Create opportunities for appropriate, educational risk-taking
Counter mass-media influences, giving girls room to decide for themselves who they are
Reinforce a 'can do' philosophy
Ensure that learning takes center stage, with social life reserved for time outside the classroom
Teach collaborative as well as competitive skills
Guarantee that math, science, and technology are integral parts of the curriculum
Promote athletic participation to encourage both leadership and team play
Maximize girls' verbal/writing skills in learning
Offer strong female role models
Emphasize 'real life' skills such as financial literacy, leadership, and service to community
--The National Coalition of Girls' Schools
The following video, "It's Cool to be Smart", comes to us courtesy of the National Coalition of Girls' Schools
At a girls' school, it's not at all unusual to see 11th graders playing Red Rover or 8th graders doing cartwheels on the lawn at lunch. Students feel free to be themselves. They're not as compelled to put on that mask of jaded adolescent sophistication. Girls' schools allow young women to stay girls a little longer. And in our media-driven society where kids seem to grow up faster every year, allowing our daughters a little more time to be girls is a very precious gift.
Girls' schools are a place where young women are valued for the heads and their hearts - not just their looks. They help girls develop the skills, confidence, and self-knowledge necessary to thrive and become leaders in college, career, and life. It's no surprise that outstanding women such as Sally Ride, Rosa Parks, and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein each attended a girls' school.
--Ilana DeBare, author of Where Girls Come First: The Rise, Fall and Surprising Revival of Girls' Schools
