GIRL-CENTERED DESIGN CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN LEADERS

Equipping Women to Shatter Barriers for Girls

Welcome to the Girls First Institute, the premier skills-building, outcomes-improving professional development program designed exclusively for women who uplift girls in their communities. Led by and for women serving girls in the Global South.

In a sector where access to affordable, high-quality training is scarce, we are committed to bridging this gap and equipping women with the skills and knowledge you need to address the most pressing needs of girls in your communities—with free professional development certification.

Why Choose the Girls First Institute by She’s the First?

Unlike generic, one-size-fits-all training, the Girls First Institute provides customized programs specifically for locally and women-led girl-focused organizations. We equip leaders and practitioners with the skills and knowledge you need to deliver girl-centered programming, primarily:

  • Girl-Centered Program Design

  • Feminist Mentorship for Girls

  • Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights programming

  1. Girl-Centered Program Design

    • Learn how to effectively center girls in the entire program design cycle. 

    • Develop facilitation skills to host ethical focus groups with girls.

    • Learn how to measure the impact of your program on the girls.

  2. Feminist Mentorship for Girls

    • Understand how mentorship can build agency for girls. 

    • Learn how to design a mentorship program that best aligns with your program's goals. 

    • Strengthen your mentoring skills to create safe and inclusive spaces for girls to thrive.

  3. Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights Programming

    • Learn how to design responsive SRHR programs for the unique needs of girls in your programs.

    • Learn how to create safe and brave spaces for girls 

    • Learn different facilitation techniques to foster more open conversations and inspire healthy relationships.

Certification Levels

The Girls First Institute by She’s the First offers two levels of certification to recognize and validate your organization’s professional growth and achievements:

Essential Certification

  • This certification level focuses on foundational skills and knowledge in three key areas. Once completed, your organization will be prepared to strengthen its programs for girls.

  • Your organization will receive the Essential Certification digital badge to display on your website, and your organization’s name will be displayed on the Girls First Institute page.

  • Complete and use two She’s the First resources or toolkits.

    Complete one She’s the First training, which may include: 

    • Virtual training on the use of the toolkits 

    • Received and trained on the WWYD game 

    • Girls First Summit (virtual or in person)

    • Ellas al Frente

    Report each resource and training’s completion and participate in an assessment or a focus group as an organization.

Advanced Certification

  • Our Advanced Certification is for organizations ready to commit to a longer-term, intensive training program. It encompasses a set of highly selective programs, including our Girl-Centered Incubator, Ellas al Frente, and Partner Coalition. 

  • Your organization will receive the Advanced Certification digital badge to display on your website, and your organization’s name will appear on the Girls First Institute page.

  • In-depth programs: Intensive three-year programs for recruited organizations that include training, funding, and coaching, such as the Girl-Centered Incubator and Ellas al Frente.

    Targeted Training for Partners: We offer customized individual and group training sessions tailored to the needs of our coalition partner organizations. We provide on-site support at least once during the three-year term.

    Preference is given to organizations that have completed Essential Certification, but it is optional to have been a member before. Applications for Advanced Certification are currently closed. We will first announce open applications to alums of the Essential Certification program, then across our communications channels.

Program Benefits

  • Free Certification

  • Accessible Resources

  • Virtual Learning

  • Exclusive Network

  • Annual Conference

  • Pipelines to Funding & Advocacy Opportunities

  • Public Acknowledgement of Your Achievement

Join the Movement

The Girls First Institute is more than a training program; it’s a movement to elevate the role of women who support marginalized girls and amplify their impact. Changing girls’ environments starts with investing in you—the women who run programs for underserved girls. We will teach you ways to increase girls’ power and voice within your organization so you can create more effective programming for them.

Together, we can build a world where every girl chooses her own future.

Enroll Now

We deeply appreciate our Girls First Institute funding partners, including:

[Bobbi Brown] [Estee Lauder] [Kotex] [Dioraphte] [LVH] [Summit] [Stone Family] [Ward] [Adventures for the Mind] [InMaat] [Together Women Rise] [Women & Girls Leadership Fund] [Kathryn McQuade]