Katie L. Dixon Women & Girls Leadership Fund

Dixon Girls Forums

Led by BSW and MSW students in school-based practicum placements, the Dixon Girls Forums (which are supported by private funding) encourage grade school, junior high, and high school female-identifying students to seek positions of leadership and develop leadership skills during primary, secondary, college, and post-college years through mentoring, support, and skill development. The goal is to encourage female-identifying students to self-identify as leaders throughout their lives.

The Dixon Girls Forums originated in four Salt Lake area high schools during the 2001-2002 academic year. Based on feedback from students who had participated, the Forums and curriculum were expanded to reach students in middle and junior high schools. During the 2007-2008 academic year, in collaboration with the Lowell Bennion Community Service Center, the Forums expanded again to include elementary schools, particularly those with students of many different backgrounds. In 2020, the Dixon Girls Forums were revitalized to be part of school-based social work practicum placements for BSW and MSW students, giving those involved a chance to be leaders and to model leadership for students in grade school, junior high, and high school.

A consistent theme among the female-identifying students at participating schools has been an interest in finding ways to bring different groups of female-identifying students together to overcome “cliques” and exclusion, but participants are empowered to choose Forums with wide-ranging topics such as: