Percentage Night at MyBurger - 5.21.13

CGL Updates: 2.25.13

 

Hello!  Can you believe it is almost March?!  Time flies when you are busy!  So much has happened with the Center for Girls' Leadership since our last update, so let's get right to it:

 

• In December, the Center for Girls' Leadership celebrated our first birthday!  We have been operating as an official nonprofit for over a year now.  We are living proof that if you dream big and work hard, amazing things can happen.  I want to personally thank everyone who offered their talents, volunteered their time, or donated their treasure to the Center for Girls' Leadership.  Without you, none of this would be possible.
• Real Girls, Real Leadership - Our unique leadership programming for girls was a hit at our pilot program in November, as evidenced from the pictures in this post. We will be hosting our second RGRL at the Laura Jeffrey Academy in April.
• Board of Directors - January brought some changes to our Board of Directors.  We added 3 new board members: Sarah Benson, Cassie Mills, and Abby Kordosky.  Alexandra Campion stepped into the role of Executive Director.  Katie Wertheim and Brittney Clemens were elected President and Vice President, respectively.  We are so excited about what the future holds for the CGL!
• Committees - We have also restructured our committee system.  We now have the following committees: Programming, Development, Marketing, Volunteer, Finance, and Governance.  If you are interested in learning more abou joining a committee, please email us at volunteer@centerforgirlsleadership.org.
• Interns - We have 3 new interns from the University of St. Thomas working with us this semester!  They work directly with our Committee Chairs and Executive Director to develop an internship tailored to their experiences and skills.  Summer internships are available - contact Alex at alexandra@centerforgirlsleadership.org for more information.
• Steps to Success: Women in STEM - This summer, the CGL will host it's second Steps to Success event.  We will be featuring amazing women from the Twin Cities with careers and passions in science, technology, engineering and math. Stay tuned for more details!
• Upcoming Events - In April, we will be hosting our first Center for Girls' Leadership Happy Hour! Grab a friend, family member, or coworker and come learn more about the CGL and ways to get involved. And in June our 2nd Annual Lead Today 5K will be back! Details on both events to follow.

Thank you again for following our progress! This is a really exciting time for the Center for Girls' Leadership and we want you to be a part of it.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you want to get involved!

P.S. Wouldn't it be great if we could offer more scholarships to girls wanting to attend our programs?  Donate to the CGL today and you will have inspired a girl today to lead tomorrow!  Thank you!

 

Photos by Megan Landberg.

Leadership Profile: Irene Fernando

STLF

Irene Fernando
Co-Executive Director at Students Today Leaders Forever

What does Leadership mean to you?
Leadership is a way of life!  I believe leadership shows in the acts and decisions you make when no one is watching and no one is holding you accountable.  For me, leading means being the best version of myself as often as possible, and sharing that with the world as much as possible.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
Excitement to contribute to the world and others.

Tell us about your own leadership journey.  What are you most proud of?
My leadership journey is ongoing.  I am most proud of my relationships - with family, friends, and changemakers.  Life is incredible thanks to the wonderful people I get to hang out with.

Knowing what you know now, would you have done anything different in getting to where you are now?
I would be more confident, sooner.  I would speak up, louder.  I would see the best in people (and tell them), more frequently.

What inspires you?
When people do things that scare them / make them nervous.  It is moving to see people go out on a limb and do something out of their comfort zones.

What are the biggest challenges facing young girls today?
Societal pressures and expectations of what we are "supposed" to do, how we are "supposed" to behave, what we are "supposed" to achieve, and how we are "supposed" to look.

What advice would you give to yourself as a young girl?
Work every single day to love yourself.  Love yourself more today than yesterday.  Be proud of who you are and who you are not.  Take all your weird things and call it your "charm" and be happy to share it with the world.  The more you love yourself, the more you will be able to contribute to the world and the more fun life will be!


Thanks, Irene!


If you or someone you know would like to be featured as a part of our Leadership Profile series, please contact us at Alexandra@centerforgirlsleadership.org.

SMART Goal Setting

Happy New Year!  A new year means new resolutions and we have a few tips to help you reach your goals!  Setting SMART goals will help your 2013 resolutions stick.

SPECIFIC - Goals should include as much detail as possible.  i.e. Watch TV less v. Limit TV to 30 minutes a day.

MEASURABLE - How are you going to know if you reach your goal?  By making your resolution measurable, you build in benchmarks.

ACCOUNTABLE - Tell a friend you trust about your goal so they can help hold you accountable.

REALISTIC - When choosing your resolutions, it is important to be realistic.  Sometimes the biggest victories come from the smallest steps forward.

TIMELY - Give yourself a time-frame to help track your progress.

Most importantly, realize there will be bumps in the road on your journey to reaching your goals.  Failure only happend when you refuse to try again.  Use your resolutions and goals as a challenge to push yourself forward.

So tell us, what are your 2013 resolutions?

