Women Leading the Way, a leadership conference for middle school girls, will expand its reach to all Austin Independent School District (ISD) middle schools at its upcoming event on May 11. The program, founded by Latoya Edwards, Economic Opportunity Office Coordinator at Austin ISD, aims to foster engagement, collaboration, overcoming obstacles, goal setting and empowerment among participants.
The initiative is designed to help young women learn from accomplished professionals and envision their own futures. It seeks to build confidence and practical skills that can support students as they advance through school and into adulthood. The inaugural cohort in 2025 included 22 students from across the district.
Dobie Middle School student Laila Patrick said she joined Women Leading the Way after hearing about it from her teacher. “I set new goals and I’m doing sports now,” Patrick said. “Try it because you can learn some new things and it can be really fun.” Webb Middle School student Alika Amani also participated last year. “I feel more empowered about myself and I can do more things than I did before,” Amani said. “[Women] could do it too even if we have less of a chance than men do.”
This year’s event will offer hands-on sessions for attendees from 13 participating schools on topics such as situational awareness, mental health strategies and financial literacy. Specific workshops include an internship introduction session, a W-4 tax form walkthrough, a mindfulness room and “Mad City,” where representatives from A+ Credit Union will guide students through real-world budgeting exercises.
The Austin Independent School District supports a multicultural environment with over 100 languages spoken by students; it operates 116 diverse school communities including elementary through high schools; maintains a graduation rate of 93.3 percent while exceeding state averages on SAT and ACT scores; educates more than 72,000 students with over 5,000 classroom teachers; focuses on partnering with families to equip students for success in college or career; provides instruction in more than 100 languages with programs offered in eleven languages other than English—all according to the official website.
Organizers say that expanding Women Leading the Way offers more opportunities for young women across Austin ISD to gain valuable life skills.
