By Laura Rebell Gross, Senior Managing Director of Girls’ Education at SL Network
In 1998, I landed my dream job as an English teacher at The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem. Little did I know that this job would end up shaping the next quarter century of my life and career – nor could I have foreseen that the little school at the top of an office building in East Harlem would blossom into a dynamic network of all-girls public schools across the country–and, I couldn’t be more thrilled that we’re about to open the doors to our two newest schools, The Young Women’s Leadership School of Staten Island and Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Las Vegas!
At SL Network, we operate two core programs that have proven effective in narrowing the gender gap through girls’ education: The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) and Young Women’s Leadership Network (YWLN). TYWLS and YWLN currently impact approximately 5,000 students – and with the opening of our two newest schools in the upcoming school year, we are ready to expand our footprint and keep moving toward gender equity, which remains one of the most pressing issues facing our society today.
Why focus on girls’ education?
Since 1996 when we opened our flagship school, TYWLS East Harlem, we have seen more and more evidence that proves that education tailored to girls and women plays a significant role in closing the gender gap that exists in many areas of society. One example is the discrepancy we see in the STEM workforce. While promising strides are being made, women are still underrepresented in physical sciences, computing, and engineering careers.
But, all-girls schools are proven incubators for future leaders in STEM. In a study from Goodman Research Group, girls’ school graduates are six times more likely to consider majoring in science, math, and technology compared to their peers who attended coed schools. Furthermore, 12% of our students go on to major in STEM – more than double the national average.
Beyond workforce and economic development, girls who attend and graduate from all-girls schools demonstrate deeper levels of social engagement than their peers at coed schools and display higher levels of confidence. This means they are more likely to keep up with social issues, participate in civic service, and engage in political discussions with friends and family. All of this research only solidifies what we have seen from our students over the years; from advocating for gun control, to voicing concerns over climate change, to forming social justice groups, our students are already finding ways to amplify their voices and positioning themselves as trailblazing community leaders.
Our Whole Girl Education Model
Our Founders, Ann and Andrew Tisch, had the vision to provide girls growing up in underserved communities with a high-quality college preparatory education based on the finest private school models. For nearly three decades, we have developed our holistic, Whole Girl Education framework that comprises four core focus areas that ensure we are developing well-rounded young women and gender-expansive youth who are ready to take on the world.
- Leadership: Our all-girls schools are home to the leaders of tomorrow, and it all starts with teaching girls and young women about respecting themselves and others through community partnerships, workshops, and other events. Our network leaders, staff, and teachers are also committed to creating an environment that encourages students to strive for personal and academic success.
- Early College and Career Awareness: Students are encouraged and supported in exploring college and career paths as early as middle school. We also create opportunities for students to interact with professionals from diverse backgrounds so students can learn about the many paths to success and discover fields they might not have otherwise considered.
- Health and Wellness: Our holistic approach to girls’ education includes a focus on enhanced understanding of nutrition, emotional wellbeing, trauma recovery, and physical fitness for our students, teachers, and administrators to take care of the mind and body.
- STEM: Our all-girls schools offer a rigorous academic track in STEM with an emphasis on computer science – and our track record speaks for itself with our all-girls school graduates completing a degree in STEM-related fields at nearly twice the rate of young women nationally.
Expanding our impact on girls’ education
The launch of TYWLS Staten Island and YWLA Las Vegas brings us closer to our vision of achieving gender equity–but, we still have a lot of work to do! As we get ready to go back to school, the Girls’ Education team at SL Network will continue to work in close partnership with our national network of single-gender public schools to ensure they are fully supported in launching and infusing Whole Girl Education into their communities.
We are deeply motivated and heartened by the growing interest shown by school districts across the country who are evaluating the benefits of single-gender education, and how they can bring our proven Whole Girl Education framework to the young women and gender-expansive youth in their community. This momentum brings me hope, and assures me that we are in good company, as we continue to strive toward our vision of an equitable society for all of our young people.
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