Girls Inc. St. Louis Makes History with First-Ever National Summit

More than 250 young women from across the U.S. and Canada gather at WashU to become stronger, smarter and bolder leaders

By Grayling Holmes / photos provided by Girls Inc. of St. Louis

For 45 years, Girls Inc. of St. Louis has encouraged young women to recognize their potential, find their voices and become strong, smart and bold leaders. This summer, that mission reached far beyond St. Louis when the organization celebrated its anniversary by helping make a little history of its own.

From July 13-16, Girls Inc. of St. Louis hosted the organization’s first-ever national summit, welcoming more than 250 young women representing more than 30 Girls Inc. affiliates across the United States and Canada to Washington University in St. Louis.

250+ Girls Inc under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, MO

For four days, the WashU campus became much more than a collection of classrooms and residence halls. It became a place where emerging young leaders could learn from one another, strengthen their confidence and leadership skills, develop new relationships and discover that girls separated by hundreds—or even thousands—of miles often share remarkably similar dreams, challenges and aspirations.

For Cheryl Jones, President and CEO of Girls Inc. of St. Louis, hosting the inaugural gathering during the local affiliate’s 45th anniversary carried special significance.

“The opportunity to host the inaugural summit while celebrating our affiliate’s 45th anniversary made this a full-circle moment,” Jones said.

A St. Louis Legacy Comes Full Circle

That circle stretches back to former Washington University Chancellor Dr. William Danforth, whose encouragement helped lead to the establishment of a Girls Inc. affiliate in St. Louis 45 years ago.

“He would be thrilled to see the results of that encouragement 45 years later,” Jones said. “Dr. Danforth knew the power of girls coming together to find solutions—discovering through interactive conversations that there are so many similarities, no matter where you are in the country.”

How fitting, then, that more than four decades later, hundreds of Girls Inc. participants would gather on the Washington University campus to continue that vision.

Although he was unable to attend personally, WashU Chancellor Andrew Martin sent the young women a message. He encouraged them to approach the experience “with curiosity and an open mind, while reminding participants that relationships formed during their days in St. Louis could last a lifetime,” he said to the summit participants.

Washington University Chancellor Andrew Martin

“I have long admired the work of Girls Inc. for its approach to preparing young women to lead and meet the future,” Martin wrote in a letter to summit participants. “WashU’s mission is to act in service of truth through the formation of leaders, so it is fitting that you are here on our campus to learn and grow.”

More Than a Conference

The summit was designed not simply to tell girls they can become leaders, but to give them practical opportunities to develop the qualities leadership requires.

Throughout the week, participants took part in workshops, breakout sessions and leadership activities focused on building confidence and strengthening emotional intelligence, critical thinking, kindness and respect.

Summit participants took part in workshops, breakout sessions and leadership activities.

Just as important were the relationships developing outside formal sessions.

A young woman from St. Louis could exchange ideas with someone from another state or Canada. Participants who arrived knowing no one could leave with friends, mentors and a network of peers who shared their determination to make a difference.

Stephanie Hull, President and CEO of Girls Inc., encouraged attendees to view the summit as an opportunity not only to acquire skills, but also to better understand themselves and define the values that will guide their futures.

Hull emphasized the importance of countering messages that tell girls they are somehow “less than” or that there are things they cannot or should not do. Instead, she expressed the hope that participants will become happy, centered, healthy, connected and engaged in work that is meaningful to them.

Stephanie Hull, President and CEO of Girls Inc. (center), flanked by two girls who participated in the summit.

“What makes the summit so special is not just what you will learn,” Hull told the participants. “It’s who you will become together.”

That distinction may be what made the inaugural summit so powerful.

Leadership is not simply a title earned later in life. It begins with developing the confidence to speak, the courage to listen, the ability to think critically and the willingness to treat others with dignity and respect.

“You are now part of a network of strong, smart, bold girls that stretches across cities, provinces and communities,” Hull said. “This has become your leadership network.”

Finding a Voice—and Opening Doors

For Tamyra Butts of Wentzville, the impact of Girls Inc. began well before the national summit arrived at WashU.

“Girls Inc. definitely built up my confidence,” she said.

That confidence has helped open doors to opportunities with major companies including Mastercard, Edward Jones and Boeing—an example of how mentorship, exposure and encouragement can expand what a young woman imagines possible for herself.

Butts was also proud that her hometown region had been selected to welcome young women from throughout North America.

“St. Louis gets a bad rap, but I love it,” she said. “St. Louis is something to experience. We are actually a really beautiful city.”

For several days, more than 250 visitors had the opportunity to experience that city while St. Louis had an equally important opportunity to show them something about itself: its commitment to investing in young people.

Strong. Smart. Bold. And Ready.

The significance of the first national summit ultimately reaches beyond four days in July.

The workshops ended. Suitcases were packed. Participants returned to communities throughout the United States and Canada.

But they did not leave the same way they arrived.

Young women who came to Washington University from more than 30 Girls Inc. affiliates departed as part of something larger—a network of emerging leaders connected by shared experiences, new friendships and the knowledge that they have people throughout North America encouraging them to succeed.

And for Girls Inc. of St. Louis, hosting the inaugural national summit during its 45th anniversary offered a powerful demonstration of how far an idea can travel.

What began locally more than four decades ago helped bring hundreds of young women together in St. Louis to imagine what comes next.

The summit may now be history, but its real measure of success will be written in the futures of the young women who attended—stronger in their convictions, smarter about the possibilities before them, bolder in using their voices and ready to lead.

For more information about Girls Inc. of St. Louis and its mission to inspire young women to be strong, smart and bold, visit Girls Inc. of St. Louis.