As we prepare for the upcoming Esprit de She 5k in July, the CGL team has been thinking critically about the role of physical wellness plays as a part of girls’ general health and well-being. Recently, Lauren Conrad’s website chose to ban words like “thin,” “slim,” and “skinny” when discussing health and wellness. 

This struck a major chord with us. In a culture that tends to place the value of a healthy body solely on its size, ladies like LC and ourselves must work that much harder to remind girls that body shape and the skin we’re in do not define our well-being. 

Healthy bodies will always come in all different shapes and sizes.

It’s important we continue to encourage girls to lead active and healthy lifestyles, as well as focus on increasing confidence and self-esteem. A key tenet of our leadership programming is to teach a girl to believe in herself, appreciate her individuality, and respect herself and others.

We are participating in the Esprit de She once again this year to support a fantastic women-focused event, as well as its charitable partner: Girls on the Run, an after-school program that uses running to inspire and motivate girls.

We encourage you to join us on July 30th at Esprit de She — whether you’re running or walking with us (use code CGL15 when you register!), cheering us on, or just visiting our booth in the finisher circle--your involvement helps support equality in leadership. Remember to use our hashtag: #CGL5K on social media and order yourself a CGL race tank here! 

Together, we can invest in girls and encourage everyone to lead an active and healthy life!

Mother's Day is Sunday, May 10! Don't forget to shop at smile.amazon.com this week and Amazon will donate to Center for Girls' Leadership!

Did you know that you can support the CGL through your everyday online purchases? Amazon.com has a charitable program called AmazonSmile. It is a simple and automatic way for you to support CGL every time you shop, at no cost to you.

When you shop at AmazonSmile, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to CGL.


How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
It's simple:
1. Go to AmazonSmile from the web browser on your computer or mobile device.
2. Login with your amazon.com username and password or create one if you are a new user.
3. Search for Center for Girls' Leadership in the search box on the right side where it asks which charity you would like to support.
4. Select Center for Girls' Leadership from the search results.
5. You may also want to add a bookmark to AmazonSmile to make it even easier to return and start shopping at AmazonSmile.
6. Start shopping and donating to CGL!

 
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.

Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.

How do I select a charitable organization to support when shopping on AmazonSmile?
On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you need to select a charitable organization to receive donations from eligible purchases before you begin shopping. Just type in Center for Girls' Leadership and then every eligible purchase you make on AmazonSmile will result in a donation to us.



Thank you and happy shopping!

Our upcoming event focuses on Girls In STEM and we reached out to the members of our Board of Directors to find out why they think it is important for girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math.

"While it is important that girls have boundless opportunities to follow their interests, their exploration of STEM opportunities is especially critical!   Finding the talent necessary to fill roles in STEM careers is challenging.  Girls bring a diversity of thought and a wealth of potential that is needed to continue to drive innovation if we intend to solve the problems facing our world today." - Michelle Freese

"Even in 2015, a time of significant progress for women in our society, we are still drastically underrepresented in STEM professions. To institute change for the future it's critically important to open the door to STEM education and careers to girls at an early age. They need exposure, inspiration and mentorship so they can grow up with STEM engrained in their goals, dreams and aspirations - so they never even have to wonder "if they can". OF COURSE THEY CAN. Every young girl should grow up knowing that, and never questioning it." - Rebekah Oltmans

"Science, technology, engineering and math have traditionally been considered careers for men. Women have been changing that, however the ratio of men to women is still low. Girls considering careers in STEM will have more access to scholarships and academic opportunities that will help them prepare for careers in these fields. My friends's daughter is graduating from a well known South Dakota engineering school in May. She has already accepted a well paying job in North Carolina when many of her male classmates have not been recruited at all." - Mary Lenertz

Now it's your turn. Why is it important for girls to explore STEM?

Join us this Thursday, November 13th, on Give to the Max Day! 

At the Center for Girls' Leadership, we truly believe that in order to increase female leadership across all aspects of society, we need to invest in girls. 

Through our programs, we are teaching girls valuable leadership skills and encouraging them to be confident young women. We inspire girls today to lead tomorrow. Your contributions help make that possible by covering the costs of planning and conducting our workshops. 

For the CGL, Thursday is our most important fundraising event of the year; the majority of our operating budget is raised during the 24-hour online giving event.

While programming is our #1 focus, this year, we're also focused on creating the foundation we need to grow the scope and scale of CGL quickly in 2015. Integral to this will be establishing funds to be a sustainable organization with at least one full-time employee who is solely dedicated to our success. Your donation will not only help us sustain the CGL, but also take it to the next level.

Golden Tickets are back this year! Your donation on Give to the Max Day also may help us receive an additional donation of $2,000. How? On November 13, every gift made on GiveMN.org will be entered into an hourly drawing for a $2,000 GiveMN Golden Ticket to be awarded to a nonprofit organization. That adds up to 24 opportunities for you to help us receive an extra $2,000!

Need further incentive to donate? The first $1,000 donated will be matched by the CGL Board of Directors! Double your money simply by making a donation. It doesn't get any easier than that to make a difference.

Together, let's invest in girls!