Give to the Max Day 2012

As you know, the Center for Girls’ Leadership is making a difference in our community inspiring girls today to lead tomorrow and we rely on your support for our programs.

Join us this week on Thursday, November 15, Minnesota’s Give to the Max Day, and help us win a $1,000 Golden Ticket. By partnering with GiveMN—an online giving website for Minnesota nonprofits—The Center for Girls’Leadership will have 25 chances to maximize your gift on Give to the Max Day!



By making a donation on Give to the Max Day, your $15 gift could help us win an extra $1,000 for our work in the community.

At the end of Give to the Max Day, one donation from across Minnesota will be randomly selected for a $10,000 Supersized Golden Ticket! Help us increase our odds by making your gift on November 15 by visiting our site at http://givemn.razoo.com/story/The-Center-For-Girls-Leadership!

Because we are so excited about this opportunity to participate in GTMD, we thought we would give you some incentives to donate to our organization:

• Donate $15, and we'll send a birthday card to the person of your choice (gee, that seems perfect if you are always forgetting dear mom's birthday!) OR we'll sign you up for the CGL "Inspirational Quote a Day for a Month Club".
• Donate $25, and we'll send you a customized Zombie Escape Plan (because you never know when they'll attack).
• Donate $50, and you get your choice of a $10 Caribou or Target gift card.
• Donate $100, and consider yourself lucky. We're giving you 3 dozen assorted cookies and yes, this can be redeemed for the holiday season.
• Donate $500, and you've earned an hour-long personal yoga session for you and 4 of your most flexible friends.
• Donate $1000, and we'll love you forever. We'll show that love by showing up at your house and cooking you a gourmet dinner for up to six people. Who doesn't love a good dinner party?

In addition, Rebecca Bergner, a CGL board member, has generously offered a matching grant of up to $250 for Give to the Max Day.

Together, we hope to raise more than $1000 on Give to the Max Day and we’re counting on your help! Follow us on Facebook so you can share in the excitement of the giving day and remember to give November 15.

P.S.  At the end of Give to the Max Day, one donation from across Minnesota will be randomly selected for a $10,000 Supersized Golden Ticket! Help us increase our odds by making your gift on November 15 by visiting www.GiveMN.org and searching for the Center for Girls’ Leadership!

Thank you, Malala.

[source]

As I sit here on a Monday evening, in front of my laptop and the debate, I can't help but take a moment to reflect on just how lucky I am.  I am lucky to be able to read, to have access to technology, and to come home from a steady job everyday.

Last week, the news was focused on Malala Yousufzai, the 14 year old girl who was shot in Pakistan, defending her right to an education.  Not that I am happy this event occurred, but I do think it will create some very powerful talking points with elementary and middle schoolers over the next year.

As a teacher and a volunteer for a women's organization, I only hope that I can share the inspiring story of a young woman who risked her life to learn.  Imagine having to fight for your right to go to school - things like this help remind us all to be grateful for the blessed lives we lead.  Tonight, I am thankful for education and opportunity - and the chance to share this story with others.

Thank you to Malala Yousufzai for reminding us all to be proud of our educational opportunities and to love learning.



This post was written by Emily Fetcho, an educator and advocate for women and girls.

CGL Updates: 10.3.12.

Happy October!  Today, we are giving you a quick update on just what we are up to here with the Center for Girls' Leadership.  We've had a busy couple of months since our last update.

• The CGL is officially tax-exempt!!  The IRS granted us 501(c)(3) status in September and this means any donations made in the past and in the future to the CGL in support of our programs and organization are tax deductible for the donor.  This also means we can now apply for grants and funding!
• On November 10th, we are hosting our first Girls' Leadership Camp for 6th-8th graders at St. Vincent's in Brooklyn Center!  We are so thankful for the school to allow us to pilot our program.  We are busy planning away to make sure the girls have a stellar Saturday with us!
• SAVE THE DATE - November 15th is GiveMN's Give to the Max Day and the Center for Girls' Leadership is participating as a small nonprofit!  We would love to have everyone donate at least $5 to support our programs.  We'll have more details as the big day gets closer.
• Board of Directors - We've welcomed 2 new board members since the spring, Brittney and Becca.  They are a fabulous addition to the board and we are so lucky to have them working with us!  
• Board member Mike and his wife Colleen also welcomed their first daughter in August and we couldn't be more thrilled for their family!
• 6 of our 8 board members graduated from grad school this summer!  We are modeling the way for realizing the importance of education.
• We currently are accepting applications for board members for a term starting in January 2013.  Applications are available from Alex Campion at alexandra@centerforgirlsleadership.org and are due October 31st.
• Interns!  CGL has interns!  Three amazing women have come on board to help us in the areas of grant writing and event planning for the spring.  We are in the works to host our first fundraising dinner and silent auction so stay tuned for more details!

Things are rolling for the CGL and it could not be possible without the support and love from all of you.  A huge thank you for all that you do!

We can't wait to see what comes next for the CGL as we inspire girls today to lead tomorrow!