Our Pillars
EXPOSURE
Successful leadership programs should expose girls to a wide range of professions. Even when girls are provided leadership opportunities, they commonly lack exposure to leadership in certain fields, such as business and politics. Research also suggests that educational and cultural practices tend to depict men in a larger variety of occupations and as agents of change while women are more frequently portrayed as observers or victims.
The BtL program will include the following:
Career exploration
Opportunities to hear from and/or meet inspiring female leaders in a wide range of fields
Resources and support for finding internships and volunteer or shadowing opportunities
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Leadership programs should focus on concrete skill development. Girls’ lack of confidence appears to be one of the strongest factors deterring them from pursuing leadership, and skill development can boost girls’ confidence. Our leadership program will take on common, specific obstacles that deter girls from pursuing leadership, including fears of public speaking, appearing bossy, or being disliked.
The BtL program will include:
Public speaking
Effective and/or assertive communication
Problem solving
Networking and self-advocacy
Goal setting
COLLABORATION
Leadership programs and strategies should promote collaboration and a sense of solidarity among girls. Collaboration and teamwork are not only essential skills for today’s workplace, these experiences can help girls develop perspective-taking, social awareness, and respect. Working in diverse groups can be especially valuable—breaking down stereotypes and enabling girls to draw on rich wisdom about leadership in various cultures. Through collaborative experiences and relationship building, girls can also work to override competitive feelings.
The BtL program will include:
Team or group-based projects/activities
Relationship building experiences and skill-building
Opportunities to work with diverse groups (i.e., ages, cultures, etc.)
MENTORSHIP
Leadership programs should connect girls with older, respected girls and women who can model and inspire them to seek out leadership and guide them in navigating barriers they face to pursuing leadership. Mentors can be formal or informal, including volunteers who interact with girls on a regular basis. Mentors not only act as role models who can inspire and foster leadership, they can also be important models of ethical values. Women of all ages should join girls as allies and mentors in collective efforts.
The BtL program will include:
Women in leadership speaker series, big sisters, and other program elements that connect girls with older girls and women
Peer leadership programs
HIGH EXPECTATIONS & MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES
Leadership programs should hold girls to high expectations and provide them with real, meaningful opportunities to take responsibility for others. Girls will develop confidence and the desire to pursue leadership when they take on problems that are meaningful to them.
The BtL program will include:
Youth-led projects or initiatives and programs that give girls opportunities to choose causes that matter to them
Opportunities for girls to teach and lead others
Programs that incorporate chores, tasks, and expectations
Adapted from An Educators Guide to Girls Leadership Programs, October 2018. Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
