17 Students Complete ‘She Leads’ Programme
17 young women celebrated their completion of the She Leads: A Real-World Readiness Programme with invited guests at a special reception at BHS.
A spokesperson said, “Students from BHS, The Berkeley Institute, Bermuda Institute, CedarBridge Academy, and Somersfield shared their insights after spending a week together, learning how to create meaningful, happy and successful careers and lives.
“Since 2019, HSBC and BHS have partnered on She Leads: A Real World Readiness Programme to inspire and equip young women with tools and frameworks to enable them to take ownership of their education, careers and lives. She Leads was created by BHS alumna, Christie Hunter Arscott, award-winning advisor, speaker and author of the book “Begin Boldly: How Women Can Reimagine Risk, Embrace Uncertainty and Launch a Brilliant Career”.
“The programme was created as an extension to the “I Lead” Leadership Framework, launched by BHS in 2019, to deliver the leadership framework beyond students at BHS. The week-long series of workshops and speakers is designed to cater to girls’ learning styles and is focused on the objective of empowering, inspiring and connecting participants while teaching them the tools to navigate the challenges of the real world.
Shirley Kelly, She Leads facilitator, stated, “This year we welcomed a group of quietly determined young ladies from five high schools. Over the course of the week together, they pushed themselves out of their comfort zones to learn and try new things. The skills that are taught during the week are not always included in the regular school curriculum but are essential for all aspects of their lives – personal, educational and professional. Twenty women from our community took time during the week to share their experiences, expertise and advice with these young women – and it has been an invaluable experience for all involved. I am so proud of these young women for their commitment and courage. ”
“The programme began with an introduction to meditation from Tiffany Paynter of SOHAM Yoga. The idea was to help ground the girls to make the most out of the week and each morning Ms. Paynter joined the girls for a morning meditation and on the Tuesday, they took part in a full introductory yoga session. Also, on day one, the girls were introduced to the programme for the week and their individual and group projects where they would be looking into “When Are You at Your Best?” and learning some tips and tricks in the “Crushing Your Inner Critic & Unleashing Your Inner Confidence” workshop.
“Other workshops with invited speakers included Building Your Resilience Toolbox for Leadership, with Lorrie Peniston of Synergy Ltd. who helped the girls discover their personal strengths and how to engage with positive emotions to improve well-being. Danielle Paynter, Director of Corporate Affairs, Bacardi and Founder of The NAB app, shared ways for the girls to live their most authentic and joyful life and was an inspiration in how to Lead Self, Lead Others and Lead by Example, the ethos of the She Leads programme.
“As well as providing the financial support to make the programme possible, every year, HSBC facilitates a workshop on Financial Literacy. Selita Daniels and Nicola Bromby, Premier Relationship Managers, walked the students through the basics of budgeting, saving, investing and planning for their futures.
An HSBC Representative stated, “HSBC Bermuda is delighted to be the lead sponsor of She Leads and its impact on empowering the young women of Bermuda. We believe that life skills such as financial literacy are fundamental, and the experience all of the participants had will positively benefit their future.”
“In one of the highlights of the programme, She Leads continued its partnership with WeSpeak Teen again this year and twelve coaches from WeSpeak Bermuda volunteered their time to help the girls tackle some of their public speaking challenges and provide advice, feed-forward and the opportunity to practice their new-found skills. Sarah Dunstan, WeSpeak Teen Chair, remarked,
“WeSpeak Teen was thrilled to be able to participate in the She Leads programme for the third time this year. The change in confidence that we see in a few short hours is inspiring and seeing these young women support each other, and be supported by our volunteer coaches reminds us of why WeSpeak was created in the first place. By empowering each other, we can shape the next generation of female leaders and we are honored to have supported them in a small part of their journey!”
“On the final day, students each presented a personal project where they shared what they had learned during the week in front of an audience of invited guests. Some expressed themselves through speeches, poetry, film and PowerPoint presentations. Then, in smaller groups, they also shared how they would bring some of the programme content back to their own schools with the aim of empowering other young women with their new-found knowledge.
“Since its inception in 2019, almost 100 young women have taken part in the programme and all of the participants would recommend the programme to other students.
“There will be a networking event in December [date TBD] for all She Leads alumnae. Details to follow. Applications for the 2024 She Leads Programme will open in March 2024. For more information on the programme go to www.bhs.bm or email sheleads@bhs.bm”
