TYWLS Beyond the Classroom: Innovating with Student Feedback

Ninth-grade field trips to college campuses? Skills-building and networking at corporate workplaces? These are just a few of the Girls’+ Education programs and partnerships created by our team to support students at The Young Women’s Leadership Schools (TYWLS).

Three Things Needed to Plan Successful Programs

• Tap into multiple networks for a broad pool of career and college experiences. Our team reaches out to corporate partners, school staff, alumni, and sorority and fraternity networks to amplify the call for volunteers and ensure a diverse group of career paths is represented at career days. College outreach includes private and public institutions to offer students exposure to different environments.
• Provide training for staff and volunteers. Kristen sends an overview of the day’s activities to volunteers and provides training sessions for school staff to ensure smoother facilitation and transitions between activities.
• Ensure a feedback mechanism for participants. Our students are given surveys after each event to rate their experience, share what they learned, and offer suggestions for improvement.

9th Grade: College Discovery Day

College Discovery Day is not your typical field trip! Ninth-grade students are actively engaged on a college campus with tours, scavenger hunts, and academic workshops. Having lessons in a college classroom and taking meals in the campus dining hall or cafe builds exposure to college life. Through partnerships with institutions such as Mercy University, CUNY Queens College, and the University of Mount Saint Vincent, students are exposed to a variety of campus environments throughout their time at TYWLS, connecting what they learn in the classrooms to their future college experiences.

While TYWLS-wide programs and events play a significant role in developing a culture of sisterhood and community, large-scale events can pose unique challenges. Students and staff appreciated bonding with the TYWLS community beyond their individual schools, while some noted that the day-long events felt rushed due to a packed schedule. Starting this year, Kristen is evolving some programs to offer both the intimacy of smaller group time and the energy of network-wide gatherings. College Discovery Day is now a two-part series: school-based workshops at each TYWLS, followed by a larger-group tour of a college on a second day.

10th Grade: TYWLS at the Workplace

TYWLS at the Workplace supports our students’ early college and career awareness through visits to offices in a range of industries. Corporate partners invite our students to hear from employees in a variety of roles and practice networking and other professional skills. Tours of the workplaces are always a hit! From music production studios to cosmetics design labs, to presentation stages and financial trading floors, students can envision themselves in these spaces and broaden their understanding of different careers as they pursue their passions.

11th Grade: TYWLS Glows Up

As students prepare for college applications and other postsecondary options, we support them in learning to assess their strengths and describe their achievements with confidence. TYWLS Glows Up teaches students how to talk about their accomplishments with pride and passion – a skill that will be critical as they enter higher education and the workforce. Over time, the program has intentionally invited more culturally relevant speakers to the event and encouraged students to practice autonomy in choosing who they would like to hear from. Last year, students advocated for TYWLS alumna and Student Leadership Board member Talia Scott to be their Glows Up speaker.

12th Grade: Jumpstart to College+

When senior year is in full force, students are juggling the stress of college applications, packed academic course loads, and extracurriculars. Jumpstart to College+ combines wellness exercises with support for the postsecondary planning process. In recent years, Tiraya Conyers, founder of Sōl City Yoga, has led yoga classes as part of the series. Kristen is also evolving the Jumpstart to College+ framework to incorporate curriculum from our CollegeBound Initiative’s directors of college counseling, such as college application intensives or Alumni Day, to better align with the flow of the senior year calendar. “I loved the yoga session at Jumpstart,” shared one student from TYWLS Astoria. “I just finished my early action college applications and submitted writing samples for a scholarship program last week. Slowing down with the yoga class helped me re-center myself.”

With multiple touchpoints throughout the four years of high school, students gain exposure to college life and develop personal skills while building their professional networks. From adjusting event formats to finding facilitators with life experiences that resonate with students, Kristen and the Girls’+ Education team are committed to making programs relevant and valuable for students. “As a proud alumna of TYWLS and a former teacher, I take in feedback from our students and staff to evolve the programs,” shared Kristen. “If changing two signature college events that serve 600 people, into ten smaller events that each feel more valuable for the participants, then that’s what we’re going to do.”