MMD Brands “Reign” DCPS Initiative To Empower Young Women

On Saturday, June 3rd, more than 200 female DCPS students attended the first annual “We the Girls” Leadership Conference and Pep Rally. Part of the Bowser administration’s new initiative, “Reign: Empowering Young Women as Leaders”, the conference was a day of celebration and inspiration for young women of color in grades 5-12.

The day’s activities included exploration of topics related to identity, stress management, healthy relationships, community advocacy, self-care, leadership, entrepreneurship, STEM, applying to college, and more.   “We were honored to work with the DCPS Office of the Chief of Schools to bring the vision for this program to life, with a new logo and materials that promoted the event. As a woman of color, I am particularly passionate about empowering young women to gain the confidence and skills to be tomorrow’s leaders,” said Marshall Moya CEO Paola Moya.

The three pillars of Reign: Empowering Young Women as Leaders include:

• Creating spaces for young women of color to build community, confidence, and leadership skills inside and outside of school, starting with a citywide conference for young women of color on June 3, and continuing as a series of Young Women’s Workshops in School Year 2017-2018.
• Ensuring that schools are empowering places for young women of color by providing support to teachers and staff with training on gender and racial equity and expanding the health and gender curriculum at DC Public Schools.
• Launching Reign Innovation Grants to improve academic and social outcomes for young women of color by focusing on academic development, family engagement, and social-emotional supports.

Read WAMU coverage of the event and program here.