School fundraisers serve as an impactful event and hold a multitude of benefits for everyone. The fundraiser took place on Friday, November 3rd, at Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt, one of the many places students come and enjoy each other’s company. To partake in the fundraiser, the ACP family needed to purchase frozen yogurt and mention Girl Up Club. The ACP’s Girl Up Club organized this fundraiser to support the club in its endeavor to reduce gender inequality. Endeavors such as this stand as one of the many pillars of life: to improve gender inequality because, regardless of where you live, gender equality is a fundamental human right. Bringing awareness to gender equality creates a positive environment that is healthy for everyone, guarantees equal treatment for all individuals, and brings our society together to support it as a whole. This club aims to raise overall awareness of gender inequality. The awareness that this club has gained helps to foster the growth of the capacities and capabilities needed for societal change, as well as improved communication and strong understanding among members regarding equality. Girl Up is a girl-centered leadership development program that aims to promote equity for women and girls in areas where they are underrepresented or unheard. With their positive influence, girls and women strive to make the world more fair and just for everyone. This fundraiser supports ACP’s Girl Club objective of advocating for and representing other women and girls all over the globe to have the same opportunities and strength to push themselves.

I had the opportunity to interview Zainab Gheyasi, a fellow member of the Girl Up Club. I asked about what this fundraiser would do and for whom, to which she responded, “Our fundraiser brings the entire ACP community together and is a way for everyone to have fun, which I am happy to be a part of.” The significance of the drive was to “show support for women’s empowerment and the feminist movements.” In Zainab’s own opinion, the significance this fundraiser holds is “that it not only helps Zoyo Neighborhood Yogurt’s business but also friends get together and converse with one another as well as exploring their interests together, creating a more everlasting bond.” This fundraiser will support the Girl Up Club by “encouraging local and global gains for girls’ rights, opportunities, and access.” The club’s goal for this fundraiser is to bring everyone together, spread awareness of gender equality, and eliminate gender-based issues.” I asked Zainab what the mission of Girl Up Club truly is, to which she stated, “As Girl Up’s mission statement says, ‘We give American girls the opportunity to become global leaders and channel their energy and compassion to raise awareness and funds for United Nations programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls’. This club holds the promise of change worldwide. Each small step we take, whether it be having fundraisers or bake sales, our intention remains bigger than what we perceive, as we take one big step forward for all women around the world.”

As Girl Up Club continues to shine a light for every woman around the world, the ACP family remains as eager as ever to provide and support this club and all other outstanding clubs here at ACP. This influence from our Girl Up club will last for years to come, leaving an unforgettable legacy that will endure to support every simple woman here and around the globe. As a global movement empowering young women leaders, this club stands not only for the belief that all women should be bestowed the same opportunities as others but also as an inspiration for all women to never give up as well as have a positive impact on other women. ACP looks forward to seeing what Girl Up Club has in store for the students as they continue to change the lives of women one step at a time.