Celebrating 25 Years Leading Educational Equity
For 25 years, we have worked towards removing barriers to higher education by helping students gain access to resources and develop leadership skills that help prepare them for success in college and beyond. What started as a trailblazing NYC public all-girls school in 1996 has grown to a network of 46 public schools, including 24 all-girls schools, nationwide. Today we impact approximately 20,000 students every year, supporting them to access educational opportunities that help them fulfill their dreams.
Leaders Then & Now
When our commitment to educational equity grew to include students across NYC in our CollegeBound Initiative partner schools, so many more students were able to make the dream of college a reality. Click to meet some of our alumni and learn about the ripples of leadership they created in their lives, families, and communities throughout the country.
Empowered Young Women
Our work towards gender equity has always been at the core of what we do. Over the past 25 years, our single-gender schools have been home to amazing changemakers and leaders. Get to know some of the stories from our TYWLS and Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN) schools and community.
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How We’re Expanding Our Impact on Girls’ Education
By Laura Rebell Gross, Senior Managing Director of Girls’ Education at SL Network In 1998, I landed my dream job as an English teacher…
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TYWLS Staten Island Kicks Off With Community Affirmation Event
The new school year will mark another important milestone in SL Network’s history. Our newest TYWLS will be opening on Staten Island which means…
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First all-girls public charter school opens in Nevada for 6th – 12th graders
by Victoria SahaPublished on 8NewsNow on August 22, 2022 LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– Being surrounded by only female peers is a new concept for many…
Celebrating the Changing Face of Leadership
When The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of East Harlem first opened its doors in 1996, it was groundbreaking in its mission to provide girls from underserved communities with the same college preparatory opportunities and resources as students who attend the city’s elite private schools. With the support of programs that inspire and empower the whole girl, TYWLS students and alumnae continue to shine as leaders in their schools, communities, and nationwide. On October 12th, we gathered to celebrate their stories and achievements.
Our History
Student Leadership Network has been driving equitable education outcomes for 25 years. Scroll below to learn more about how we have grown, evolved, and innovated to support an ever-increasing number of students reach their leadership potential. Over the next 25 years, with your help, we will continue to expand and scale our work nationally to support millions more students!
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Ann Tisch partners with the Board of Education to open The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem. The pioneer class included 56 seventh-grade girls.
Student Leadership Network (then the Young Women’s Leadership Foundation) is created to make our programming available to more students.
The first Young Women’s Leadership Network affiliate school, The Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago, opens with 6th and 9th grade students.
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TYWLS East Harlem graduates its first class of seniors, with Oprah Winfrey as the Commencement speaker.
“When I heard your stories, I saw my life in your lives…Girls, you have proven that this is what public education can be.”
– Oprah Winfrey
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The CollegeBound Initiative (CBI) program launches at four high-need coed public high schools in New York City, more than quadrupling the number of students served.
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YWLN partner school, Irma Lerma Rangel School Young Women’s Leadership School is established in Dallas, Texas. It is the first all-girls public school in the state.
TYWLS Queens, located in Jamaica, opens with 81 students. Today it has a student body of over 700 students.
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TYWLS Astoria opens with 81 students. Today it has a student body of over 600 students.
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The first TYWLS (Em)Power Breakfast event is held in honor of TYWLS East Harlem’s 10th anniversary, honoring Thelma Golden, Director of The Studio Museum in Harlem; Nancy Peretsman, Managing Director and EVP of Allen & Company LLC; Joel Klein, former Chancellor of the NYC Department of Education, and The Starr Foundation.
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YWLN partner school, Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, opens in Austin, Texas.
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TYWLS Brooklyn opens with 63 students. Today it has a student body of nearly 400 students.
YWLN partner school, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, opens in San Antonio, Texas.
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YWLN partner school, Talkington School for Young Women Leaders, opens in Lubbock, Texas.
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YWLN affiliate, Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, opens in Baltimore, Maryland.
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YWLN partner school, Young Women’s Leadership Academy, opens in Fort Worth, Texas
The first CBI Celebration fundraising event is held to celebrate 10 years of CollegeBound Initiative, honoring George Hornig, COO of PineBridge Investments LLC; Lon Jacobs, former Chief Legal Officer and Senior EVP of News Corporation, and NY Giants Quarterback Eli Manning.
YWLN partner school, Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy, opens in Houston, Texas.
CollegeBound Initiative launches Bridge to College, a program that supports graduated seniors as they navigate the obstacles that arise during the summer before they begin college.
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TYWLS Bronx opens with 89 students. Today it has a student body of nearly 600 students.
Young Women’s Leadership Academy at Arnold, in Grand Prairie, Texas, joins the Young Women’s Leadership Network.
YWLN affiliate, Young Women’s College Prep Charter School of Rochester, opens in Rochester, New York.
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YWLN affiliate, Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls, opens in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Young Women’s Leadership School at Ysletta (in El Paso, Texas) and Girls Leadership Academy of Wilmington (in Wilmington, North Carolina) join the Young Women’s Leadership Network.
SL Network is nationwide – our affiliate network continues to grow with the addition of our first west coast school, Girls Academic Leadership Academy in Los Angeles.
YWLN affiliate, Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy, opens. It is the first all-girls school in Kansas City, Missouri.
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SL Network celebrates 25 years of equalizing education; so far we’ve made the dream of college a reality for over 23,000 students across the country.
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CollegeBound Initiative launches Bridge Through College which supports our students to persist through college and ultimately graduate.
