July 15, 2021
Teen Club Builds Up the Next Generation of Female Leaders
This spring, 14 high school girls at Baltimore Design School and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute earned $500 each in college scholarships for completing Girls in the Game’s Teen Club Program.
The nonprofit uses health education and leadership development activities to help girls build the skills they need to lead confident, happy lives. With locations in three cities, including Baltimore, Girls in the Game is dedicated to building up the next generation of female leaders.
Although the program was held over Zoom this year, Teen Club still managed to pack in a full eight-week experience with a variety of activities and lessons on topics like goal-setting, morning routines, healthy relationships, and job interview skills.
Every season of Teen Club culminates in “Leader to Leader Interviews." Students choose an industry they want to learn more about and connect with a local leader for an afternoon of insight into the field and advice on how to set themselves up for professional success.
At Baltimore Design School, the girls chose fashion and business and were joined by local designer Jody Davis, founder of Jody Davis Designs. Among their key takeaways: Hobbies are often gifts that can be turned into careers, and business owners need the ability and enthusiasm to wear many hats and leverage multiple skill sets.
At Poly, the girls chose to focus on medicine. They met with Dr. Sharon Henry, Professor of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Director, Division of Wound Healing and Metabolism, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. Dr. Henry shared how putting patients first is essential in the medical field and emphasized the importance of recognizing and mitigating stress: Sometimes carefully laid plans don’t always work out, but successfully navigating stressful situations can make us stronger.
"Baltimore Design School has been working with Girls in the Game for the past couple of years, and each year we've been thrilled with the opportunities students have had to network, learn relationship-building skills, and gain exposure to careers they're interested in,” says Christine Frederick, Community Schools Site Specialist. “We were delighted when Girls in the Game called to say they had put together a virtual program, and we’re happy that more female-identifying students participated this year than ever before!
Congratulations to Teen Club participants on a great season, thanks to Girls in the Game for leading their great program, and special thanks to Jody Davis and Dr. Sharon Henry for their time and inspiration!
To learn more about Girls in the Game, please visit www.girlsinthegame.org