Parkland Middle School Girls Leadership Weekend

"I am a high school senior, and something about my middle school experience had always bothered me. When I was in 7th grade, the staff at Parkland Middle School created a Boys Leadership Retreat. I inquired why the girls couldn't have one too. I received answers like, "No one wants to organize it," "The boys need it more," and "Girls don't need help with leadership." They all seemed like excuses to me, and this spring I decided to change that. I met with administration to start fleshing out a three-day and two-night experience for 7th and 8th grade girls to attend. This past weekend, after a lot of planning and compromising, we held the first ANNUAL Girls Leadership Weekend at Parkland Magnet Middle School. The girls attended workshops entitled Team Togetherness, Defying Stereotypes & Standards, STEM: It's Girls Have Something Important to Offer, Women in the Media, and Girl Power. In addition, they had small groups of 6-7 students each led by a teacher in which they got into the nitty gritty of why it is important for girls to lead and how better to lead with different personality types. The girls had a blast, and their t-shirts (which say "I LEAD like a girl." and lists their names on the back) are a great way for them to remember their experience and engage their peers in meaningful discussions about leadership." - Christina McCann (Oct 14, 2014)

Similar Photos: retreat | leadership | girls | middle school | k12 | k-12 | girls leadership weekend

Feeling inspired? Visit the Custom Ink Design Lab to start your own group order.

Design Your Own Enter the Contest

Talk to a Real Person
7 Days a Week

8am-Midnight ET Mon-Fri
10am-6pm ET Saturday
10am-6pm ET Sunday
800-293-4232
  Call
Get Started