From all levels of government and non-profits to the technology sector and the sports arena, women are stepping up into with an amplified level of power, influence and respect. Girls today are being brought up to stand up for themselves and overcome their fears. Fostering the skills of today's young women can seem like a daunting task, but when parents work to unlock their child's potential extraordinary things can happen. Raising a leader doesn't happen overnight. It's working with your daughter from a young age to empower them over time to give them confidence and candor. It's teaching them that leadership is not synonymous with perfection. What steps can you take to encourage leadership in your daughter?

1. Give her space to take risks

We live in a culture that is constantly reinforcing a girl's fear of failure. Leaders need to overcome fears and take risks. Our fears and insecurities hold us back from our full potential. Dr. Lisa Damour, psychologist and author of Untangled, Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood, determined that the key factor to girls' success is "persistence in the face of difficulty and resilience in the face of obstacles." - something she calls "grit." Give your daughter the opportunity to "fail forward." When she is praised for her courageous attempts and her triumphs in life, the safe space you provide for her risk and discovery will allow her to thrive in the face of adversity.

Work with your daughter to find programs such as athletics, girl scouts, challenging academic classes, and clubs that will involve constructive and creative problem-solving skills, teamwork and initiative to develop grit. Allow her to step out of "traditional" roles and explore new pursuits that may seem unconventional. Learning that failure and growth go hand-in-hand is a key part of leadership.

2. Inspire her independence.

It's a natural instinct for involved parents to want to set their child up for success. Encouraging independence from the youngest age of your daughter's life will open up a world of self-discovery and confidence. Learning coping skills by solving problems on her own will give your daughter confidence in their decision making skills for the larger, more intense obstacles in life. Independence shows your daughter that you trust her and believe in her. Allowing your daughter to have her own constructive voice in her life gives her a feeling of empowerment that helps her to feel secure in what she is capable of.

3. Create opportunities for connection, competition, and collaboration.

Working together with other future female leaders is invaluable to your daughter's development as an effective, empathic and authentic leader. Support your daughter in building meaningful relationships across a diverse range of people, including their male counterparts. Young women need to learn skills for interacting with their male peers if they are going to hold leadership roles. Help your daughter understand what their role is in these collaborations and that they should not compare themselves to their team mates. Talk to her about celebrating each of her teammates strengths and embracing those differences to create a stronger bond. Collaboration develops empathy and lowers the chance for negative competitiveness and low self-esteem. There are leaders of all different types and by learning her own leadership style, your daughter will find her unique place.
Are you feeling inspired? Click here for opportunities to visit campus.
4. Expose her to a diverse range of mentor female leaders.

We know it is essential for young women and girls to have models to look to and mentors to learn from in order for them to fully realize their potential as leaders. Being exposed to leadership mentors will give your daughter the opportunity to seek guidance and comfort from someone other her parents, which in turn, will bring about a sense of confidence. As Marian Wright Edelman states, "you can't be what you can't see." Present her with a world in which she can see herself participating as an active and innovative trailblazer and give her access to the stories of women on whose shoulders she can lean and stand. It's no surprise that girls identify the most with their mothers, so be sure to give them a strong, healthy example. Dads are not exempt from the this role. Show your daughters that you respect women and that they are your equals.

5. Dare her to dream

Women are natural visionaries. Challenge her to develop a vision for growth and social change. Widen her horizons through travel, reading, culinary experiences, visiting museums, and through volunteer work. Work to expand her horizons on topics that she is passionate about. Carve out time for her to pursue the pastimes that can attribute to her future successes -- the arts, music, coding, athletics. Give her the opportunity to feel comfortable to know she can take risks in these passions and the sense of joy she will feel when she conquers the "what-ifs" in life. Celebrate dreaming, exercise the imagination, welcome wonder! Embolden your girl to tap into her innate curiosity and creativity. Drive home the importance of going above and beyond of what is expected of your daughter in these experiences. Encourage her to constantly be searching for new opportunities to learn and grow. A spirit of being on the lookout for what's next is vital for a future leader to possess.

6. Encourage her to pursue a passionate sense of purpose.

Paving a path from "dreaming" to "doing" is the unique skill of an effective leader. As you create the climate for your daughter to take risks, present her with real-world opportunities to bring her dreams to life. Encourage her to take on leadership roles in her school, sports teams and clubs. These scenarios will educate your daughter on the importance of perseverance.
Learn more about opportunities to pursue interests and try new things from some of our unstoppable students

7. Show her the value of service. Leaders understand that they are meant to guide, care and uplift others.

Help your daughters to find leadership roles in careers that they are so passionate about, they'd do it for free. By developing her sense of empathy through generosity and compassion, she will find a career path that will bring her great satisfaction and make a positive impact on the world around her. Encourage your daughter toward active, thoughtful, authentic kindness. Pay attention to your own environment and use it as a space to begin the practice. Help her see that the wellbeing of all is only enhanced when all experience fairness, compassion, and nourishment. A true leader knows how to recognize other people's achievements and take note when they are feeling discouraged. They'll work to encourage those on their team.

