For many young girls, imagining the future can feel uncertain. The paths ahead may not always feel clear, and the voices telling them they belong in certain spaces can sometimes feel too quiet. That’s why moments of inspiration matter. This International Women’s Day, EdShift welcomed a group of brilliant young girls from Calder High to our annual celebration event, a space where they could hear honest stories from inspiring women, ask questions, and begin to imagine bigger futures for themselves. The aim was to show that there are many paths forward, and that confidence, creativity and courage can take you further than you might think.

“When young girls hear real stories of courage and possibility, they begin to see new futures for themselves.”

One of the most powerful parts of the day was hearing directly from women who have carved out their own paths, often overcoming doubt, barriers, and expectations along the way. Izzy Phillpots from Buro Happold Engineering spoke about her journey into engineering and how she discovered a passion for sustainability and renewable energy. Working in a field where women are still underrepresented, she shared an important message with the students. You belong in every space you step into. Confidence, she explained, doesn’t always arrive first, sometimes it grows as you pursue your goals and claim your place. From the creative world, Lydia De la Murray of IOU Creation shared her experiences as both a producer and actor. Her story highlighted the importance of following your passions, even when the path forward isn’t always obvious. Her advice to the students was simple but powerful. Don’t doubt the things that excite and inspire you. Those passions may lead you exactly where you’re meant to go.

Finding strength and supporting one another

One of the most moving moments of the day came from Helen Jones of Antworks Community, who spoke openly about her life journey. Helen shared how growing up in a difficult environment shaped her understanding of resilience and compassion. She spoke about navigating expectations, learning to trust her abilities, and ultimately building a career centred around helping others. Her message to the students was rooted in the power of sisterhood, encouraging young women to lift each other up, show kindness, and build supportive communities where everyone can thrive. Closing the event, Gayle Appleby from Gagarin Studio shared her journey into architecture. At 14, she struggled at school and considered dropping out. But her love for drawing and creativity led her down a different path, one that eventually saw her founding her own studio and working on projects that support the communities she cares about. Today, her work includes co-creating the OrangeBox youth justice centre in Halifax alongside young people themselves, showing how creativity and collaboration can transform spaces and opportunities. Her story was a reminder that the things we love doing, the talents and passions we nurture, can grow into work that helps others and shapes the world around us.

A moment to imagine the future

To close the day, the students took part in a reflective activity. Writing a “message in a bottle” to their future selves. Through creativity and craft, the girls wrote thoughtful notes about their hopes, dreams and the people they hope to become. It was a simple but powerful exercise, encouraging each student to pause, reflect, and imagine the possibilities ahead.

Creating spaces where young voices can grow

Events like this are about creating spaces where young people can see new possibilities for themselves. When girls hear real stories from women who have navigated challenges, followed their passions, and built meaningful careers, it helps expand their sense of what might be possible. Throughout the day, the room was filled with curiosity, thoughtful questions and inspiring conversations. By the end, the atmosphere was clear. Everyone left feeling empowered, motivated and ready to think bigger about their futures. For many young people, opportunities to hear these kinds of stories, honest, empowering and relatable, can make a lasting difference. Creating spaces where girls feel encouraged to trust their voice, explore their talents, and imagine new possibilities is an important part of building confidence and resilience for the future. Moments like these help girls see that their aspirations matter, and that their potential deserves to be supported.

Thank you

We’re incredibly grateful to our guest speakers for sharing their experiences so generously, and to Calder High for joining us and making the day so special. A huge thank you also goes to Pizza Hut Halifax, who kindly donated pizzas for lunch and helped make the day even more enjoyable for everyone involved.

At EdShift, we believe that giving young people the opportunity to see new possibilities, hear inspiring stories, and feel confident in their voices is a powerful part of building safer, stronger futures. International Women’s Day reminds us that change often begins with moments like these, where courage, creativity and community come together. And for the girls who joined us, we hope this was just the beginning of imagining everything they might become.