On Mar. 27, High Rocks Educational Corporation staff, AmeriCorps volunteers and a group of nine young women from Nicholas, Pocahontas, and Greenbrier counties attended  the 2017 Women’s and Girls’ Day at the Legislature in Charleston.

The annual event is a unique experience where women and girls can learn together to lead, govern and have a voice in their communities.

The day started at the WV Cultural Center with guest speakers Gayle Manchin, cabinet secretary of the Department of Education and the Arts, and Julie Palas, interim executive director for the West Virginia Women’s Commission. The group then proceeded to the State Capitol where the girls met with Monongalia County Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer. The High Rocks participants also attended sessions in the House before a luncheon with the founders of Diversity 101. This trip to the Capitol reinforced the significance of committing to anti-bullying, giving back to local communities and developing a personal strategy plan for the future.

High Rocks Educational Corporation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate, empower and inspire young people in West Virginia. They host year-round events for local teenagers in Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Nicholas counties including college trips, service learning overnights, educational summer camps and after school programs at their youth centers in Lewisburg and Richwood. For more information on High Rocks, visit highrocks.org.