On Oct. 12, in celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, eight NYU Abu Dhabi students from the Women's Leadership Network Student Interest Group worked with a class of 30 sixth-grade girls at the Rosary School to discuss the importance of education and learning.

The event was held as a part of WLN’s Girls' Education Collaborative, a program which aims to encourage discussions surrounding education and to strengthen the relationship between NYUAD students and the Abu Dhabi community.

The workshop began by asking students what they thought International Day of the Girl Child was and then segued into smaller group activities facilitated by NYUAD students. The activities prompted the girls to think about the importance of education, spaces for learning and role models. Each group was given a large white sheet of paper and colored markers and the girls drew and wrote their responses and reflections. At the conclusion of the session, the girls presented what they discussed in their groups to the entire class and provided highlights from their conversations.

Freshman Charlotte Gundry noted how she was surprised by the enthusiasm and responsiveness of the Rosary School students and explained how participating in this program was inspirational:

“The workshop was an incredible opportunity to meet ambitious and inspiring students in the wider community of Abu Dhabi. I was amazed at the sheer level of enthusiasm shown by all of the students we worked with. Without exception, they were excited by the prospect of getting an education, and understood its value. We could never have imagined such an amazing and positive response,” said Gundry.

Additionally, the workshop emphasized the importance of in-school and out-of-school learning, realizing that education takes many different forms. NYUAD students asked the girls to think about instances in their learning that made them proud and why they felt that way.

Sophomore Mitali Banerji commented that the workshop showcased what people can do to empower girls. However, she noted that the content of the workshop could be expanded in the future to include careers and leadership roles in the future.

“The … workshop really showcased the simple things we can all do to empower girl children everywhere. The first workshop focused primarily on the importance of education but for the future I feel we should definitely diversify the content to include issues like alternate career options, leadership etc. which are equally important and often inadequately discussed,” wrote Banerji.

The Rosary School was supportive of the workshop and asked the NYUAD students to conduct two more workshops this semester, as a continuation of WLN’s Girls’ Education Collaborative.

“We are hopeful that the Girls’ Education Collaborative will continue to grow and that members of the Women’s Leadership Network can engage with local schools to provide mentorship and create meaningful dialogue regarding education and learning. As students, I feel we have a responsibility to give back and I believe the session we conducted for International Day of the Girl was a small but important starting point” said Sofia Gomez-Doyle, the treasurer of the Women’s Leadership Network.