Closing the Gap: Insights from the Whole Girl Education National Conference
- conference
- educators
- Girls'+ Education
- Ruha Benjamin
- Tina Tchen
- Valerie Jarrett
- Whole Girl Education National Conference
- Young Women's Leadership Network
The second annual Whole Girl Education National Conference brought together over 160 educators advancing equity and opportunity for girls and gender-expansive youth. Hosted by Student Leadership Network in New York City, the conference tackled bridging both systemic and individual gaps students face in areas such as STEM education, leadership development, and personal empowerment.
National research shows the pervasive gaps in leadership and representation affecting girls and gender-expansive youth. Laura Rebell Gross, Senior Managing Director of Girls’ Education at Student Leadership Network, cited concerning statistics highlighting these disparities: women comprise only 28% of U.S. Congress and just over 10% of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Of the latter, only three are women of color.
The conference aimed to confront these challenges by fostering dialogue, collaboration, and sharing actionable solutions in how we educate and advocate for students to become leaders.
Sharing Strategies and Celebrating Community Leaders
We were thrilled to invite distinguished advocates for gender equity to dialogue with educators.
Valerie Jarrett, former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and the longest serving senior advisor to a president in U.S. history, gamely answered questions about her personal and professional journey from Sariyah M., a student from The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) of Manhattan.
Dr. Ruha Benjamin, a sociologist and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University, led us through a deep dive into how technology’s inherent biases can be corrected by diversifying who makes decisions and codes the tools. She challenged us to examine the biases that cloud each of our visions, and shared examples of how technology can and has been used as tools for mobilization and action for collective good.
The conference was also a celebration of educators who champion girls and gender-expansive youth in their day to day work.
At the opening reception, we applauded leaders in our affiliate network. We presented the Ann Tisch Inspire Award to Dr. Liz Hicks, founder of Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA) in California, in recognition of her visionary leadership. She has shaped a culture of excellence for students to explore STEM and excel in whatever they pursue, with a 100% graduation rate and GALA’s designation as a 2024 California Distinguished School. Justin Sorrells, from Girls’ Leadership Academy of Wilmington in North Carolina, received The Whole Girl Educator Award in recognition of his impact from founding math teacher to now Head of Curriculum and Instruction.
Tina Tchen, who served in the Obama White House through both terms as an Assistant to President Barack Obama, Chief of Staff to First Lady Michelle Obama, and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls, closed out the conference with a frank conversation with Student Leadership Network’s CEO Yolonda Marshall.
Session Highlights
Throughout the conference, educators and partners pooled knowledge and resources to create a hub for sharing expertise, learnings from missteps, and innovative practices aimed at creating stronger school environments to empower students. Attendees participated in a variety of breakout sessions, each offering insights and practical strategies and tools to adapt for their own classrooms and schools.
This conference is so well organized and rich. It makes us feel valued and valuable! I loved that you had teachers do closing remarks!
Conference participant
Highlights included:
- An inside look at how public, charter, and independent school leaders make decisions and build community during global crises, with Dr. Allison Persad (TYWLS Astoria), Chevonne Hall (Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women), and Paul Burke (Nightingale-Bamford)
- Discussions on the benefits of robotics in education with TYWLS Astoria teacher Andy Jordan and a robotics demonstration with students Louisa and Maryan
- Culturally relevant approaches to STEM and music with Willie Mae Rock Camp
- Supporting young leaders in building a kinder world with Riley’s Way
- Building trust with families with Molly Schemm of Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy
Visit our social media for more session highlights!
Gratitude to Our Community
The success of the Whole Girl Education National Conference is possible due to the generous support of our presenters, sponsors, and partners! Thank you to all of the presenters for hosting interactive workshops to share your insights. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Nike, EPAM, Riley’s Way Foundation, and Athletic Cosmetic Company for their generous sponsorships, and to all program partners who joined us at the exhibitors’ tables. We are also grateful to The Estée Lauder Companies for their in-kind contributions and longtime support of our girls’ education initiatives. The tireless efforts of Laura Rebell Gross, Sarah Boldin, Leigh Conner, and the rest of the Girls’ Education team and staff from Student Leadership Network made this conference a resounding success. We look forward to gathering with new and returning peers at our next conference to see how they’ve applied learnings to their school communities.
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Media Coverage of the Conference
Diverse Issues in Higher Education reports on the key role of secondary and postsecondary education in the future of American democracy.
