24 Students Complete First Ever She Leads
Last week, 24 female Middle School students completed the first ever She leads Middle School Conference at BHS from March 27th – 29th.
A spokesperson said, “Students from BHS, The Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning, Dellwood, MSA, Saltus, Warwick Academy, Sandy’s Secondary and Whitney Institute spent three days connecting at the leadership and development programme, organised by BHS with sponsorship from HSBC.
“Created as an extension of the popular She Leads: A Real-World Readiness Programme, which runs in the summer for female students heading into their final year of High School, this 3-day event was designed to introduce some of the themes to empower the girls from a younger age.
“During the course of the conference, invited speakers spoke to the girls about Financial Literacy [Selita Daniels and Shantel Smith, HSBC]; healthy eating [Catherine Burns, Waterfront Wellness], and responsible social media use [Maya Palacio, Media Maya] . Additionally, they took part in a yoga session with Che Beane from Beyond Fitness. She Leads facilitator, Shirley Kelly, took the girls through a workshop on Friendships and Positive Peer Pressure and they also took part in a public speaking workshop where they practiced their skills in a small environment, allowing them to build their confidence.”
“On the third day, the students welcomed invited guests to view their projects, which they created over the course of two days to showcase all they had learned. In a brief address to attendees, Linda Parker, Head of BHS, spoke about all the young women had done and how they had “supported and encouraged each other over the last few days” and she urged them to “take their new-found confidence back to their respective schools to keep pushing and trying new things.” Mrs. Parker further states, “From talking to the girls and seeing them over the course of the few days, it is clear that they have all had a very positive experience. One of the most heart-warming things to see was the new friendships formed between these students from schools across the island.”
The spokesperson said, “Two student participants, had this to say about their experience:
“This programme has helped me make lots of new friends and made me step out of my comfort zone. Before the programme, I was nervous and now I feel that I can get out there more and be more confident.” Lyniah Woolridge, Whitney Institute
“I think it’s definitely helped to build my confidence skills because before I came here I didn’t really know a lot of people outside of BHS, so it really helped me to branch out and meet new people and I think that was one of the best parts of the programme for me.” Joy Yammine, BHS
HSBC Executive Sponsor, Judy Doidge, added, “It has been a pleasure to be a part of the evolution and growth of the ‘She Leads’ programme and now be in a position to offer this opportunity to our younger female Middle School students, helping to empower them as they progress both academically and personally. Thank you again to the BHS Charitable Trust, presenters and stakeholders for their time and commitment in delivering this meaningful programme to our community.”
The spokesperson said, “Applications are now being accepted for the Summer She Leads Programme:
“The programme will run July 3rd – 7th at BHS and is open to young women from all schools on the island who will enter their final year of High School in September 2023.
“Applications are due on April 21st.
“For more information go to https://www.bhs.bm/school-life/she-leads.”
