Now in its third year, a fun-filled camp at the University of Missouri–St. Louis will help high school women focus on college, career and leadership readiness. The UMSL Executive Leadership Consortium will present the annual Girls’ Leadership Camp June 24-27 at the university.
The purpose of the camp is to expose high school girls from diverse backgrounds to educational and leadership opportunities, including healthy choices, to fulfill their personal and career goals. The theme is “Exploring Pathways to Leadership: My Dream, My Life, My Future.”
The camp also seeks to help high school young women realize their potential and engage in productive pursuits. The program brings in professional women across various careers. This year, the themes are engineering, health care, biology and law. Women in these fields will serve as presenters, discussing how they prepared for their careers, as well as their job duties and activities.
While the camp emphasizes majors and careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), it also includes majors and occupations such as nursing, teaching and social work.
Healthy living is also a strong component of the camp, focusing on leadership for age groups and taking charge of ongoing success, including healthy choices, behavior and relationships.
Last year 75 high school young women from public and private schools – some from out-of-state and recent immigrants – participated with about 100 parents. Because parents are integral to a child’s success, they are encouraged to engage more in their daughters’ choices.
Last year the program started its first ACT-prep workshop for students and parents, which was very well received. This year the ACT-prep will be at 5:30-8:30 p.m. July 11.
All high school girls, incoming freshmen to outgoing seniors, can participate in the Girls’ Leadership Camp. Registration is $195. Financial assistance may be available. To register or for more information visit the camp website or call Malaika Horne, director of the UMSL Executive Leadership Consortium, at 314-516-4749.
The camp is funded in party by: Judith A. Cochran, E. Desmond Lee Professor of Education at UMSL; Commerce Bank; Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri; Missouri Department of Health; Ranken Technical College; UMSL Women’s Leadership Council; and Zonta Club of St. Louis.
