Shelley: Wonderful to have time with you, Spiffy! There is growing interest in investing in the early years—and for good reason. Children with high-quality early experiences do better in school, earn more income over their lifetimes, and enjoy better health. Furthermore, their parents are more secure in employment, and their families are more stable. That’s why for decades my colleagues and I have developed and implemented programs that meet children’s needs and support the grown-ups in their lives. Two of our signature programs are Start Right Now, which uses interactive audio instruction to link health, education, and workforce development, and First 10.
Amir: Thanks for having me, Spiffy! We see a lot of men and boys in sports and technology; we want to help bring more girls and women into sports and technology too, so that we can achieve more as a group.
Charly: It’s great to meet you too, Spiffy! Thanks for having me. To answer your question - not all young people have access to the same opportunities, be that educational, work-related, or wider experiences. This is often related to the income of a family or an area, but it can really hold a young person back. They may not be given the same opportunities to learn. They also might not know people who can help them achieve what they want to. Combined with this, society and individuals hold unfair beliefs about what people can achieve based on their gender. Girls and young women are often told that they have to look and act a particular way, and that there are only certain jobs that they can do. This is not true; nor is it fair! We match girls with professional women from lots of different jobs to show them that it is possible!
