The Authentic Girl Project
A confidence and identity experience for middle and high school girls
A confidence and identity experience for middle and high school girls
Confidence gets louder on the outside and quieter on the inside. Suddenly:
Girls become more aware of how they are perceived
Social belonging starts shaping identity
Comparison increases
Many girls begin speaking up less in group settings
Girls learn how self-beliefs form and how to recognize when comparison begins shaping identity.
We help girls build confidence that does not depend on applause, popularity, or appearance.
Girls practice participating, speaking, and expressing ideas without shrinking.
Understanding how identity develops and how outside opinions can shape self-perception.
Building a sense of worth that does not rise and fall with social feedback.
Clearer self-understanding
Tools to navigate comparison
Stronger participation in group settings
Greater stability in self-confidence
Language to describe what they are experiencing
βThe girls didnβt just feel inspired. They understood themselves better. I watched them participate differently the very next week.β
βWe saw a noticeable shift in engagement from several students who typically stay quiet.β
βI feel more confident raising my hand now.β
βMy daughter has always been thoughtful, but after this she seems more certain of herself. Sheβs less shaken by what other people think.β
βIβve noticed sheβs participating more in class and not backing down as quickly in group settings.β
βI didnβt realize how much I compare myself until this. Now I know how to catch it and not let it take over.β
βIt helped me understand why I overthink things.β
If you serve middle or high school girls and want to strengthen identity and confidence early, The Authentic Girl Project is available for your next event.
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2026 Dr Hamaria. All Rights Reserved.
Middle school is often when girls become more aware of how they are seen. Research shows that during early adolescence, identity becomes more influenced by peer feedback, comparison, and the need to belong. What once felt natural can start to feel evaluated. By high school, confidence can either deepen from within or depend on approval.
This work is personal for Dr. Hamaria. Over the course of her career, she has supported young women through mentorship initiatives, helped build programs that later expanded nationally, and studied identity development because of how deeply it shapes confidence and leadership.
Her doctoral research focused on the authentic self β how identity forms, adapts, and sometimes fractures under social pressure. Over the years, she has seen how early identity patterns reappear later in classrooms, careers, and leadership environments.
The Authentic Girl Project exists because this topic matters.
What begins at 12 often echoes at 22
This work is not new. It is foundational
Identity formed early becomes leadership later
Confidence built now becomes courage later