CAWP's Teach a Girl to Lead® Invites Women Officeholders Nationwide to Read to Young People in Their Communities
National campaign connects women in elected office with youth through classroom conversations about leadership
The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), a unit of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University, is inviting hundreds of women officeholders across the country to connect with young people in their communities through classroom read-alouds focused on expanding their understanding of leadership and democracy. Thanks to the generous support of The Honorable Constance H. Williams, CAWP has provided a children’s book to every woman serving in Congress, in state legislatures, and as statewide elected officials – including governors – for them to read to children at a local elementary school in their constituency and then donate the book to the school’s library. CAWP’s annual Teach a Girl to Lead® Reading Day project is designed to spark conversations about who leads and why it matters.
"For young people, seeing a woman in public leadership can be powerful in itself,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director of CAWP and project director for Teach a Girl to Lead®. "When women officeholders read and connect with students, they help make politics and governing more visible and accessible. Teach a Girl to Lead® has already reached thousands upon thousands of students, and we’re proud to continue the long-running initiative by engaging Generation Alpha.”
For 2026, CAWP selected Vote for Our Future! by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Micah Player, as the featured book for participating officeholders. The book introduces young readers to voting, elections, and civic participation through the story of elementary school students learning how their voices can help shape the future.
Margaret McNamara, author of Vote for Our Future!, welcomed the book’s inclusion in the initiative. "When I wrote this book, I wanted children to understand that democracy is for everyone. It's inspiring to see it being used to bring real women leaders into the classroom to show kids that elected officials can look like the women they encounter every day,” said McNamara.
The classroom reading project is a signature part of Teach a Girl to Lead®, which offers a wide range of online resources for educators, parents, and community leaders. These resources include lesson plans, discussion guides, creative activities, and tools for examining leaders and leadership through a gender lens.
As the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the campaign presents a timely opportunity to engage young people in conversations around democracy and help them recognize the leadership potential of all the people in their lives, the members of their communities, and themselves.
For more about Teach a Girl to Lead®, visit tag.rutgers.edu.