Why High School?

Many young women right now are being energized by a new generation of female leaders to believe they belong in the political space, yet aren’t sure where to start. Many others have valuable perspectives to share, but have little exposure to politics and don’t yet know there’s a place for them in this arena. For so many young women, politics feels inaccessible and even impenetrable, something only available to the rich, privileged, and well-connected.

If we want to harness the immense energy and passion of young women, it’s imperative that they access the tools they need to become politically active and engaged. High school represents the critical time to give that access:

• High school is the last time that men and women think they can run for office equally. A woman's belief she is qualified for political office drops a precipitous 17% after high school while a man’s drops a mere 2%. This makes high school the perfect time to engage young women and make sure they don’t lose the momentum many of them already have.

• High school is also the time when young people start to think seriously about higher education and possible career paths.

• According to research, one of the primary reasons women don’t run for office is they lack self-confidence. This is not a problem that can be first addressed in one’s 20’s or 30’s or beyond, we must start during a more formative stage of their development.

Reaching girls in high school is even more critical with young women of color. Studies show that Black and Latina high school girls are more likely to see themselves as leaders than their peers and score high on tests of leadership skills, but due to systemic challenges, biases, and lack of access to resources, this potential for leadership is greatly underdeveloped.