This Spring, Girls Inc. Dallas hosted our 2021 Power 2 the Girl Conference, a series of four events presented by Toyotaand designed to empower girls from under-resourced areas of Dallas. This year’s conference, themed “Power H.E.R: Health, Equity, and Reform” taught girls about topics like social justice, mental health and the glass ceiling. The sessions are designed as an innovative hybrid model of small in-person gatherings at schools with hands-on activities and live-stream components to allow guest speakers from across the nation to speak directly to Dallas girls. Interactive girl-centric games are also available through the generosity of our Gamification Sponsor Oliver Wyman!

The first event, a health-themed session sponsored by Pioneer Natural Resources, equipped girls to manage their mental health despite increased stress and responsibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Stephanie Cole, a History and Gender Studies Professor at the University of Texas in Arlington, and  Dr. Summer Rose, a psychologist at Momentous Institute, spoke to girls about managing anxiety caused by added responsibilities and stressors during the pandemic. Ebony Smith, founder of Yoga N Da Hood and Girls Inc. alumna, concluded the evening by leading guided meditation and yoga.

At our Equity-themed event, sponsored by Norton Rose Fulbright, girls learned about topics like gender discrimination, income inequality, and the glass ceiling. Our powerful discussion panel included Trisha Prabhu, the 20-year-old founder of Rethink, as well as Danielle Boyer, 20-year-old founder of STEAM Connection. Girls also heard from Christina Miralla, a Dallas-based content creator who works to support other Dallas women through Leanin Circles.

On April 29th, we hosted their third session, a reform-themed event sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company. At this event, girls learned about topics like injustice, discrimination, and bias. The session also equipped girls with the necessary tools to combat these issues in their own communities. Dr. Sandra Chapman, Founder of Chap Equity, spoke about implicit bias, equity and identity, urging girls to examine unjust systems and take action against discrimination.

“This conference gave our girls opportunities to grow as young women and empowered them to speak up for themselves!” said one teacher at Kipp Truth Academy

Elizabeth, a student who participated in the conference said she learned about bias and discrimination and hopes to combat these issues in the future. “Today I learned that a lot of people stereotype girls,” she said. “I want to learn how to change that and show people that we can do so much more than they think.”

Cynthia Cook Brown, a teacher at Agnew Middle School, said, “We know that girls need to hear other women who look and sound like them talking about being positive and growing in sisterhood. Girls Inc. gave us the opportunity to give this to our girls and we can’t wait to participate again next year!”

On May 22, we look forward to holding our culminating event sponsored by CBRE! We are also excited to have Comerica Bank as our Mobility Sponsor for this event. This session will address all three themes: health, equity, and reform. Guest speakers and Girls Inc. staff will equip and empower girls through interactive discussions and activities designed to help girls thrive. As we approach the final event of our 2021 Power 2 the Girl Conference, we are on track to meet our goal of serving 1,000 girls!

We are incredibly thankful for the sponsors who have made this year’s conference possible! Sponsors include Toyota, Norton Rose Fulbright, Allstate Insurance Company, Pioneer Natural Resources, Oliver Wyman, CBRE, Comerica Bank, Ernst & Young, Boston Consulting Group, o9 Solutions, Jacobs Engineering, Baker Botts, Vizient, D Magazine, the Dallas Mavericks, TXU Energy, Witherite Law Group, Sidley Austin LLP, and National Security Bank.