ApplyInsights: An Inside Look at All-Girls Learning Environments

Break the bias. That was the leading theme of International Women’s Day in 2022. Bridging the gap of gender inequality and segregation was a point of emphasis this year, which, despite recent progress, still exists in communities, workplaces, and schools around the world.

One of the brightest sparks fuelling this initiative within education are all-girls learning environments. Last year, we wrote about research that found that all-girls learning environments breed more confident, ambitious students with a higher sense of self-respect. We wanted to ground this research with real-life experience, so we brought together representatives from three of our all-girls partner schools to discuss why these environments consistently help women thrive in their study journeys and careers.

On International Women’s Day 2022, ApplyBoard’s Meg Foote hosted the “All-Girls Learning Environments Powering Women Towards Post-Graduate Success” webinar in an effort to learn more about what’s being done within the education industry to break the bias.

Here’s how it all went down:

Shaping Young Women’s Self Confidence

Here’s a jarring statistic: 87% of students in an all-girls learning environment feel like their voice is valued and respected, while only 58% of girls in a co-ed learning environment feel the same way.¹

But if you ask leaders of some of Canada’s premier all-girls schools, the bump in confidence and self-respect felt by their students doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s expected.

“We know that girls at a very young age are told that men are inherently smarter or more talented than them, which in turn can make them less motivated to pursue certain types of careers,” says Jodi Hafenbrak, Principal of Middle and Senior School Balmoral Hall School. “But at all-girls schools, those biases are completely smashed.”

A cornerstone of all-girls learning environments is providing students with the ability to see themselves and each other as role models. Representation matters.

At Balmoral Hall, Sacred Heart, and Brescia, it’s normal to look around and see other young women who are aspiring scientists, political leaders, athletes, computer programmers, and business leaders.

“Here, you don’t see the biases. You don’t know them because they’re not around you. At all-girls schools, girls take on all roles and interests. So the biases that exist in other learning environments aren’t exposed to our students on a daily basis. We’re breaking biases by not having any in the schools themselves.”

– Ankia Maloni, Director of Academics, The Sacred Heart School of Montreal

Our entire panel agreed that all-girls schools aim to provide an environment that fosters growth and development for young women, allows them to explore a wealth of career opportunities, and helps them find their authentic voice.

“I think we provide a space for women to reflect on their values and practice their character and find out who they are,” says Dr. Frederking. “That allows them to move on after graduating and find success in their career paths.”

The Power of “Not Yet”

There’s a wide array of ways the all-girls schools on our panel are working to forge women’s equality and build students’ confidence so they’re ready to tackle biases head-on.

In every program at Brescia, instructors talk about what it means to be a leader, constantly offering the opportunity for students to explore ways to navigate difficult conversations and conflicts in workplaces.

The common denominator for these institutions is the provision of safe spaces to try new things. Specifically, trying new things without the fear of failure.

“We know that young women have a tendency to be perfectionists, and if they can’t do something well the first time, they sometimes shy away from it,” says Hafenbrak. “So at an all-girls school, we build that resilience and work with them on the power of ‘not yet.’ Saying, ‘Hey, maybe you didn’t get it yet, but you will.’”

Watch the entire candid roundtable conversation between Laurette, Jodi, and Anika.

All-girls schools are aligned in their encouragement of helping their students be comfortable with failure because it helps facilitate the recognition that their voice is important.

“We’ve had universities come to us and say, ‘We know when we see students from all-girls education because they’re the first ones to put their hands up, they’re the first ones to debate a topic, give their opinion, or volunteer to do something,” says Hafenbrak.” That power of giving them a safe space to not only try things but to fail is making a big impact.”

Dispelling Preconceived Notions

The stigma around all-girls schools is real. Many parents, or even prospective students themselves, are hesitant to make the leap to an all-girls learning environment because they’re worried. They’re either worried about there being too much drama and “mean girl” behaviours, or they’re worried that all-girls schools may shelter students from the real world.

“We see it as our job as educators to help them deal with conflicts in a supportive way. The missions and the goals and values that we set around students are strong and clear. We strive to set a tone and an environment that avoids that kind of behaviour,“ says Maloni. “As an alumnus and an educator at an all-girls school, I see that students are actually better equipped to deal with conflict.”

