On Educating Girls: Creating a World of Possibilities

👧🧠️ Social expectations and gender stereotypes make it harder to recognize girls with autism and ADHD. For this short episode we are excited to introduce a student from Australia who is taking this problem into her own hands. Vicky Chen, a student at an ICGS member school, has created a booklet – in collaboration with experts – to help parents and caregivers better identify ADHD and autism in girls. The guide also includes likely challenges, support strategies, neuro-affirming language, and lived experiences from girls themselves. If you think this doesn’t apply to any girls you know, you could be mistaken. Listen to find out why. International Coalition for Girls Schools · Girls with ADHD and/or autism toolkit for teachers/parents – The Eureka Project · An ADHD in girls checklist – The ADHD Centre · 5 things every doctor (and parent) should know about girls and ADHD – ADDitude · ADHD For She · National Coalition of Girls' Schools

🏍️🔧⚙️ How can ‘shop class’ help girls to build resilience and confidence? Getting their hands dirty can spark something really special, as our guest on this episode will explain. Molly Vaughan is the Executive Director of Motogo, an organisation with a mission to teach kids problem-solving with motorcycles. Molly and her team have seen that the skills learned in the workshop, with its focus on authenticity and community, will last a lifetime. Motogo Website · Molly Vaughan on LinkedIn · International Coalition for Girls Schools · National Coalition of Girls' Schools

📊🎒 What can data tell us about girls’ mental health at school? Our guest for this short episode shares how science-backed surveys are uncovering the truth about girls’ well-being in the classroom and beyond. Nina Kumar is the co-founder and CEO of Authentic Connections, an organization that works with schools to identify student mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, what is driving them, and how to intervene. The good news is that there is something you can do right now to boost resilience in the girls you care about. Listen to find out. Nina Kumar on LinkedIn · Authentic Connections website · · The International Coalition of Girls’ Schools website · National Coalition of Girls' Schools

Home is the first place a child learns how to be in the world. It is where we help shape their values and their outlook on life. But have you ever wondered what roles we unknowingly ask our daughters to play at home - and how those patterns stay with them long after they grow up?



While different cultures have varying practices, studies shows that girls are usually socialized to be more polite, responsible and hardworking than boys, and to listen to authority, no matter what. They don't learn how to say no or set boundaries at a young age. And so, when molded as peacemakers, high achievers, and rule followers, how do they find their voices and show up authentically as themselves when they reach adulthood?



Our guest for this episode provides some answers. Dr Katie Hurley is the Vice President of Community Initiatives for The Jed Foundation, a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults in the USA and further afield. She is the author of five books at the intersection of youth, parenting, and mental health, including the award-winning No More Mean Girls.

In this conversation with host Trudy Hall, Katie shares how to encourage girls to take up space, even if it’s messy—sharing practical examples and great advice on how to create safe spaces at home for girls to grow and take risks.

The Connected Girl is a podcast series produced by the International Coalition of Girls' Schools. In this season, we’re looking at how the adults in girls' lives can nurture agency – the confidence and capacity to act – while allowing girls to evolve, experiment, tolerate discomfort, and sometimes fail. Listen to this empowering episode so you can help the girl in your life navigate her world with both strength and softness. International Coalition for Girls Schools · Dr Katie Hurley’s website · The Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World · No More Mean Girls · Types of Parenting Styles and Effects on Children · Education at a Glance 2025 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) · National Coalition of Girls' Schools

Adolescent girls face an impossible situation. Be confident, but not conceited. Be smart, but don't be too much of a know-it-all. Be ambitious, but without trying too hard. And most of all, be bold – but only if that doesn't upset anyone else, of course. In summary: tick the boxes of beautiful, caring and successful, but never show any effort.

This episode’s guest literally wrote the book on this phenomenon, which he dubbed the Triple Bind. Dr Stephen P. Hinshaw is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California Berkeley and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California San Francisco. An award-winning teacher, author and mentor, Stephen uses his decades of pioneering research to advance the fields of child development and neurodevelopment, especially for girls.

In this conversation with host Trudy Hall, Stephen helps us understand the impact of societal pressures on young girls, and gives guidance on how we can support them in forging their own paths.

The Connected Girl is a podcast series produced by the International Coalition of Girls' Schools. In this season, we’re looking at how the adults in girls' lives can nurture agency – the confidence and capacity to act – while allowing girls to evolve, experiment, tolerate discomfort, and sometimes fail. Listen to this compelling episode so you can guide your girl into the future, ready to tackle society’s expectations without losing herself along the way. International Coalition for Girls Schools · Dr Hinshaw’s profile in the psychology department at Berkeley · Why Girls Apologise Too Much (Child Mind Institute) · Books by Stephen P. Hinshaw (Goodreads)  · The Triple Bind: Moms Who Work (Psychology Today)   · National Coalition of Girls' Schools