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Perspective | A decade of growth, a lifetime of impact: LEAD Girls of NC’s partnership with local middle schools yields results

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LEAD Girls of NC celebrates a decade of bringing positive change for middle school girls in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. Courtesy of Joy Thomas

Throughout 2026, LEAD Girls of NC has been celebrating 10 years of serving middle school girls in our community. Programming includes our flagship in-school and weekend workshops, summer camps, and STEM-focused and talent development intensives made possible by partnerships with Title I middle schools across Forsyth County.

Middle school is an influential season in any child’s life, especially for girls whose resources do not match their limitless potentials. Since 2016, LEAD has been equipping hundreds of middle school girls each year with the tools, skills, and confidence to make positive decisions that help them be successful at home, in school, and out in the community. In 2026, we project that LEAD programs will touch nearly 500 girls.

Our Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools partners have been a huge part of our success. In the schools, LEAD Girls trained facilitators direct biweekly sessions with cohorts of 15-20 students focusing on topics such as leadership, communications, conflict resolution, and confidence. Being able to connect and engage with girls during the school day is key because it is often in school that they feel most challenged — academically, socially, and behaviorally.

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What we’ve found over the years is that our in-school programming is having a significant impact not only in how the girls view themselves but how they are succeeding in the classroom and beyond. Conflict resolution skills are helping them navigate difficult situations. Leadership tools are encouraging them to engage with school clubs and teams. Communication role playing is making it easier for them to discuss issues or surface problems.

I recently asked the principal of one of our partner middle schools to share her thoughts on the impact of LEAD curriculums.

“LEAD Girls has been a meaningful partner in supporting our students,” said Monica Comer, principal of Walkertown Middle School. “I truly believe social-emotional learning feeds academic success. When students feel connected, supported, and confident, they are more willing to come to school, engage, and be ready to learn. LEAD has helped meet those needs for our girls and has been part of Walkertown’s growth journey. One of the best signs of that impact is seeing our girls proudly wearing their LEAD sweatshirts and feeling a real sense of belonging to the program.”

As the founder and executive director of LEAD, hearing these testimonies from our partner principals reaffirms what I know to be true — our programs make a difference. And what we all want — LEAD, families, girls, school leaders — is to have more girls engaging with LEAD.

LEAD Girls of NC celebrates 10 years of impact in the Triad

LEAD Girls has been fortunate to have foundations, businesses, and individual donors supporting our mission financially to enable our in-school programming. It costs $1,000 per student per year for our curriculum. In the past, some of our school partners have been able to fund their LEAD curriculums independently, but with shrinking budgets, the dollars are significantly more limited. In 2026, we’ve raised $50,000 to date through private sources to supplement what schools are able to pay to make our programs possible.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to serve as many girls as we or our partner principals would like. I recently had a principal of a school where our curriculum serves 15 students in sixth grade ask if we could expand our program to also serve girls in seventh and eighth grades. She has seen the benefits — improved academics, fewer behavior issues, and more student engagement.

We’re continuing to reach out to funders and our community to share more about LEAD’s work. In September, we announced that LEAD is moving from our rented property to purchasing a building of our own with more space for programming and resources. We look forward to hosting a Community Open House in spring 2027. And, in November, we are hosting a Community Forum to present our report, LEADing the Way: 10 Findings for 10 Years, based on a decade of LEAD data and impact.

If you are interested in attending our forum, please visit our website to register.