Introduction

Each student has the opportunity to develop leadership skills within the co-curricular program of their choice. Students develop voice and experience in our women-centric, empowering environment.

Signature Events

Women Of Impact

Notre Dame advances women's leadership within our larger community by honoring women of impact and creating space for them to engage with our students.

Woman's Place Project

In their freshman year, all students undertake the interdisciplinary study of the strength and contributions of women across time, culture and industry, each honoring an individual woman.

Young Women's Advocacy Summit

At the Young Women's Advocacy Summit, attended by local politicians and community members, seniors advocate on behalf of the organizations they've served through their Senior Service Learning Project (SSLP).

The Value of Women’s Education

Academic Outcomes1

Linda Sax’s UCLA study of women in single-sex and co-educational high schools found a statistically significant difference between the two groups noting that graduates of the single-sex schools have:

  • greater academic engagement
  • higher SAT scores
  • greater interest in grad school
  • higher confidence in math & computer skills
  • greater interest in engineering careers
  • greater political engagement

Self Confidence2

According to a study in the Journal of Educational Psychology, girls who attend all-girls Catholic high schools experienced higher academic achievement, higher educational aspirations and higher self-esteem.

 

Leadership3

Of girls’ school grads, 93% say they were offered greater leadership opportunities than peers at co-ed schools and 80% have held leadership positions since graduating from high school.

Meaningful Relationships4

A study prepared for the U.S. Department of Education observed, “more positive academic and behavioral interactions between teachers and students in the single-sex schools than in the comparison to co-ed schools.”

 

Careers in STEM5

Girls’ school grads are 6 times more likely to consider majoring in math, science and technology compared to girls who attend co-ed schools.:

Positive Environment6

“Girls’ schools create a school environment where girls are encouraged to take risks, to see themselves as leaders, to resist pressure to hide or deny their intelligence and interest in school, to learn how to work collaboratively and compete fairly.”

 

The Challenge

Even though women earn 60% of the college degrees each year they only represent...

36%

of medical
doctors

27%

of the
US Congress

26%

of executive
officers

Our Solution

Women-centric spaces disrupt the limitations women have faced by promoting emowerment, cutlivating confident, providing representation and enabling broad access to skill-building free from stereotypes of what is, or is not, possible for women.

Notre Dame offers students leadership opportunities within the school community and helps students grow as servant leaders who answer the call of social justice within the greater community.

A women-centric learning community provides an environment where academic achievement is valued and does not conflict with social acceptance.

Notre Dame is led by a team of individuals highly experienced in education, business and nonprofit management who have seen first-hand the benefits of a women-centric environment.

Sources: (1) Linda J. Sax, Ph.D., “Women Graduates of Single-Sex and Coeducational High Schools: Differences in their Characteristics and the Transition to College” (2)Valerie Lee and Anthony Bryk, “Effects of Single-Sex Secondary Schools on Student Achievement and Attitudes” (3)Whitney Ransome and Meg Milne Moulton, “Why Girls’ Schools? The Difference in Girl-Centered Education” (4) Goodman Research Group, “The Girls’ School Experience: A Survey of Young Alumnae of Single-Sex Schools” (5) U.S. Department of Education (6) National Coalition of Girls’ Schools.

We Develop Women of Impact: LEARN HOW