Lead Like A Girl 2021
The Lead Like A Girl (LLAG) Conference is an opportunity for middle school students to foster their leadership skills. It was created in 2019 by Head Girl at the time, Grace Goldberg, who believed it was important for young girls to develop leadership skills in order to be prepared for opportunities in the future. The conference is for girls by girls, it is entirely student-led, thus providing older students with leadership experience. What started as a leadership conference has now become an outlet for young girls to develop their skills in meaningful ways.
A Message from Elmwood's Head Girl:
This year’s theme is Leadership through a Canadian Indigenous Lens. Over the week-long conference, girls will explore the rich cultures of the Indigenous communities living in Unceded Territories and how leadership is manifested in each. Through learning about iconic historical figures such as The Great Peacemaker from the Iroquois Confederacy or the civil rights history of the Métis peoples, Elmwood students will be exposed to the various leadership roles within the Indigenous cultures. In the words of Grace, “Everyone has the potential and the ability to take on leadership roles in different ways.”
Head Girl, Sarah A.
“And if I don't do it, then who is going to protect the waters?”
- Autumn Peltier
Guest Speaker, Autumn Peltier
Autumn Peltier, Anishinaabe water-rights advocate, Anishinabek Nation Chief Water Commissioner, was born September 2004 in Wiikwemikoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island, ON. Autumn is a world-renowned water-rights advocate and a leading global youth environmental activist. In April 2019, she was appointed Chief Water Commissioner by the Anishinabek Nation and had spoken about the issue of contaminated water on Indigenous reserves in Canada at the United Nations. As an incredible leader, her feats serve as inspirations for Elmwood girls. We are extremely honoured for her to speak at the 2021 LLAG conference.
Lead Like a Girl 2021 is made possible with the generous support of Jennifer and Jeremy Bouchard.