On a recent evening in Charlotte, North Carolina, 10 high school students from low-income backgrounds met with top executives of the Albemarle Corp., a global specialty chemicals company. The teens were there to meet role models, learn about building a successful career and give the execs advice about how Albemarle could improve its business.

Coalition for Community Schools, Communities In Schools and StriveTogether today announced four communities across the country will receive a combined $3.75 million to implement student-centered blueprints for learning. Through the Together for Students initiative, these grants will transform how entire communities support student-centered learning by funding a more integrated, intentional system for meeting the unique needs of every child. The collective goal is to showcase how collaborative decision making among families, educators and partners can create better outcomes for nearly 100,000 youth.

Communities In Schools of Central Texas site coordinator Jordan Chaplik works in Zavala Elementary School in Austin, Texas, where she leads the Zavala 4th Grade Girls Empowerment Group. Jordan reflected on the need for and impact of groups like hers and asked her young ladies to talk about what they’re made of and what they think are the greatest challenges young women face today in celebration of International Women’s Day 2019.