James Grasky

The Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute was founded in 2014 with a mission to raise the confidence and aspirations of high school girls by helping them develop the skills required to be leaders in their lives, families, careers, and communities. Prior to the program’s launch in 2015, the Institute used data to identify challenges girls face as they transition to high school. Research illustrated that girls’ self-esteem dropped 3.5 times faster than boys during this period. As a result, girls were less likely to grab hold of opportunities and to want to take the lead. Recognizing the critical need for female leaders and voices at the table, the Institute focused on the creation of programming that would increase girls’ belief in themselves, expand the perspective of what is possible for their futures, and instill the skills needed to become leaders and navigate toward success. The Institute has a statewide impact through partnerships with 36 schools across Maine’s 16 counties. These partnerships are supported not only by the schools, but also by a committed group of more than 200 trained, caring women advisors who have committed to mentoring cohorts of girls through the three-year program—rooted in the themes "My Values"​ (10th grade), "My Voice"​ (11th grade), and "My Vision"​ (12th grade). There are nearly 500 participants, called "Olympia's Leaders,"​ each year. The first class graduated in 2018 and entered the Institute's Alumnae Network. Our communities are coming together and helping us lift up the next generation of leaders—and it is making a difference that is palpable today and sure to pay dividends in the future.