Take a Girl to Work Day
Opening Doors to What’s Possible
Take a Girl to Work Day gives sixth grade girls across Fort Wayne the opportunity to explore careers, meet women in leadership, and experience the workplace firsthand. Through conversation and hands-on experiences, girls get a closer look at the many paths their futures can take.
The Women’s Fund launched Take a Girl to Work Day in partnership with the Rotary Club of Fort Wayne in 2024, reimagining the traditional Take Your Daughter to Work Day program for today’s youth. Rather than limiting participation to a girl’s relationship with a parent or caregiver, the initiative creates opportunities for girls to connect with local women leaders and learn from their experiences.
The result is a community-wide effort that opens doors, shows possibilities, and helps girls see leadership as something they can achieve. In 2024, the inaugural event connected 200 sixth grade girls with mentors at 30 workplaces across Fort Wayne, followed by a sold-out luncheon where local women shared their workplace experiences. The annual event has grown into a countywide experience connecting students from all four public school districts with local employers and community leaders.
Mark Your Calendar
Visit our Events page for details on this year’s Take a Girl to Work Day event!
Why This Work Matters
Economic security begins long before entering the workforce. It begins with having the opportunity to imagine a future—and knowing that the doors to that future are open.
Take a Girl to Work Day is part of our mission to advance Economic Security for women and girls. By connecting young girls with women in leadership and exposing them to a range of careers, the program helps expand their understanding of what they can do, where they can go, and who they can become.
Learn more about our Economic Security work.
The need is clear. The Women’s Fund’s Allen County Women in the Workplace Report found that women hold just 38.7% of leadership roles in Allen County, while women make up 77.8% of the bottom 10% of salaries. The data shows we still have work to do to create more equitable opportunities for women to advance and lead.
We believe part of that work starts by helping girls see possibilities early by surrounding them with women who can say, “I’ve been there. I succeeded. And you can, too.”
Read the Women in the Workplace Report.
Start the Conversation and Spark What’s Next
Take a Girl to Work Day brings together young girls, local schools, employers, and women leaders for an experience designed to make the workplace more accessible and inspiring.
The Women’s Fund works with all four public school districts in Allen County to identify participating schools and connect students with this opportunity. From there, participating mentor sites open their doors for a day of workplace exploration, hands-on activities, job shadowing, and conversations with female leaders and mentors across a variety of industries.
The day concludes with a community luncheon where students and mentors come together to hear from women leaders and celebrate the possibilities ahead.
Your Role in Her Future
A single experience can change the way a girl sees herself and her future. Whether you open your workplace, provide financial support, or help spread the word, you can help move what matters.
Take a Girl to Work Day is free for participating students—and always will be. Your financial and in-kind support helps provide student materials like journals and goodie bags, training materials for participating employers, and more—removing barriers so more girls can explore what’s possible for their future.
Become a Mentor Site
Open your workplace and help young girls see what’s possible. If you’d like to register as a mentor site, please contact Chynna Presley, Economic Security Specialist, at cpresley@cfgfw.org or call 260-969-3304.
-
Pending
Pending
Pending
-
Pending
Pending
Pending
-
Pending
Pending
Pending
Become a Sponsor
Your investment helps make Take a Girl to Work Day accessible to more girls while supporting the resources and experiences that make the day meaningful. Show your commitment to creating opportunities for girls throughout our community as an event sponsor.
Media Resources
Help us spread the word about Take a Girl to Work Day and the importance of creating pathways to leadership for girls across our community.
Host Your Own Take a Girl to Work Day!
You don’t have to be an official mentor site to make an impact. Bring a girl in your life to work and let her sit in on a meeting, ask questions, see how decisions are made, and experience the many paths a career can take. Our Community Toolkit offers ideas and resources to help you create an impactful experience.
Keep Moving What Matters
Every girl deserves the opportunity to see a future filled with possibility—and the support to pursue it. When you become a member of the Women’s Fund, you help invest in the research, education, advocacy, and programs that create greater opportunity for women and girls in Allen County.
See the Possibilities in Action!
From workplace tours and hands-on projects to conversations with women leaders, job shadowing, and opportunities to ask questions, every mentor site brings something unique to the experience.
Take a look at moments from past Take a Girl to Work Day experiences and see how our community is opening doors for the next generation of women leaders.
