On Educating Girls: Creating a World of Possibilities International Coalition of Girls' Schools

Bullying and high rates of eating disorders and body dysmorphia are constant worries in the age of social media - for girls and the adults who care about them.

In a world where young girls spend up to six hours of their day online, it’s important to help them navigate insecurities from the constant comparisons that may lead to feelings of low self-esteem. It’s also important to remember that it is indeed possible for girls to have positive relationships with social media and technology.

Listen to this audio short for tips and tools to help girls experience life online in a healthy way, encouraging them to embrace the idea that ‘digital flourishing’ is achievable, and within reach.

‘Curiosity killed the cat’ and ‘don’t speak unless spoken to’ are the kinds of phrases many of us grew up hearing. Yet research shows that cultivating curiosity leads to better learning, creativity, and well-being.

Helping girls develop their curiosity has immense benefits. They’re likely to take a keener interest in social justice issues, be more confident and self-aware, and take on more leadership roles. This audio short explores the many benefits of encouraging curious minds. And quite frankly, why wouldn’t we want that for the young women in our lives? 👭

Ninety-six percent of female CEOs credit their sports participation in high school as a time when they honed valuable leadership skills. Girls who participate in sports not only cultivate physical fitness, but they also develop essential life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and time management.

Movement-based education and sports contribute to improved cognitive functions and mental well-being, fostering confidence and self-acceptance. By challenging societal norms and representing more than themselves, girls who move also inspire others, and they pave the way for future generations of empowered women. GO TEAM!🤸🥇

“I feel like your voice is your courage…it’s your bravery.” (Culver Girls Academy student)

Can there be any connection more vital in a girl’s life than her connection to her voice, her authentic voice? The word “voice” has multiple meanings in the world of girls. Voice is often a term that is used metaphorically to talk about gender equity, implying that to have voice is to have power, to lack voice is to be powerless. We need to remember, however, that every girl already has a voice, a real voice, a voice she uses every day to negotiate her world. But having that voice is only the beginning; she must learn to find that voice, to use that voice, to own that voice. This episode is about the girls who are on that journey and will need our support, our encouragement, our modeling, as they are going to need to be brave.

Join host Trudy Hall as she shares a lively conversation with Latricia Barksdale, the Vice President of Lean In Girls, a leadership program that is on a mission to equip girls to be self-assured, resilient, and knowledgeable about the bias they will face in the real world. We live in a world that often sends signals to girls that leadership belongs to others. This conversation reminds us that leadership belongs to them…once they have owned the power of their voice.

Resources:
Lean in Girls: https://www.leaningirls.org/
ICGS: https://girlsschools.org/
Tell Our Story :https://girlsschools.org/advocacy/blog/2022/07/13/the-icgs-community-poem/

“Social media is a tool. If people aren’t equipped to navigate it positively, you are going to see negative consequences like anxiety and depression…I liken social media to giving students the key to a car….” (Laura Tierney)

For better or for worse, the girls in our lives “do” social media; they are “connected” to TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and more. In fact, recent surveys tell us that 98% of the teenage girls in the survey used social media daily, spending about 2 hours on average–average– specifically on well known social media apps. Yet, the truth is that girls are conflicted about their relationship with social media. Many use the word “addicted,” aware they are wasting time scrolling but find social media to be essential for creative inspiration, relaxation and connectivity. Frankly, they already know social media plays both positive and negative roles in their lives. Clearly, it is a powerful influencer, but adults can proactively help girls manage their connection to social media so that their social media use doesn’t manage them.

In this episode of The Connected Girl, host Trudy Hall invites Laura Tierney, the Founder and CEO of the Social Institute, to share proactive strategies for negotiating this tricky terrain. The Social Institute has designed a unique approach to help students navigate the possibilities of social media so that it can fuel wellness and future success, showcasing role models and leaning into character strengths such as empathy, integrity and teamwork to inspire students to make good choices with their social media use. She reminds us that we are–and need to be– critical partners with girls in this arena, keeping them connected to their real selves even as they stay connected to their smartphones.

Resources:
The Social Institute: https://thesocialinstitute.com/
Common Sense Media Report: How Girls Really Feel About Social Media:https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/how-girls-really-feel-about-social-media-researchreport_web_final_2.pdf
International Coalition of Girls Schools: https://girlsschools.org/
Tell Our Story :https://girlsschools.org/advocacy/blog/2022/07/13/the-icgs-community-poem/

“With grief, for me personally, the main thing is letting myself feel it and not trying to pretend it hasn’t happened…Rather than hiding it, I give myself permission to deal with it.
(Wycombe student)

What we know for sure is that at some point the girls in our life will grieve a loss in their family, in their school or church community, in their world. It might be a break up with a first true love, a move away from friends, the loss of an adored pet, a parents’ divorce, the loss of a safe relationship–or worse, the death of a loved one, and might likely be a loss of a relationship that sustained her through thick and thin. She will be heartbroken. Walking the path of sorrow and sadness with her can break our hearts, too. Every type of grief is different and every one of us grieves differently; there is no grief handbook, but that is not a reason to dodge this important conversation.

Listen in as Angela Terpstra, the Head of School at Bishop Strachan School in Canada, shares her compelling story of leading her school community through several significant losses. It is in the times of deepest loss that we lean heaviest into the communities that know and support us. Angela’s story inspires even as it reminds us why connecting a girl to her grief, and supporting her as she walks “with” grief can help her shape and reframe the many and varied emotions that will flow from that loss.

Resources:
Bishop Strachan School: https://www.bss.on.ca/
International Coalition of Girls Schools: https://girlsschools.org/
Tell Our Story :https://girlsschools.org/advocacy/blog/2022/07/13/the-icgs-community-poem/