As the parent of a young girl, it’s often difficult to determine which extracurricular program will be the best fit for your daughter. With a limited number of years until they leave the nest, you want to make sure everything they do is encouraging their spirit and not deflating their character. Beyond that,you’re also looking for something that doesn’t break the bank, has the ability to improve their self-confidence and can help your daughter form critical life skills to become truly courageous in all she endeavors to do in life.
Special to SW FL Parent & Child
The League of Courageous Women holds events throughout the year to empower girls and young women.
We know your challenge, because we are parents of young girls,too.
That’s why a group of us mothers and female leaders from across Southwest Florida met in 2017 to discuss a more ideal program that would meet these concerns and bridge the gap where other community programs fell short in connecting to young women.
Special to SW FL Parent & Child
Mollie Page, League of Courageous Women
With the League of Courageous Women, our mission is to create a stronger community by empowering young women to confidently rise to the next level on their journey. Entering our third year, the program serves young women from middle school through college, as these girls are in most need of opportunities that encourage positivity and arm them with skills necessary to become tomorrow’s future female leaders and role models.
Why did we feel a new girls-only program was needed?
Honestly, research from other girls’organizations helped us realize that as young women enter middle school, their desire to lead drops significantly from 44% at age 8-10 to 36% at age 11-13. This is when they are most vulnerable, because they are afraid of being laughed at, making people mad at them, coming across as bossy, or not being liked. Left unguided, girls start holding back and are at risk of developing self-image issues and depression.
Many of us were already seeing the effects of bullying and low self-esteem from self-imposed isolation in our daughters.
We see firsthand the stress our daughters face when connected and compelled to respond to everyone they know during every moment of the day. Add the influence of thousands of digital personalities on social media that feed them information that might not be true or fair (and could be dangerous), and our challenge to teach them what’s right and wrong becomes more difficult every day.
Fortunately, we’ve seen many young girls awaken from a fog when these distractions and inflammatory influences are removed. They can engage without criticism, explore new subjects without anxiety, and feel safe to be imperfect.
LCW programs connect young girls to female leaders in all types of occupations. They help girls develop communication, compassion and vital social skills. They also introduce them to careers in science, law, medicine, the environment, media and finance.
Explore the calendar on our website (leagueofcourageouswomen.com) to find an upcoming event that is a good fit for your daughter. Our programs are free and open to any young woman who seeks the courage to bean authentic female leader.
Mollie Page is a business writer and public relations agent in Southwest Florida. She is a member of the board of directors of the League of Courageous Women (leagueofcourageouswomen.com) and the proud mother of a courageous future female leader.