Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay area, Girls Leadership Institute began offering programs in Colorado in September of 2010. Since then, Girls Leadership Institute has held over seventy events in Boulder, Erie, Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette, Superior and Denver. These events have included weekly and weekend parent/daughter workshops for elementary school and middle school girls, after school programs, summer and spring break camps. Girls Leadership Institute's Girl Meets World professional development training was held in October 2011 as well.
"Our mission is to inspire girls to be true to themselves," explains Simone Marean, co-founder and Executive Director of Girls Leadership Institute. "One of our core values is 'fun'. We provide girls with a safe environment in which they can be really silly, have lots of fun and learn the critical skills of being true to themselves."
Girls Leadership Institute develops a relationship with girls and their families as early in the girls' lives as possible, and strengthens that relationship over the girls' developing years in order to prevent the loss of voice that can accompany adolescence. Through these programs, girls build strong "internal" leadership skills, which include: recognizing and building healthy relationships, developing empathy and increasing emotional intelligence, learning how to acknowledge mistakes, accepting constructive criticism and approaching conflict as an opportunity for change.
"At GLI, we take a unique approach to facing the challenges of girlhood today," says Marean. "Rather than addressing the symptoms of girls' struggles (i.e. lack of interest in math, eating disorders, teen pregnancy, unhealthy relationships, depression, etc.), our programs address the root causes of these behaviors."
To further enhance the personal growth and development of girls, Girls Leadership Institute offers workshops and training for the primary role models in girls' lives: parents and educators. Through these programs, Girls Leadership Institute can impact the language and culture in the home and school communities.
Girls Leadership Institute Colorado plans to double their offerings in the 2012-2013 academic year, including two weeks of summer day camps in June 2012. Plans are under way for continued expansion in to Denver, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins, development of partnerships with national organizations and additional teacher training opportunities. Workshops are being scheduled now. Visit http://www.girlsleadershipinstitute.org/programs/colorado for more information.
"Our sold-out workshops and camps, along with participant feedback and extensive industry research, are evidence that our quality programs meet the changing needs of girls," states Marean. "The response from the Colorado community has been amazing, and we are so excited to be starting our second year here."
The Girls Leadership Institute has been featured in the NY Times, the Daily Camera and on the Today Show. Go to http://www.girlsleadershipinstitute.org/about-gli/media to see full coverage.
About Girls Leadership Institute
Founded in 2001, Girls Leadership Institute inspires girls to be true to themselves. Through workshops, day camps, summer camps and more, Girls Leadership Institute programs teach the practices of emotional intelligence, assertive self-expression and healthy relationships, giving girls the skills and confidence to live as leaders.
For questions, interviews or more information, please contact Executive Director, Simone Marean at 866-744-9102.