Dream It, Be It
May 21, 2022
Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls gives girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse.
What We Do
Although all girls face barriers because of their gender, we prioritize working with girls who have additional obstacles including poverty, unstable home lives, living in foster care, or teen motherhood. Soroptimist clubs work in partnership with girls in small groups or a conference setting to provide them with the information and resources they want and need to be successful.
There When It Matters Most
By reaching girls while they are still young, we not only can help them stay healthy and safe in the short term, but we can reduce the number of women in crisis in the future. Putting them on a path will help them realize their dreams.
Topics We Cover
- Career opportunities
- Setting and achieving goals
- Overcoming obstacles to success
- Moving forward after setbacks or failures
Why We Do It
Far too many girls face barriers on the pathway to achieving their dreams. Obstacles such as poverty, teen dating violence, and teen pregnancy can get in the way of a girl’s ability to make her dreams a reality. Dream It, Be It equips girls to overcome their obstacles, set goals, and head towards success.
Our Impact
Soroptimist launched the Dream It, Be It curriculum in 2015. Since then, more than 55,000 girls around the world have participated.
For more information about the Soroptimist of Merced program, please contact us.
Every year Soroptimist International of Merced hosts a free, day-long conference for local high school girls interested in learning about career opportunities and beginning to develop professional skills called: Dream It, Be It. The event aims to help girls grow to be strong, successful, and happy adults.
At the conference, participants attend several sessions where they learn about potential career paths that match their personalities and strengths, setting and achieving goals, and overcoming obstacles to personal and professional success. Special inspirational speakers share how the girls can select careers that fit their unique skills and experiences, as well as how to become resilient leaders.
“We don’t expect that all high school girls will know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. So, our goal is to help them develop skills throughout the day that will serve them throughout their education and careers,” said Dream It, Be It committee chair Mary-Michal Rawling. “Girls are more likely to grow into confident and capable professionals if they can learn early on how to avoid being thrown off course when they face challenging situations.”
In addition to learning important life skills, the students also participate in fun activities and receive a variety of resources to support them in the future. Breakfast and lunch are included.
The conference is free but advance registration, including written permission by a parent or guardian, is required to attend. Participants must be in high school.
Registration forms can be obtained here. DiBi flyer with registration forms 2021
For information about our next conference, please email: simerced@soroptimist.net.
