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Girls Belong Here Program

Girls Belong Here: What I Learned as a Student Ambassador

Hi! I’m Grace, today I’m reflecting on my experience with Girls Belong Here by Plan International Canada.

About the Program

Girls Belong Here pairs students with executives for a “seat share” so we can shadow leaders, contribute ideas, and see decision-making up close.

Screenshot of Plan International Canada's Girls Belong Here page
Screenshot from Plan International Canada
“Now is the moment to support girls as they lead us toward a better tomorrow. Seize this moment, take a stand, and declare that Girls Belong Here.”

My Seat Share at Plan

I shadowed Nadine, VP of Business Development at Plan. Watching her lead teams, stay mission-driven, and keep momentum through busy days (yes, during midterms!) was incredibly motivating.

What stood out

  • Adapt quickly: plans change; flexibility keeps projects moving.
  • Protect your energy: time-management enables real work–life balance.
  • Lead with service: keep people and impact at the center of decisions.

Notes from Staff Conversations (Finance & Ops)

  • E-courses & internal docs: keep learning compounding.
  • Capture and refine info: save templates and playbooks for reuse.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset: seek opportunities and propose experiments.
  • Think long-term: small, consistent steps beat big, inconsistent ones.
  • Skills first: build the ability to solve problems—passion often follows.
  • When imposter syndrome hits: many people step up before they feel 100% ready—stretch beyond your comfort zone.
  • Networking matters: relationships open doors and perspectives.

Climate Program Takeaways

From Plan’s climate work: plancanada.ca/what-we-do/climate-change

  • Local resilience: community infrastructure and preparedness for extreme rain (e.g., DVP corridor).
  • Environmental impact: protect wetlands and shorelines.
  • Clean energy access: reduces reliance on polluting fuels.
  • Economic empowerment: youth unemployment is a core challenge.
  • Campus actions: divestment discussions, public-health framing, advocacy.
  • Mobilization is hard—but doable: start small and build momentum.

Advice I’m Keeping (from other participants)

  • Grow self-esteem by keeping promises to yourself.
  • Test assumptions: talk to users, mentors, and peers.
  • Act on strong convictions: ship, learn, iterate.
  • Take feedback: use what helps and keep moving.
  • Raise your hand: focus effort where it’s welcomed.
  • It’s never too late to start something meaningful.
  • Perfectionism blocks progress: done > perfect when learning.
  • Feeling lost is normal: ask questions; you’ll figure it out.
  • No excuses: if it matters, schedule it and start.
  • The internet is a free resource: be scrappy; use what you have.
  • Break big goals into steps: make the first step take 15 minutes.

Thanks for reading—I'd love to hear how we can empower one another. If you’re a high-school or university student curious about programs like this, ask me anything in the comments. Stay safe! — Grace

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