8. Celebrate who she is

There is nothing more powerful for a girl to feel that she is loved for being just who she is. When she experiences this kind of support, her own sense of self-worth will flourish. Show her that you value her opinions and perspective. It's in such an environment that she can begin to actively grow her own self-knowledge, her capacity for self-care, and ultimately her self-confidence; all crucial to her future health and success. Consciously take the time to meaningfully convey pride in and love for your daughter.

9. Ask and listen

Perhaps nothing demonstrates your trust in and valuing of your daughter more than your willingness to communicate with her. Often, we want so much to help our daughters that without realizing it we tell them what to do or think, and we fail to listen to them and learn from them. By cultivating authentic conversation in which you ask her open-ended questions about her emotions, her opinions, and her experiences not only will you show your daughter how much you respect and believe in her, you will also gain far greater insight into her unique situation and needs. Learning to be a good listener is a critical part of being a leader. Being present for someone and giving them your support creates a positive feeling of fellowship. Ask questions that encourage self-reflection to open up communication and dialogue and offer your support from this place of intention.

10. Enjoy her!

Spend time with your daughter just for the sheer pleasure of her company! Invite her to play in your presence, share downtime, create opportunities to join in small adventures that have no outside agenda. Find your shared interests and make time to do them together. It is during this time, you both will be the most open and receptive to listen or be heard. Our time with our children is short and at times bittersweet in its fleetingness; seize this incredible chance to learn from her deep wisdom, sharp perception, and fresh sense of fun.

Parents of future leaders need to be mindful of their actions and parenting. As your future leader's first role model, it is up to you to to be her teammate and champion. Listen closely and trust in her wisdom. Have the confidence in yourself to know that you are doing a good job raising your daughter into a future leader.

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stuart country day school of the sacred heart

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10 steps to encourage leadership in girls

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Posts - Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart

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A healthy Ted-Talk and discussion about the motivating girls to become strong women leaders.

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Catalyzing the next generation of women's leadership: Devanshi Patel at TEDxFiDiWomen

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A heartfelt interview about empowering girls globally with former First Lady Michelle Obama, Amal Clooney, and Melinda French Gates.

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Michelle Obama has advice for girl's battling self-doubt

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Alexis Kanda-Olmstead, explains why there are so few women in leadership roles. She blends research with personal stories to urge us all—women and men—to dismantle barriers that hold women back from leadership, promoting inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.

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The Science of Women’s Leadership | Alexis Kanda-Olmstead | TEDxCSU

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A simple explanation, by Education Northwest, about the value of equitable treatment in education.

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National University researches how equity in education helps teachers create fair and inclusive classrooms. Using personalized learning, fair resource distribution, and culturally aware teaching methods leads to better student learning and higher exam scores.

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The Hun School in Princeton summarize the importance of a Girls' leadership program. They several vital components such as building confidence, teaching valuable skills, and providing mentorship. These programs help girls see their potential and prepare them for future leadership roles.

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By Maureen Leming
Even in today's world, where more women than ever are entering the workforce, women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles across industries. At The Hun School of Princeton, we believe that girls must be given authentic opportunities to act as leaders to grow as leaders. School is ideal for preparing today's girls to be tomorrow's leaders. Both inside and outside the classroom is where we need to show that they, too, can grow up to lead and shape the world they live in.

4 Reasons Why Leadership Programs Are Important

While there are countless reasons why leadership programs are beneficial to students, we've chosen four that we believe are of utmost importance.

1. Encourage professional and personal growth

The role of school in gender equality and women empowerment is extremely important. Adolescence is when students begin to explore who they are and what kind of person they want to become. Leadership programs not only empower students but also support their growth, build character, and prepare them for the future. When girls are offered leadership experiences during their school years, they're more likely to feel confident to take the lead as they age.

2. Teach girls to exercise the power of their voice

Students who are taught leadership skills in schools gain the confidence and skills needed to seek leadership roles in their school communities and beyond. They might go on to create their own leadership lessons to teach younger students, to help build their confidence. Eventually, these students will go on to college and into the workforce with the confidence to speak up, stand out, and support others in their chosen fields.

3. Let girls be mentored by role models

A child's early experiences shape what they imagine possible for people like themselves. When children see themselves represented in positive ways in the world around them, they are more likely to grow into healthy, capable, and contributing adults. When encouraged to participate in leadership programs, they are given opportunities for mentorship by the very people who they've looked up to since childhood, they are surrounded by like-minded peers who have similar goals and dreams, and they are guided by role models who believe in their abilities and potential.

