A group of middle school girls had the opportunity to learn about financial literacy, healthy eating and responsible social-media use as part of a new inter-school leadership conference.

The She Leads Middle School Conference, which took place at the Bermuda High School from March 27 to 29, included students from BHS, the Bermuda Centre for Creative Learning, Dellwood, Mount Saint Agnes, Saltus, Warwick Academy, Sandys Secondary and Whitney Institute.

Organised by BHS with sponsorship from HSBC, the event was created as an extension of the She Leads: A Real-World Readiness Programme, which runs in the summer for female students entering their final year of high school.

Selita Daniels and Shantel Smith, from HSBC, spoke to the girls about financial literacy, Catherine Burns, of Waterfront Wellness, shared information on healthy eating, and Maya Palacio, of Media Maya, spoke on social-media responsibility.

The participants also enjoyed a yoga session with Che Beane, of Beyond Fitness, while Shirley Kelly, the She Leads facilitator, took the girls through a workshop on friendships and positive peer pressure. They also took part in a public-speaking workshop where they practised their skills in a small environment, allowing them to build confidence.

On the last day of the conference, the students welcomed invited guests to view projects they had created during the conference to showcase all they had learnt.

Linda Parker, the head of BHS, said that the young women had “supported and encouraged each other over the last few days”, and she urged them to “take their new-found confidence back to their respective schools to keep pushing and trying new things”.

Ms Parker added: “From talking to the girls and seeing them over the course of the few days, it is clear that they have all had a very positive experience. One of the most heart-warming things to see was the new friendships formed between these students from schools across the island.”

Lyniah Woolridge, a Whitney student, said: “This programme has helped me make lots of new friends and made me step out of my comfort zone. Before the programme, I was nervous and now I feel that I can get out there more and be more confident.”

Joy Yammine, a student of BHS, said: “I think it’s definitely helped to build my confidence skills because before I came here I didn’t really know a lot of people outside of BHS, so it really helped me to branch out and meet new people, and I think that was one of the best parts of the programme for me.”

Judy Doidge, HSBC executive sponsor, said that her company was pleased to be able to offer the opportunity to female middle school students, helping to “empower them as they progress both academically and personally”.

Applications are being accepted for the summer She Leads Programme, which will run from July 3 to 7 at BHS. It is open to young women who will enter their final year of high school in September 2023.

Applications are due on April 21.

• For more information, visit www.bhs.bm/school-life/she-leads