Nike and Student Leadership Network Celebrate International Day of the Girl through the Power of Sport

In honor of International Day of the Girl this year, Nike hosted students from across New York City for an inspiring day of uplifting girls’ and women’s voices through sport. Students from our network’s partner schools, Business of Sports School and The Young Women’s Leadership School of Queens, had an exciting day hearing from athlete, activist, and author Ibtihaj Muhammad and tried out a variety of sports at the event space.

Meeting Ibtihaj Muhammad

Ibtihaj joined the students to share her journey. A 2016 Olympic medalist in fencing, she is widely known for being the first American Muslim woman to wear a hijab while competing at the Olympic Games. Students also got a sneak peek at her new book, The Boldest White, a companion to the award-winning children’s book The Proudest Blue. One student reflected, “I loved all the activities, I also loved the speech as well. It definitely motivated me.”

The keynote speech was followed by a panel discussion, which was well-received by our students as relatable and thought-provoking. “I enjoyed hearing the panel members speak about the advice they would give their younger selves,” said one of the day’s participants. “I liked talking to different accomplished, powerful women,” added another student.

Trying a Variety of Sports for Health and Wellness

The Nike team also brought in coaches and equipment for the students to try different sports in the gym. Fencing was a must after Ibtihaj’s speech! A tennis coach provided tips for handling a tennis racket and encouraged participants to try different techniques. In another section of the gym, soccer drills were underway. One student shared, “What I liked most about this event was playing soccer because I never played before and it was a fun experience.”

Thank You

We are grateful to Nike for its partnership and for inviting Student Leadership Network to this event! Special thanks to Brendon Mason and Alize Garcia from Nike and to Kristen Gordon and Ingrid Selman from our Girls’+ Education team for making this inspiring day possible for our students.