While Sask Girls United may have only been created earlier this summer, the organization of young women is already hosting its first event to encourage leadership and empowerment in the girls of Saskatchewan.
The event is a free virtual leadership conference for girls across the province aged 8-12, spread out over four weeks with a one-hour session on Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 6 p.m.
“We’ll be covering topics such as school and community leadership, girls supporting girls, teamwork, how to plan and start your own community or school initiative, things like that,” said Isabella Grajcyzk, one of the founding members of Sask Girls United.
There is only space for 30 participants in the sessions and each girl will receive a certificate and t-shirt after concluding the event, which will be held over Zoom.
“Ideally they would attend all four sessions because each session is going to kind of build off the last one,” said Grajczyk. “We’re hoping to really build on these skills so we can provide some Saskatchewan girls with a meaningful experience.”
Sask Girls United is a group of six young women from across Saskatchewan, recently graduated or in university, who are dedicated to encouraging young girls to build leadership skills and pursue opportunities in their communities.
“We’re all leaders in our own way, in our own communities, and so we figured this would be some way we could give back and offer these skills to young girls and kind of act as mentors for them, to help them along in their journey,” said Grajczyk.
Grajczyk is from Moose Jaw, and she is joined by fellow organizers from Saskatoon, Swift Current and a few other rural communities throughout the province.
The organization was formed out of a common interest in offering mentorship and leadership to girls that they themselves would have liked to have when they were younger, to help empower girls and give them confidence in changing their communities.
“This is our first event, and we’re really excited about it,” said Grajczyk. “I think a lot of times, these kind of skills can be glossed over or not focused on, but if we really give girls these skills and give them the power and ability to take charge in their schools and communities as they get older, that’s really going to allow them to change the future, change the world and make a really big difference in Saskatchewan.”
The virtual leadership sessions are just the beginning for the group, who have a grant and funding from some local businesses to plan events. They are hoping to continue finding ways to support young girls across Saskatchewan in the future, as Sask Girls United really gets going.
“This is something that we’re all excited about and really passionate about, seeing it become successful,” said Grajczyk. “We really can see how offering these kinds of skills to girls at this young age can help to bolster that sense of leadership and community for years to come.”
For those interested in registering for the Sask Girls United sessions in October, contact the organization through their Facebook page, Instagram profile or at saskgirlsunited@gmail.com for a registration form.
