On July 14th in Washington, D.C., First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the Girl Up Leadership Summit as part of her Let Girls Learn initiative. In the audience there were more than 225 young female leaders representing 29 states and 11 countries. The Girl Up Leadership Summit is a three day event hosted by Girl Up, the United Nations Foundation’s adolescent girl campaign. The theme of the summit was “Stand Up. Speak Up. Rise Up.” and girls will build the confidence to seize the moment, learn the skills to make their voices heard, and finally take their message to Capitol Hill. The summit began on July 13th and will end on July 15th, the young leaders will for three days of leadership training, dynamic speakers, engaging skills-based workshops, and an official lobby day on Capitol Hill.
The First Lady’s keynote came on the second day of the Girl Up Leadership Summit. She spoke about the initiative and the importance of expanding access to education for adolescent girls around the world. Immediately following her remarks there was be a panel discussion on the importance of education with several dedicated advocates. Here are my 10 favorite quotes:
- “When you educate a girl, you give her the keys to a brighter future. Period.” – Teen Advisor Rocio
- “Think about what it would be like to see your brothers going off to school everyday while you were stuck at home.” – Michelle Obama
- “Think about how many of those 62M [out of school] girls might have the potential to discover a cure for cancer.” – Michelle Obama
- “An education just doesn’t just transform a girl’s life. It transforms their communities, too.” –Michelle Obama
- “I want you all to keep on standing up, speaking up, and rising up in your school and communities.” – Michelle Obama
- “Girls, be strong. You can make many things happen.” – Mirabel Nfihkela Ngong
- “Every girl deserves to have a voice… Let your voices be heard.” – Mirabel Nfihkela Ngong
- “The world has never been bigger, but because of you, the world has never had a better chance.” – Aaron Sherinian
- “Involving men and boys is important in helping girls become empowered.” – Pamela Agnone
- “Educating girls makes their lives, communities and world better. That’s why we supports Let Girls Learn.”