4. Help girls grow and strengthen their network

Having a vibrant network is key to any leader's success. Leadership programs are designed for students to share lived experiences and gain different perspectives. These programs also help students strengthen their network with their peers and profound faculty members. These relationships are even more valuable as students mature into adults and move into the professional world.

"No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contribution of half of its citizens. "

Michelle Obama Former First Lady of the United States

3 Reasons Why Girls' Empowerment Programs Matter

Now that we have established why leadership programs are essential to students, we want to dive deeper into the importance of leadership activities for girls.

1. Boys are more likely to take on leadership roles

Research on girls and leadership is clear: Girls and women are less likely to hold leadership positions. A study conducted by the GSRI showed that girls are twice as likely as boys to avoid leadership roles for fear they'll be labeled "bossy," while a Harvard study revealed ongoing aversion to female leadership-even by girls and women themselves.

2. The percentage of women in management is still small

This brings us to our next point, the percentage of women in management is still small when compared to the male gender. For example, as of March 2022, there were 74 female CEOs employed at America's 500 highest-grossing companies, up from 41 in June of 2021 and 7 in 2002. Although this year is seeing a new record of female CEOs, the new record still only translates to around 15% female representation at the top of Fortune 500 companies.

3. Business performances improve with gender-equal management

Undoubtedly, this lack of women in top management positions is an unfortunate waste of expertise and potential. Inspiring young women to venture into leadership positions is important for our communities and economic prosperity. The financial performance of firms improves with more gender-equal corporate boards. When women are included and listened to, all genders will benefit from perspectives and approaches that come from different life experiences.

How To Teach Girls Leadership in Schools

Teaching girls how to be leaders is a multi-pronged approach. Teachers should start by creating a space to intentionally support female students. Girls might be hesitant to speak up in spaces or classes that are male-dominated, so creating a space where they feel empowered and comfortable speaking up is essential. Teachers might directly ask a female student for her opinion about a topic, or ask a female student to begin a class discussion.

Then, break down gender norms and expectations. Have the girls talk about messages they receive growing up about what makes a "good girl," things like being quiet, and not speaking out of turn. Compare those traits to what they understand makes a "good leader," things like being confident, speaking loudly and often, etc., and students find that those traits are not what make up the traditional "good girl."

Then, give girls plenty of opportunities to engage with female leaders in traditionally male-dominated fields, to get an inside look into what it has taken to break into those fields. Students should ask for specific advice or steps they've taken to accomplish their goals.

The Girls Leadership Program at Hun

Student leadership programs are an integral component of The Hun School of Princeton. Our goal is to empower and educate our students and increase the development of leadership skills for girls and boys.

The following leadership opportunities are designed specifically for our female students:

Girls' Leadership Cohort

Gender Equity Matters Club (GEM), and Conference

Girls Who Code Program

Female Athletic Network

These programs create an intentionally supportive environment for our female students, who might previously have been hesitant to run for leadership positions on campus. Our faculty and student mentors help these girls gain the skills and confidence to apply for leadership roles across campus and connect them with alumni in male-dominated fields who talk about their experiences and offer specific advice about how they accomplished their goals.

At Hun, we've found that the girls who participate in these programs are more likely to become campus leaders, and they go on to mentor younger female students or host leadership programs for students at other schools.

"Women have a special contribution to make to help bring order out of chaos because they have special qualities of leadership which are greatly needed today. "

Shirley Chisholm Former Congresswomen (D-NY 12th District)

50th Anniversary of Girls and Women at Hun

In 1971, The Hun School of Princeton first began admitting girls. That year, only 1 in 10 students was female. These trailblazers forged the path for girls at Hun today, who find an abundance of programs designed specifically for them; from leadership programs and conferences to athletics and clubs, there are plenty of affinity groups in which to participate. In 2021, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of girls and women at Hun with a full roster of events and programming aimed to further enhance the girls' experience at Hun while honoring the paths of those who came before us.

Further Together at Hun - Apply Now!

The Hun School of Princeton is a private, coeducational secondary boarding school located in Princeton in Mercer County, New Jersey. Founded in 1914, we are a day and boarding school that provides a structured and challenging education from grades 6-12 and postgraduate. We focus on student excellence and achievement and understand that kind encouragement is as necessary as an intellectual challenge. You want the best for your child. So do we. Visit the Admissions page for more information on how to apply. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (609) 921-7600 or admission@hunschool.org.

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why girls’ leadership programs are essential

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Why Girls' Leadership Programs Are Essential - The Hun School

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At The Hun School of Princeton, we're preparing today's girls to be tomorrow's leaders. Learn why girls' leadership programs are essential.

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Highlighting Akilah Blount, BEE Club Inc

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Highlighting Akilah Blount, BEE Club Inc

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Akilah Blount shares her journey founding BEE Club Inc. to empower girls through leadership and community in Atlanta and Athens, GA since 2013.