Ep 4: Girls as Entrepreneurial Thinkers

“These are transferable skills that are going to prepare young people today really well for a really uncertain future. A future in which, to be real world ready, they are going to have to accept a greater degree of uncertainty, a greater degree of agility in moving through different careers during the time they are in the workforce.” (Dr. Kevin Stannard, GDST, London, England) The world in which our girls will one day lead will require flexibility, creative problem-solving, strategic risk-taking, persistence in the face of steep odds, fiscal savvy and more. Is teaching them an entrepreneurial mindset the way to set them up for success? Many educators of girls are convinced that it is. They believe that entrepreneurial skills are not just for those who want to start a business; they are the skills that intersect with real life, creating a mindset of “possibility” on a playing field that is still uneven for women leaders. Host Trudy Hall, former NCGS Board Chair and advocate for girls’ schools, talks with Dr. Kevin Stannard, Director of Innovation and Learning at the Girls’ Day School Trust(GDST) in London, England. The GDST is comprised of 25 schools and is a non-profit entity founded in 1872 by four pioneering women who believed that girls should have the same academic quality of education as their brothers. Since its inception, it has been singularly focused on providing academic excellence through research and best practice. Dr. Stannard joined the GDST from University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) where he was Director of Education. This podcast is created to prompt a conversation about the multiple ways in which girls benefit from developing an “entrepreneurial mindset.” In a world in which many high achieving girls are risk averse and/or struggle with perfectionism, understanding and implementing the process of design thinking can be liberating for them.