Alexandra Young
Executive Director, Founder, and Chief Fundraiser
The Center for Girls' Leadership

Sarah White is an eclectic singer, emcee and musician and has played both nationally and internationally, best known in Minneapolis for her previous involvement with Black Blondie and Traditional Methods. While her passion to grow and break molds keeps her sound ever-changing, her love of art keeps it classic. Sarah has independently released 2 solo albums, her voice is featured on record label releases from the Midwest to Tokyo and she won Scion’s Best Electronic Vocalist Competition in 2009.White currently fronts her new band, Shiro Dame, known for its "neon soul" sound. Debuting in 2013, their sound is ever-changing, undefined, electric medicine to music heads seeking new aural experiences.

 Shiro Dame is comprised of Sarah White on vocals, Rico Simon Mendez on guitar, synths, & beats, Blayr Alexander on drums, Dameun Strange on keytar and Ry Dill on bass.

 Sarah is also a mother, a photographer and a creative with a Minneapolis-based event production company.

Laura Zabel is executive director of Springboard for the Arts, an economic and community development agency based in Minnesota. Springboard provides programs that help artists make a living and a life; and programs that help communities tap into the resource that artists provide. Some of Springboard's projects include: Community Supported Art (CSA), which is based on the Community Supported Agriculture model and connects artists directly with patrons; the Artists Access to Healthcare program, and the Irrigate project, a national model for how cities can engage artists to help reframe and address big community challenges. Springboard's programs have been replicated in over 50 communities across the country. Springboard recently launched the Creative Exchange: a new national platform for story and resource sharing in partnership with Issue Media Group and the Knight Foundation. Laura is a frequent speaker on topics related to arts and community development at convenings such as the Aspen Ideas Festival, Urban Land Institute and Americans for the Arts and was recently named a 2014 Bush Foundation Fellow.  She has been named one of the 50 most influential people in the U.S. Nonprofit Arts and received the Visionary Leader award from the MN Council of Nonprofits. Laura serves on advisory boards for the Knight Foundation, Twin Cities LISC and the University of Kansas. Laura is also an actor and lives in Minneapolis with her comedy writer husband, Levi Weinhagen, and their 8-year old daughter.

Jan Elftmann is a local Minnesota artist and educator hailed for her ability to incorporate art into her everyday life, and everyday life into her art. Jan is the founder and director of the ArtCar Parade of Minnesota on the fourth Saturday in July and she has been a contributing artist with the Art Shanty Project for the last six winters. Jan has a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Julie Ann Stevens is an artist and facilitator of new arisings through experiences of “Art to Hearts”. Her early expressions were photojournalistic, recording the story and soul of images as they arise in nature and human encounter.  This continues to inform her current paintings which are inspired by patterns in nature that invite people to experience the depth dimension in themselves and in relationships with others. Her work is guided by her participation in the  Living School — a global network of people learning to cultivate a contemplative mind through teachings and practices, and deepen their awareness of common union with Divine Reality and all beings. She is the author of Dance With Me, An Invitation and Wild Wellies Wanted and 7SWANS.

Stephany Wieland has been making for years and now documents her adventures through Making It WIth Stephany. If she can’t find it, she makes it.  If she has found it and it’s crap, she makes her own improved version. She isn’t great at 1 thing, but she is pretty damn good at a lot of different things. She has been a 911 dispatcher, a professional photographer, a phone operator, a self taught seamstress, a head cook at an Italian restaurant and one helluva Halloween costume maker. She is amazing at tricking children into eating vegetables and taking naps.  She can also host the shit out of a YouTube video. She has dabbled in millinery and veil making, is a decent baker but a better cook. She is a mom, an accomplished runner (ok, 1 marathon and some 1/2 marathons) and a seasoned garage sale/thrift shopper. She knows her way around a table saw and nail gun. She is OK at basic graphic and web design, crochet, and professionalism. She is terrible at math, knitting and snowboarding. Sometimes, she is funny.

Our upcoming event focuses on Women in the Arts and we reached out to the CGL Board of Directors to find out why they think it is important for girls to explore the arts.

"Art is an amazing way for girls explore their inner selves, develop creative thinking skills, and realize their potential. The process of creating art can be a stress reliever, joy inspirer, and a confidence booster." - Mary Lenertz

"I have always viewed the arts (in any form) as a true and pure form of self-expression. Honest self-expression can be a difficult thing for women as we can often be criticized for being too sensitive, or too emotional. I believe young girls embracing and exploring the arts early on in life sets a foundation for unapologetic and creative self-expression of themselves that will translate into their everyday lives and serve them well, no matter what their future endeavors may be." - Rebekah Oltmans

"Art teaches girls that language and numbers cannot explain everything in our universe.  It allows them to be open to creative forms of expression and it introduces the idea that there is not always one single way to explain something.  Whether an education in art sparks a lifelong career or simply helps teach these and many other lessons, it is a vital component of a young girls education." - Katie Iacarella

Now it's your turn. Why is it important for girls to explore the arts?

Alexandra Young
Executive Director, Founder, and Chief Fundraiser
The Center for Girls' Leadership

Please join the Center for Girls’ Leadership on Tuesday, August 12 at 6PM for an evening of free outdoor yoga led by CorePower Yoga trained instructor, Anastasia Albert.

All experience levels and ages welcome but please bring a mat or towel. Please share with friends and family, this event is open to everyone!

The park is located on the North end of Lake of the Isles where Newton Ave S meets W Lake of the Isles Parkway. There is plenty of free off-street parking. We will have a large CGL sign :)

Please RSVP here.