Champlain College is holding an event on Mar. 8 for  International Women’s Day, emphasizing the importance of education on the young female mind. 

International Women’s Day celebrates women and equality. The film Girl Rising, directed by Richard E. Robbins, follows the lives of girls in struggling countries overcoming the fight to earn a proper education. The film was adapted into a nonfiction book by Champlain’s own Professional Writing Program Director Tanya Lee Stone.

According to Stone, “The single most powerful tool we have is to educate girls on a global level.” 

This is exactly what organizations like Girl Rising and Starfish International are trying to accomplish and what this upcoming event is trying to represent. Across the country, people will use Mar. 8 as a way to celebrate women. The idea of the Champlain-hosted event is to raise awareness on the education of girls, as well as hopefully gaining a heightened understanding of ways to get involved with the subject. In short, organizers want to make the issue known and highlight what can be done. 

As an organization, Girl Rising creates content focused on girls around the world, the hardships they face, and the courage they summon to overcome it by working with educators, schools, community organizations, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. As an outcome, there is a confidence formed within these girls to build voice, confidence, and positive gender attitude. Their newest project, Future Rising, incorporates girls’ education into the issue of climate change and how this education can help advocate for the world issue. 

Hosted by Naming Educational Whiteness (NEW) and in partnership with the Office of International Student Services (OISS), the event at Champlain will feature speeches from varying authors involved in the subject and two Champlain alumni, Absa and Mariama who were able to attend the college through the help of the Starfish International organization. Two chapters of the film, Girl Rising, will also be shown.

The event will take place in the Champlain Room from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to the public.

**Story has been edited to correct name spellings and several mistakes.