ApplyBoard is proud to be home to the STEM for Change Scholarship Program, which offers up to C$100,000 in scholarships to women applying to study STEM at an ApplyBoard Canadian partner school.

When it comes to the notion that all-girls schools are not representative of the real world, these educators are adamant that reality is a foundational piece of their wider strategy.

“We know that during adolescence, girls’ confidence drops. They’re more self-conscious, they question themselves, and I feel that our schools can help to build up self-esteem to a point where girls are able to leave these walls and tackle the world head-on,” says Maloni. “Girls’ schools are training grounds where students have room to grow, fail, and develop their talents so they’re ready to shape a better world once they leave us.”

Another piece that helps all-girls students be ready for life after graduation is a balanced staff. Contrary to popular belief, all-girls schools do not only employ women.
“We have men in different departments and leadership positions across all of our schools which helps our students understand that this is a real-world environment and that they’re learning how to work cooperatively with male counterparts,” says Hafenbrak.

All-Girls Schools Producing STEM Rockstars

Girls’ school grads are six times more likely to consider majoring in STEM fields at post-secondary institutions than girls who attended co-ed schools.² This all boils down to opportunity.

At all-girls schools, students are provided with the opportunity, exposure, and involvement they need to pursue any academic interest they express interest in.

We always want to make sure we’re encouraging our students to further explore their interests,” says Maloni. “Especially those fields that are typically dominated by men.”

At Balmoral Hall students have the opportunity to work on their problem solving, creativity and communication skills through mentorship programs with a local professional that works in a student’s area of interest. Through these programs, girls are able to figure out if something is actually what they want to do.

We’re showing the girls that even before they leave our doors, there’s a whole world of possibilities for them,” says Hafenbrak. “This really helps guide them to tackling their goals in a post-secondary environment.”

Dr. Frederking says that the theme of constructive partnerships continues at Brescia University College, where students have more access and opportunity for flexible education in a way that women were not able to in co-ed high schools.

“We’re seeing more and more companies are being more intentional about gender equality. We’re working with a number of organizations to create systemic change and an equal working environment for female graduates everywhere.”

Shaping Leaders

One of the most impressive feats of all-girls learning environments is their ability to form strong women who go on to pursue leadership roles in their professional careers. 4 in every 5 all-girls school grads have held leadership positions since graduating from high school. At Brescia, Balmoral Hall, and Sacred Heart, building confidence is the key ingredient in empowering their young leaders.

“Most of us would rather stick to something familiar than trying something new, especially if it has external social pressures around it. But in the all-girls environment, all of that pressure and fear of embarrassment is removed,” says Maloni. “As a result, the girls can develop the courage they need to try new things.”

All-girls schools have also tailored portions of their curriculum to cover non-conventional but crucial topics for young girls’ development. Sacred Heart is looking at issues like sleep, stress, healthy eating, mindfulness, and sex.

Balmoral Hall offers flexible learning programs where students have the opportunity to join clubs and school activities, as well as teaching skillsets for organization, study skills and career awareness.

“At all-girls universities, we encourage women to look for something and tie themselves to something that’s bigger than them,” says Dr. Frederking. “Get out of yourself, get over yourself, it’s time to get moving. The greatest way to get rid of those insecurities is to dive into a project so you just don’t have time to check your hair in the morning.”

Looking Forward

ApplyBoard is proud to partner with Brescia University College, Balmoral Hall School, and The Sacred Heart School of Montreal, which are doing incredibly important work.

By providing a safe space where young women are able to invite failure, challenge one another, and be surrounded by female role models, all-girls schools are setting examples of what every learning environment should strive to offer.

We’re eager to continue helping more ambitious young women attend these institutions and contribute to levelling the playing field within both the education sector and in life after school.

Published: March 18, 2022

About the ApplyInsights Team

FOOTNOTES:

1. Source: Women Graduates of Single-Sex and Coeducational High Schools: Differences in their Characteristics and the Transition to College. Linda J. Sax, Ph.D., Principal Investigator.

2. Source: Fostering Academic and Social Engagement: An Investigation into the Effects of All-Girls Education in the Transition to University. Tiffani Riggers-Piehl, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, with Gloria Lim, Ph.D., and Karen King.