Girls entering grades 4th to 8th are invited to enroll in the Ms President US program, which begins (via Zoom) October 2nd.
The mission of Ms President US is to motivate and prepare girls to aim for the highest civic leadership positions and to know that they can achieve them. As Ridgefield's First Selectman, Rudy Marconi, stated, "Ms President US fills a niche that is very important - we need to have more women involved in politics, and this is a great foundation, building skills."
The program accomplishes this by introducing the girls to students and women who are leaders in their community, state, and on a national level. The girls then have a chance to interact with the leaders, and engage in activities that help them develop their own leadership skills. Each session is facilitated by high school girls who serve as mentors throughout the program.
Session topics include:
- Civic Leadership / Public Service
- Meet & Greet Local, State, and Federal Leaders
- Women’s History and Leadership
- Public Speaking & Debate
- Communications & Media
- State Capitol Visit
The program culminates in a campaign and election whereby participants have the opportunity to create their own campaign (or work on another participant's campaign) and run for “Ms President US” of their town. The winner is invited to appearances throughout the year, and works with town leaders (announcing the start of races, giving speeches at events, etc.). There have been eleven Ms President US winners to date.
High school girls with leadership experience are encouraged to apply to be mentors. Visit the Mentor page of the website to learn more.
