"A few weeks ago, I received an invitation to a screening of Girl Rising, and I knew I had to bring along my former students and She's the First GW chapter founders, Alexandra Mandel, Sarah Schmitt, and Sarah Schrup. I was thrilled to spend the evening with these amazing women, and was so proud of how they capitalized on the opportunity and used their excellent networking skills, well-honed from a year of WLP symposia. They met both the CEO and Advisory Board Chair for Girl Rising, and made plans to hold a screening of the film through their chapter of She's the First, thus advancing the goal of both organizations- to increase educational opportunities for girls worldwide."
--Carly Jordan, SHM professor
On Tuesday, October 18th, we, Sarah Schmitt, Sarah Schrup, and Alexandra Mandel, attended a screening of Girl Rising at Censeo Consulting Group as WLP alumna and She’s the First GW Co-Founders. Our former SHM professor, Dr. Carly Jordan, brought this event to our attention, and she attended the screening with us. Girl Rising is an incredible film which follows the stories of nine girls from nine different countries who face extraordinary challenges in obtaining an education. At the event, two chapters of the film were shown; the two chapters showcased the struggles facing girls in Afghanistan and Nepal, respectively. Following the screening, we had the opportunity to hear from a panel which included journalist Christina Lowery, the CEO of Girl Rising, and Milken Institute School of Public Health Professor Amita Vyas, the US-India Advisory Board Chair for Girl Rising.
Girl Rising particularly targets the drop-off rate in girls’ education upon reaching adolescence. Each chapter aims to add a unique perspective to the breadth of problems faced by girls around the world, and by highlighting a wide variety of countries, the Girl Rising Foundation aims to avoid cultural shaming in regard to the social expectations of girls and their worth. Each chapter of the film was written by female writers of their respective countries, and they each collaborated with girls from their countries to articulate their stories in a manner that was empowering and genuine. Girl Rising aims to restructure thinking regarding gender equality and the social, economic, and cultural worth of girls by working with partner organizations and governments worldwide. Despite well-substantiated evidence of economic growth due to female empowerment, education equality, and equal job opportunities for women, access to education for girls is still a universal problem.
We truly enjoyed the screening of Girl Rising and were inspired by the narratives of each of the girls. The three of us are passionate about girls’ education, and last year we decided to take action. We co-founded a campus chapter of She’s the First, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for and provides scholarships enabling the education of girls in low-income countries worldwide. She’s the First not only provides scholarships for schooling, but also provides the funding for its scholars to receive uniforms, books, school supplies, and sometimes even housing. She’s the First allows its chapter members to develop a personal connection to the girls they sponsor through letter-writing campaigns and online exchanges. Our chapter has grown immensely on campus, and we hope to expand our membership base over the years to come! Please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/STF.GWU and contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions regarding the Girl Rising screening or She’s the First GW.
- Alexandra Mandel, Sarah Schmitt, and Sarah Schrup (SHM, 2015-16)