The Teach a Girl to Lead® Reading Project was designed to lift girls’ leadership ambitions and redefine leadership for boys and girls. If a girl can’t imagine a woman leader, how can she become one? And if a boy sees only men in leadership roles, what will convince him to support aspiring women leaders?
Every year, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) encourages women officials to go into elementary school classrooms across America to read to students. Deploying women officials to read the book to children reinforces the message of women’s participation in the civic life of our nation. Most importantly, living, breathing women leaders in the classroom serve as crucial role models for the girls. In the words of Marian Wright Edelman, “You can’t be what you can’t see.”
Thanks to the generous support of The Hess Foundation and the Honorable Constance Hess Williams, each year CAWP sends a copy of the book to every woman state legislator, statewide elected executive, including governors, and member of Congress, along with a discussion guide and information about other free educational resources available to teachers and librarians on the Teach a Girl to Lead® website. The books are donated to school libraries after the readings.
Anyone can participate in this project – see book suggestions and discussion guides below! Additional book suggestions, including by age range, can be found on our Book List page.
Grace for President Discussion Guide
Grace for President Reading Day Social Media Kit
Grace Goes to Washington Discussion Guide
Grace Goes to Washington Reading Day Social Media Kit
Sofia Valdez, Future Prez Discussion Guide
If I Were President Discussion Guide
If I Were President Reading Day Social Media Kit