ADDISON, Ill. (WLS) — Educators at DuPage District 88 are making it their mission to ensure high school girls grow and learn with support.

They are teaching young women the importance of confidence, self-affirmation and resilience as ABC7 continues to celebrate Women’s History Month.

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“I was always waiting for someone else to tell me that I belonged,” said 2024 Illinois Teacher of the Year Dr. Racheal Mahmood.

More than 100 young ladies filed into the gym at Addison Trail High School on Tuesday for the first-ever SHE Conference.

“SHE stands for Strength, Hope and Empowerment – and that’s what it is. A bunch of girls get together, and we just talk about our school and talk about our different experiences and maybe some of the challenges that we face, and we kind of just help build each other up,” said senior student Natalia Loncar.

“Their personalities, their energy, and laughs, being able to have fun and be myself around my friends,” said junior student Kayla Monet Woods.

The SHE Conference is the brainchild of District Student Success Coordinator Dr. Valarie Humphrey. It is meant to give rise to girl empowerment, female leadership and personal growth.

“I wasn’t taught how to network. That one of my goals is to teach our girls how to network, teach our girls how to collaborate, and teach them how to learn to help. Ask for help and give help,” Humphrey said.

Statistics from the R.O.X Institute for Research and Training show that 57% of girls between fifth and 12th grade do not believe they are smart enough for their dream career and the two in three girls do not speak their minds because they are afraid that they will not be liked.

“Girls are sent a lot of micro-messages about their identity and about their place in school, and it’s incredibly important that all students have a voice and understand their agency in shaping their school culture,” Mahmood said.

The workshop pushed through many of the issues plaguing young women, such as stereotypes, double standards, bullying and racism.

“The girls didn’t seem to care about themselves or each other, and it was all about just their clicks, so we decided to bring them together to get a melting pot,” Humphrey said.

“I’m experiencing a culture shock, because it’s a lot of different cultures in one room and coming from that’s not. It’s diverse, but it’s not really diverse. It’s all like segregated,” said junior student Denesha Craddock.

“Everyone has common ground. We’re all females and we all kind of experience the same thing. And it’s important to have the community and belonging and know that there’s other people going through the same things as you,” Loncar said.

Organizers said their mission is equip these girls with the tools they need to thrive and succeed in and beyond school.