In 2000, Rachel founded the Girls Leadership Institute, a non-profit organization teaching girls and women skills for assertive self-expression, emotional intelligence and authentic relationships. The Girls Leadership Institute began as a labor of love – a reaction to the weak handshakes of girls Rachel met while researching Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls.
Ten years later, GLI is about much more than a firm handshake. It’s a place where girls can discover and embrace the best parts of their authentic selves, learning skills to live with integrity, personal authority and self-awareness. Girls come away from GLI with the confidence to be themselves and build lasting friendships.
GLI offers transformational programs for parents, educators and girls from ages 7 to 18. GLI designs in-school and after-school programs, parent-daughter workshops, school retreats, peer leadership training, and workshops for adults.
GLI programs include Real Parent, Real Daughters for grades 4-6 and grades 2-3, Parent-Daughter Weekends, Club Real Girl, Workshops in New York City and San Francisco, and the GLI summer camp.
GLI is in their fifth year of partnership with the Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN) to provide full scholarships for low-income young women of color. Over the past ten years, YWLN has consistently provided inner city under-resourced youth with an excellent public education. Ninety-eight percent of YWLN graduates are accepted to college. Sonia Luna, a TYWLS student, was featured in Rachel’s recent PBS show, “A Girl’s Life”.
While education is a critical first step, these outstanding girls will also need the skills to manage conflict, the ability to listen to criticism, the grace to own mistakes and the resilience to respond when things don’t go as planned. It is this internal resume that GLI helps girls to build.
Please consider donating to help GLI provide motivated YWLN students with the life changing opportunity to attend GLI.
