At Innovation Central High School, the Girls Empowering Together (GET) Club is creating space for young women to grow into confident, capable leaders. With support from a Teacher Innovation Fund mini-grant, this after-school program is transforming the lives of high school girls by fostering leadership, self-esteem, and a strong sense of community.
Cultivating Confidence and Leadership
The GET Club is rooted in a powerful mission: to help young women discover their potential through leadership development and self-esteem building. Members explore the lives of both historical and contemporary female trailblazers who have made meaningful societal contributions. In doing so, they gain critical insight into leadership strategies while reflecting on their own strengths and aspirations.
This holistic approach equips students not only for high school success but also for the broader journey ahead—whether in college, careers, or community leadership.
Why It Matters
For students at Innovation Central, a Title I school, the GET Club provides more than an extracurricular activity—it offers a lifeline. It’s a place where students feel connected, valued, and inspired. Learning about courageous, barrier-breaking women empowers these young leaders to envision themselves as change-makers in their own right.
The club helps students see that they, too, can rise to challenges, overcome obstacles, and lead with purpose.
Creative Expression Meets Empowerment
A defining feature of the GET Club is its use of hands-on crafts to deepen students’ engagement. Each meeting, participants create a project tied to the woman they’re studying—combining creativity with education. Painting, journaling, making felt crafts, planting flowers, and building games are all part of the experience.
These creative outlets not only bring learning to life, they also introduce students to hobbies and self-care practices that can last a lifetime.
Powered by the Teacher Innovation Fund
Teacher Wendy Dean, the passionate force behind the GET Club, emphasizes how essential the mini-grant has been. After 24 years, the longest-running club at Innovation Central is facing increased financial challenges. The grant provides necessary materials—like art supplies, journals, and craft kits—ensuring that the club’s empowering work can continue.
Learning from Bold, Visionary Women
This semester’s lineup of inspiring women includes Alice Paul, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Wangari Maathai, Sarah Buel, Stacyann Chin, India Arie, and Wilma Mankiller. As students learn about each leader’s perseverance, creativity, and courage, they also engage in art projects that mirror these qualities.
Themes like patience, inspiration, planning, and teamwork are reinforced through every story—and every activity.
Voices from the Club
The impact of the GET Club is best captured by the students themselves:
- Juana B.: “It is calming and fun.”
- Jonvaya D.: “I love learning about women. We can express our emotion through creativity.”
- Odalyssu: “I love getting to learn about historic/present women and what they’re known for, being able to get together to do crafts and to have fun!”
A Lasting Legacy of Empowerment
More than just a club, GET is a movement. It builds young women’s confidence, celebrates their voices, and prepares them to lead in any arena they choose. Thanks to the Teacher Innovation Fund, the program continues to inspire students—and help them see themselves as the leaders of tomorrow.
