Last June, as our Girl Advisory Board (GAB) was wrapping up their research project in partnership with Barbie, they realized they wanted to hear more from one group in particular: Latinx girls. As the grand finale of our 140 conversations with girls in kindergarten to 5th grade, we put together a national “Latinx Leader Power …
Beyond masks and Lysol, we need to meet the Social-Emotional Needs of our Students. Here’s where to start. Reopening our schools and youth-serving organizations may seem like a daunting task. The unknowns are innumerable, the risks are real, and the concept of “normal” is no longer applicable. Aside from distancing protocols, sanitizing routines, and enforcing …
Recognizing the big and small contributions of changemakers is a key leadership habit. Here’s how to have this discussion with your girls. 4 min read
Equip your girl with social problem-solving skills to tap into her power. 8 min read
3 simple, powerful tools for strengthening your confidence muscle. 6 min read
Keep Calm and Play On
Sophia Barnhart, our Summer 2014 Communications Intern, writes about her passion for soccer and competition. She sheds light on the gendered biases that exist within athletics, and she encourages us all to pursue what makes us happy to overcome these biases.
It’s no secret—I’ve always loved the thrill of competing. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have parents that supported my drive and encouraged me to play sports. I dabbled in many—softball, gymnastics, swimming, and tennis—but I wasn’t able to satisfy my passion for competition until I tried soccer. From learning how to kick a …
What is the definition of “chubby”? Why do we use it to describe others, and who said it was okay to have it in our vocabulary in the first place? The receiving end of this insult doesn’t feel good or nice or spectacular or, in any way, shape, or form, positive. Since the day I …
Dear Friend, Imagine what it’s like to be a girl in 2013. Girls are consuming more than ten hours of media every day and receiving a consistent message: the thinner, prettier, and sexier you are, the more attractive and liked you’ll be. At a time when girls have access to more forms of media than …
Book Notes: Divergent by Veronica Roth
In Divergent by Veronica Roth, the author illustrates that while society and relationships strongly influence our identity, we ultimately choose to become the person we want to be.
In the world of Veronica Roth’s Divergent, society is separated into five factions according to the value each group prioritizes: kindness, bravery, knowledge, honesty, and selflessness. The factions live mostly separate but peaceful lives, each one contributing its particular gifts to society.
Each faction conditions its children to follow its culture and beliefs. When the children are sixteen, they take an aptitude test to identify their natural inclinations, and they have a chance to choose their permanent factions. Most choose to stay in the factions into which they were born. Others feel pulled toward a different way of life, and might choose to join another faction, even though it means leaving the familiar behind.
Picking 10
Through the controversial topic of Affirmative Action, our guest blogger Jahleese Ladson reflects on what we can learn when we are wrong.
I am generally open to challenges. I embrace them actually. If I haven’t experienced it before, it’s automatically more intriguing to me. Living in another country, learning a new language, eating exotic foods, jumping out of planes; all of those experiences have constantly taught me the value of pushing myself beyond what I think I …
