Girls in all divisions watched segments of the film Girl Rising, which explores the personal stories of girls around the world as they struggle for equal access to education. The Upper School Gender & Power class engaged in design thinking methods and developed “How Might We” questions based on research of issues around girls’ education and developed stakeholder maps. Girls in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools interviewed one another, asking How Might We:
…Change attitudes in developing countries so girls have an equal opportunity to learn?
…Improve the literacy rates of girls living in rural areas where no libraries exist?
…Have girls help each other to learn?
…Rethink the resources needed for girls to get an education?
…Make it safer for girls to get to school in developing countries?
…Build a learning network to help girls get an education?
Because the activity required girls to interview one another and document responses, girls understand one another’s perspectives more deeply. Girls are then photographed with their responses to encourage personal responsibility and ownership of the ideas proposed. The goal was for Ellis girls to develop empathy for girls everywhere, especially those who don’t have safe or easy access to education. Ellis then brought its Empathy Wall project to the regional Day of the Girl celebration.