Empowering Girls Through Strength and Skills: My Journey with Work It Girl
Program Overview
During gym class, I learned that a new program called Work It Girl run by Beat the Streets and supported by the MLSE Foundation was coming to our school. It sounded cool, but I wasn't sure what to expect. It turned out to be an incredible fusion of combat sports (like boxing and wrestling) with real-world skill building in employment readiness and leadership development.
Coaches that Care
“They were solid and genuinely invested in our success.”
The coaches set a tone of both strength and support. They were solid and genuinely invested in our success. One day, I didn’t feel up to participating, but a coach sat down with me, talked it through, and helped me return feeling stronger than when I started.
Brainteasers to Get Us Going
Every session began with brainteasers or riddles to activate our minds. My favourite was: “If there are three light switches downstairs and the light is upstairs you can only go upstairs once. How do you figure out which switch controls the light?” That mental jolt at 9 AM was hands down the best part of my day.
Elevator Pitch Practice
We practiced delivering elevator pitches introducing ourselves, our strengths, and what we bring in under one minute. It was challenging, but so empowering. Standing in front of the class and owning my voice changed everything.
Building a LinkedIn Presence
We also worked on developing our LinkedIn profiles crafting compelling headlines, summarizing strengths and values, showcasing skills. It felt like creating a digital snapshot of who I am and who I aspire to be.
Why Programs Like This Matter
“After the Work It Girl program, I definitely felt more confident and learned some new things about myself. ”
Mental health crisis: Around 57% of high school girls report persistent sadness or hopelessness, and 30% seriously consider suicide Teen Coach Academy+3PMC+3Teen Vogue+3Teen Coach.
Career “crystallization”: Ages 14–18 are when many teens begin envisioning realistic career paths by combining interests, strengths, and values (a process known as crystallization) Wikipedia.
Career preparation and life skills: 70% of girls aged 13–17 view college as important not just for careers but for identity development and life skills arXiv+3AP News+3World Economic Forum+3.
Social media impact: Nearly half of teens report that social media negatively affects them. Girls especially struggle with stress around appearance, identity, and feeling like life isn’t “up to par.”
Why Work It Girl Matters for Girls Like Me
Boosting confidence and resilience: Pushing through physical challenges revealed my capability and strength.
Teaching leadership and communication: Practicing pitches and working in teams built presence and clarity.
Bridging opportunity gaps: For girls in underserved communities, accessing both career coaching and sports training is rare but this program makes both possible Beat The Streets
Preparing for the real world: Learning how to talk about myself and get noticed gave me a head start.
“This was a lot of fun and it helps you learn how to defend yourself from people you don’t know”
Promoting well-being: Grounding myself physically helped me strengthen mentally and emotionally.
Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely! Work It Girl offers genuine digital work experience, mentorship, and professional skill building all from home and in a supportive environment. I’m proud of staying consistent, developing communication and listening skills, and landing my first job all thanks to what I learned here. I never thought about building employment skills while still in high school; work seemed so far away. Now, I know I’m starting from a place ahead of where I would've been.
A Heartfelt Thank You to the MLSE Foundation
A massive shout-out to the MLSE Foundation for making this program possible. With their generous support through a $50,000 girls‑focused grant this two‑year initiative empowers 80 low-income girls (ages 13–18) across the GTA through combat sports and career development workshops. Your support means girls like me get to grow stronger physically, mentally, and professionally.
My Personal Highlight
The best part? I landed my first job because of this program! The confidence, skills, and mentorship opened doors I never knew existed. Stay tuned for my next blog post, where I’ll share how I navigated that new working life and what’s next on my journey.
In summary: Work It Girl wasn’t just a program it was a gateway. It combined physical challenges with professional growth, giving me a kit of confidence, practical skills, and a vision for the future. And I’m just getting started.
About Beat the Streets:
At Beat the Streets, our mission is to advance the education of low-income children and youth in the Greater Toronto Area through fun and unique wrestling, life skills, and employment-based development programs. Since 2015, we have served over 28,000 young individuals through our Wrestle 4 Fun, Level Up, You Grow Girl, Work it Girl, After-School and Open Mat Sessions programs, providing them with opportunities to develop their physical, mental, and social well-being. We believe in empowering the next generation by breaking down barriers and creating pathways to success.
Join us in our mission to impact youth:
Join us in making a difference by supporting our cause and learning more about how you can contribute to the education and growth of children and youth in need. Together, we can shape a brighter future for all.
