What does it take to make a leader?

That's the question we asked when we started MiT. How do we take smart, ambitious, enthusiastic, and promising high school girls and help mold them into the leaders of tomorrow? We searched and came up with a list of skills that girls in high schools, especially urban high schools, just aren't learning. We made them our core values:Personal Awareness, Social Intelligence, Philanthropy, Cultural Awareness, Educational Curiosity, Civic Responsibility, Personal Branding.

We call them the MiT skills. These are the skills that, when added to intelligence, skill, ambition, drive, and relentlessness make what we call The MiT Girl. The girl who is elegant, confident, respectful, and experienced. The girl who constantly seeks new learning, new experiences, and new opportunities to serve. The girl, who, like the Patron Saint of MiT once was, is a Michelle in Training.

To foster these skills in our MiT girls, we created a program and built a curriculum around each of these skills. This summer we will accept applications from sophomore girls from one high school, recommended by the principal, teachers, counselors, and community leaders. We'll choose 25 girls to enter the first class of MiT, the class of 2015. For the next three years, we will work with them in these seven areas: brandHER, swagHER, schoolHER, hireHER, moveHER, leadHER, showHER.

The first year, they will spend a semester in the classroom, gaining knowledge in each soft skill and writing their own MiT handbook. The second semester they'll take that learning into the streets, visiting museums, theatres and restaurants, shopping for professional clothes and getting makeovers, even spending the day in the office with young professional women. Throughout the year they will also work on small service projects with female-centric nonprofit organizations around the District.

The second year, they will team up with mentors - young professional women around the city and they'll meet regularly with tutors to study for the standardized tests they need for their college applications. They will also work on one or two larger community service projects.

As seniors in their third year of MiT, the girls will mentor the first year class of MiT girls. They will also work with their mentors on their college applications and preparing to live on their own. Lastly, they will work together on a large-scale community service project of their choosing.

After three years, the girls will head to college with both the academic and real-world skills that they need to succeed. There is more to the world than what can be learned in a library and it is only through exposure and education that our girls will be prepared to handle everything life throws at them with dignity, grace and confidence to take it on. 

That's Michelle in Training.

So where is the money going?

Every penny you donate is going towards the girls. No one is taking a salary. Overhead will be less than 10% (the beauty of having no rent, utilities, or paychecks!) and the services and speakers will donate their time. The money raised in this campaign will go to:

Curriculums: We are writing thorough and challenging curriculums and every girl will receive her own MiT textbook to follow throughout the year, take notes in, and add pictures, mementos, and treasures from her journey. 

Self-published textbooks: $30/girl= $750

Transportation: Most of our girls will not have the means to pay for the extra trips to classes, field trips, workday visits, etc., so we'll be providing them with SmartTrip cards. 

Cards for each girl: $30/girl= $750

Food: As part of our moveHER curriculum, the girls will be making their own healthy lunches at every class with a guest chef. 

Food: $10/girl/class= $10/25/13= Approx. $3,250 ($130/girl)

Books: We'd love to write everything that ever needs to be said in our curriculum but some things we'll leave to the experts.

Additional books: $10/girl= $250

Team Building Field Trip: Since our girls will be working together for three years, we want to get things started right with a team building field trip. Our major sponsors will be invited too! 

Field trip: $100/girl= $2500

Class Costs: Each class has different features, whether trying new athletic activities in moveHER, style on a budget sessions in showHER, practicing study skills in schoolHER, or working on leadership exercises in leadHER. Most of these activities will be little to no cost, but, of course, with 25 girls in 13 classes, some will not! 

Classes: $100/girl= $2500

Total= $10,000 or $400/girl

We can't do it without you! Thank you!

Your donation will not only help us teach a high school girl etiquette and healthy eating, it will instill her with confidence and belief in herself and the knowledge that her community believes in her too.

$4,000, our tipping point, will allow us to start with a class of 10 girls. This is great, but not as great as what we can do with 25, which is why our big goal is $10,000. We can do it, with your help! 

*Michelle in Training is 501(c)(3) pending and all donations are tax deductible.