Julia Morgan School for Girls’ Girls in Government, Leadership, and Service (GGLS) is a group of students who meet one morning a week to learn more about government, leadership, current issues, and how to effectuate change. Led by Head of School Sandra Luna, the mission of GGLS is to:

– Provide opportunities to girls to publicly lead
– Learn about female leaders, past and present, world-wide, who continue to influence and inspire
– Learn how government functions on the local, state, and national levels
– Study issues that adversely affect women and girls; and how to bring about positive change.

In their first year, GGLS focused on educating and advocating others to close the gender wage gap. One of the highlights for the group was attending the 29th Annual Equal Rights Advocates luncheon, honoring Lilly Ledbetter. A video of girls in GGLS discussing what they would do with the accumulated earnings lost over the course of a lifetime due to the gender wage gap was shown to over 800 lawyers and activists.

Recently GGLS launched and led an inaugural event, Women of Courage Panel, in celebration of Rosa Parks’ birthday on February 4, 2014. The girls interviewed panelists about their lives, careers, and courage.

The panel included:

– Sergeant Mildred Oliver, Oakland Police Department
– Daphne Muse, activist, writer, social commentator, poet
– Jill Habig, California Special Assistant Attorney General
– Shonda Scott, local community organizer and media host
– Samar Dudin, Skyping from Jordan, Palestinian activist, community organizer and leader of an organization that works to improve the life of women and youth.

GGLS gives voice to developing leaders who are not afraid to advocate for a better future and who have the opportunity to learn from the inspirational women who surround them. Their experiences reinforce the school’s Mission to prepare the confident, capable, creative, and compassionate women of tomorrow.