We need your partnership to close the bravery gap.
We know that every girl has what it takes to be brave, but our research shows that half of girls don’t see themselves that way.
Walk past any kindergarten classroom and you’ll notice fearless girls clamoring to shout the answer with hands extended toward the ceiling, girls skipping every other rung as they swing across the monkey bars, or indignant declarations as girls speak up against injustice at the lunch table. But as girls grow up, they receive very consistent messaging on who they are supposed to become: cute (then pretty, then hot), happy, fitting in, poised, raises her hand before speaking, a good friend, a helper, organized, careful…
Before you know it, that fearless kindergartener has become a cautious fifth grader who doesn’t raise her hand in class unless she’s certain she has the right answer. The playground becomes a place for conversations instead of play. When we ask these girls why they don’t speak up any more, we hear the same paralyzing thought again and again, “What will people think?”
That fear of judgement stays with too many girls and holds them back in every area of their lives -- from academics, to sports, to friendships, and romantic relationships, and eventually professional roles as well. To address this fear we teach girls to be brave, to recognize their fears or insecurities, and take the risk regardless.
At Girls Leadership our 10,000 participants a year learn to be brave through our powerful in-person programs, which combine a safe community and concrete skills. We reach over half a million more through our website, where we share new articles, activities, and videos for families. Thousands of families connect each month through our free Book Club to build local community, be inspired by stories of brave girls, and practice speaking up, even when that means respectfully disagreeing.
We’ve developed a plan to bring this critical impact to girls and families who haven’t had access to our programs.
To ensure that our programs and content can truly serve all girls across differences of race, culture, geography, income level, family structure, and ability we are:
As we take on these new initiatives, we will continue to deliver high-quality, transformational, in-person programs across the country.
We can’t do this without you. Partner with us as a monthly donor. Please consider giving $20 a month to Girls Leadership, or whatever level is right for you.
Together we can make sure every girl has what it takes to be brave, take healthy risks, and discover her voice.
Create authentic conversation around a topic of deep importance, build relationships, and collaborate with talented people committed to issues you care about.
Are you sure?