2009: A Year of Growth and Change for GLI

Happy New Year! We couldn't be more excited about what GLI has in store for 2009. We're rolling out new programs, launching a new web site, relocating our summer camp, and more! GLI is proud to announce a brand new summer camp program: GLI Prep, a personal enrichment program for girls entering sixth grade in Fall 2009. We'll also be inviting back our alumnae for another exciting new program, GLI II, better known as Sophomore Summer!

This winter, we're offering our first parent-daughter workshop for girls in second and third grade and our first Father-Daughter workshop.

Click here to visit our brand new website and read about all of these exciting firsts!

Our fearless founder, Rachel Simmons, is also gearing up for a big year. In 2009, she'll host a new PBS television special on girls. This summer, Rachel will celebrate publication of her latest book, The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence (Penguin Press).

Read on to learn more about our big plans for 2009. We hope to see you this year!

Miss Hall's School

This fall, Rachel became Scholar-in-Residence at Miss Hall's School, a nationally recognized boarding and day school for girls in grades 9 through 12 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Miss Hall's School is an innovator in girls' empowerment and leadership. The partnership has been so effective that we've decided to move our summer camp to their beautiful campus.

Miss Hall's is the perfect place for our girls to have the summer of a lifetime. The historic campus is located in the heart of the Berkshires, near clear lakes, hiking trails, museums, and a vibrant cultural scene that includes Tanglewood, Jacob's Pillow Dance, Shakespeare & Company, the Berkshire Theatre Festival, and more. The picturesque campus includes tennis courts, playing fields, a new athletic center, a state-of-the-art library, and, most important, fabulous food! Click here to visit the School's website.

New GLI Summer Camp Programs
This summer, we'll launch two extraordinary new programs:

GLI Prep: Campers Entering Grade 6 or Starting Middle School
Learn the skills and confidence to tackle the challenges of middle school. GLI Prep is the time to become a relationship expert, get tech savvy, bond with girls from all over the country, feel confident, be independent, and have a blast.

GLI Sophomore Summer: GLI Alumnae Entering Grades 9-12
Nothing is more empowering than owning and telling your story. Your story makes you who you are! Reunite with your GLI friends for Sophomore Summer, where you'll learn skills that will serve you in every area of your life: public speaking, debating, storytelling, and project planning. You will design your own activist project, and you'll leave Sophomore Summer with a plan to implement it in your home community.

To learn more about these programs and meet some of our new summer staff, visit our brand new website!

Rachel Simmons

As Rachel wraps up taping her PBS television special and gears up for the publication of her latest book, The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence (Penguin Press), she will change her relationship to GLI. Rachel is stepping down as CEO and joining the Board of Directors. GLI will become a non-profit organization, and Simone Marean will take the helm as Executive Director.

Rachel will remain closely involved with GLI and collaborate on new projects and services.

New Web Site

There is much more information on our new website. Click here to see our photos from last summer, read what campers and parents have to say about GLI, and learn about the many exciting opportunities we have for girls.

Questions? Thoughts? Please email us at simone@girlsleadership.org, or call 410-878-2258. We would love to hear from you.