ESTE Leverage continues to build an amazing team of women who are collectively committed to the future of young girls. Thus far, the year 2023 is proving to be a monumental one for ESTE!

Of course, ESTE is not on this journey alone. Over the past several months, we have had the honor and privilege to connect with, and be inspired by, amazing individuals who also happen to be Moms with daughters. Their commitment to our shared passion to support, nurture, and champion our middle-school girls in their life’s journey has provided valuable foundational insight in our development of the ESTE Leverage Assessment.

During our conversations with these moms, we heard firsthand what makes their daughters unique. And through their perspective, we saw a glimpse of a day in the life of a middle-school girl – what excites her, what challenges her, and what she hopes for in her future. As unique as these girls are, we realized that they share commonalities. Similarly, and not surprisingly, we also realized that Moms all over the world - and across all species - share a core common and fierce desire – to protect, support, and nurture their own. These core values were consistently reflected in their thoughts and sentiments shared with us. We’d like to take this opportunity to share with you what we heard. And we’d like to extend our sincerest gratitude to those who participated in these initial interviews and took the time to provide valuable, candid, and heartfelt comments.

One of the questions asked of moms was “If you could take away one negative influence seen in adolescence, what would it be?”

A consistent response from moms was in general ‘social media’. Specifically, moms were concerned about the overall time spent on various social media platforms, the potential for misinformation, the inability to monitor or control the volume and content viewed, and the degree of influence the often-negative content has on the young girl’s thinking and self-esteem.

It should be no surprise that the Surgeon General recently issued an “SOS” on kids and social media. Dr. Murthy stated, “Nearly every teenager in America uses social media, and yet we do not have enough evidence to conclude that it is sufficiently safe for them”. He argued that kids have “become unknowing participants in a decades-long experiment.”

Another theme that surfaced from moms was that schools are not managing kids’ emotions and behaviors effectively. There is seemingly an increase in the prevalence of outward aggression in schools these days. One mom’s concern was that this environment at school prevents her daughter from otherwise exploring extracurricular activities due to the school/student culture. More so than ever, teachers, coaches and administrators are encountering disruptive and violent behavior. They are forced to use valuable time to manage this behavior, taking away from supporting students who also need attention or direction, but perhaps less urgently.

Another question asked of moms was “If you had a magic wand, what would you wish for your daughter?”

A resounding collective voice was heard here. Almost all moms expressed a wish for their daughter(s) to be more self-confident – to set boundaries that are respected, to stand up for herself, to be herself, to disregard the negative opinions of others, and not care what others think nor require their approval or validation. In other words, to stand in her Superpower.

Our wish at ESTE is to continue to understand the middle school girl and her internal and external worlds. In doing so, our goal is to help support, inspire, and nurture her in her life journey alongside you as her parent/guardian. Like you, we hope to be on this journey with her, to encourage her to grow and explore her worlds and empower her to thrive.

If you already are, thank you for being on this journey with us! If not, we will look forward to when you join us on this amazing journey! We are excited about the opportunity to work with you and help you and your daughter stand in your ESTE Superpower!

ESTE® Leverage - founded in the belief that Entrepreneurship, Science, Technology, and Engineering are innate in each of us - grounded in the science of learning & assessment – dedicated to the realized potential in every individual.