On February 10-12, Big Sister CEO Deborah Re attended the National Conference on Girls’ Education in Washington D.C., along with Big Sister staff members Sharon Daura and Diane Zipoli. This inaugural conference was a national gathering of professionals committed to the healthy development of girls. Over 400 educators from 25 states and six countries were in attendance. It was three full days of thought-provoking workshops and keynotes on everything from the brain development of girls in their various stages of development—windows of neurosensitivity—to how to help teenage girls manage themselves to become direct, straightforward leaders. Every workshop was eye-opening and provided ideas on how we can further enhance our own learning and support our matches at Big Sister.
Big Sister played an integral role in the success of this conference. In addition to being one of the lead sponsors, Deb served on the Advisory Council responsible for creating the framework for the conference, and Diane served on the Planning Committee, securing speakers and organizing the workshops. Additionally, Deb, Diane, and Sharon led a workshop titled “Surviving and Thriving in a Coed World,” which focused on how Big Sister’s gender specific focus allows us to be responsive and innovative in our programming. The workshop also addressed some of the challenges that Big Sister faces as a girl-serving organization in a world that is increasingly geared to a co-ed framework.
