Building Confidence in the Classroom and Beyond

Confidence doesn’t start in adulthood, it begins in childhood. For young women, having confidence in who they are and what they can do is more than just a nice-to-have. It’s often the difference between speaking up or staying silent, applying for a scholarship or holding back, leading a team or sitting in the background. The classroom is one of the first places where confidence is tested, shaped, and sometimes lost. For organizations like the Young Women’s Empowerment Academy (YWEA), helping girls grow into their power means giving them more than just academic support. It means helping them see their worth from the inside out.

Why Confidence Matters for Young Women

The world puts a lot of pressure on girls. Between social expectations, academic competition, and cultural stereotypes, young women are often told, directly or indirectly, that they aren’t enough. By the time they hit adolescence, many girls begin to doubt their abilities, even when they perform just as well or better than their male peers. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that girls’ confidence tends to decline sharply around middle school, while boys’ self-belief stays relatively steady.

This confidence gap affects more than just how girls feel. It influences what they try, what they study, and what they think they’re capable of doing in the future. Girls with low confidence are less likely to speak up in class, take leadership roles, or pursue careers in fields like science, technology, and business. On the other hand, young women with high self-belief are more likely to perform well academically, take healthy risks, and develop the resilience needed for adulthood.

Confidence is more than just feeling good about yourself. It’s the internal voice that tells a young woman she belongs, she can contribute, and her ideas matter. When that voice is strong, it becomes easier to stand tall, even when the world tries to push her down.

The Confidence Builders

School is a powerful environment for building (or breaking) a young woman’s confidence. It’s where many girls first learn how to express themselves, test their abilities, and understand their place in the world. That’s why classrooms must be more than just places for learning, they need to be spaces where young women feel safe, respected, and capable.

Teachers can play a major role here. A supportive teacher who encourages a student to try, even when she’s unsure, can make all the difference. When a teacher listens to a shy student’s answer without judgment, or asks a quiet girl to lead a group, they are sending a message: “You can do this. I believe in you.”

But confidence doesn’t stop at the school doors. Community programs like YWEA pick up where schools sometimes leave off, through workshops, leadership training, and group mentoring. Girls can explore who they are without the pressure of grades or tests. These safe spaces allow them to make mistakes, speak freely, and support one another in ways that school settings sometimes don’t allow.

What’s powerful about programs like YWEA is that they don’t just focus on individual success, they build community. When a girl sees her peers succeed, she sees herself in that success. When she works alongside other girls who support her and cheer her on, she learns the value of showing up for others and for herself.

Confidence also grows when young women are given responsibility and ownership. When they’re invited to help plan an event, mentor a younger peer, or lead a club, they start to see themselves not just as participants but as leaders. That shift in self-image can lead to major changes down the line like in the classroom, in college applications, and in life choices.

Representation and Role Models Matter

You can’t be what you can’t see. That’s why representation is such a huge piece of the confidence puzzle. When young women, especially young women of color, see leaders, creators, and professionals who look like them, it expands their sense of what’s possible. It sends a clear message: “There’s a place for you here.”

Many girls are raised seeing mostly male leaders in politics, media, and even their own schools. This can shape their views of leadership as something reserved for others. That’s why it’s important to spotlight women leaders from all walks of life, especially those who have overcome barriers or risen from communities like theirs. When these stories are shared, not just once a year during Women’s History Month, but consistently, they plant seeds of belief that can grow into confidence.

Mentorship also plays a big role. One-on-one relationships with trusted adults who’ve been through similar struggles can provide encouragement that sticks. A mentor doesn’t have to be perfect; in fact, the most effective mentors are often the ones who share their failures just as honestly as their wins. This openness helps young women realize that confidence isn’t about being fearless, it’s about being willing to try even when you’re scared.

Even within peer circles, girls need to see leadership that looks like them. When one girl finds her voice and uses it to stand up for something she believes in, it can have a ripple effect. Confidence is contagious. One confident young woman in a group can inspire others to speak up, step forward, and believe in their own ability to lead.

At YWEA, leadership is treated not as something you're born with, but something you grow into. That growth takes time, support, and the kind of environment where girls aren’t punished for speaking boldly. It means celebrating every small win, like answering a tough question in class or finishing a group project, as evidence of what they’re capable of doing.

Building a Confidence Culture

If we want to raise confident young women, we have to look beyond single moments of inspiration. Confidence isn’t built in one speech or one workshop, it grows through everyday experiences. It grows when girls are called by name, asked for their opinion, challenged respectfully, and praised for effort rather than perfection.

Families, schools, communities, and programs like YWEA all need to work together to build what we can call a “confidence culture.” In this kind of culture, mistakes are treated as learning moments, not failures. Differences in background and voice are seen as strengths, not obstacles. Girls are reminded regularly that they have something valuable to offer.

Creating this kind of culture means rethinking how we talk to girls. Are we encouraging them to be bold, or asking them to be quiet and polite? Are we giving them space to lead, or always putting them in the support roles? Are we teaching them to ask questions, or only to follow instructions?

The answers to these questions shape the way girls see themselves. And how they see themselves will shape what they attempt in life.

When confidence is part of a young woman’s foundation, it stays with her, even when life gets hard. She’ll walk into a room knowing her voice belongs there. She’ll raise her hand, even if her voice shakes. And most importantly, she’ll recognize her value, whether others see it or not.

That’s the kind of power we want every girl to carry and it’s the kind of power we’re helping them build every day.

CDC on Adolescent Mental Health: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/mental-health/index.htm

American Psychological Association on Girls’ Confidence Decline: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/09/confidence-gender-gap

UN Women on Empowering Girls Through Education: whichhttps://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/10/feature-girls-education-is-key  

Girls Leadership Confidence Research: https://girlsleadership.org/why-girls-confidence-plummets 

The Education Trust on Representation and Opportunity: https://edtrust.org/resource/representation-matters/