What started as a unit to fulfill an International Literacy Project for the North Dakota Literacy Association in February 2017, has grown into an after-school program for girls in grades 3-5 at Sunnyside Elementary School in Minot, North Dakota, with goals of promoting gender equality, global literacy, and empowering girls to fulfill their potential. Sunnyside Girl Power uses project-based learning to raise funds to support education for girls in Haiti. 

Through a global collaboration, a Girl Power program has been established in Haiti. We meet virtually to learn about how we are alike and different; and how we can work together to promote education for girls worldwide. After one of our virtual meetings, a young girl approached me and said, "Mrs. M. those girls in Haiti are just like us." That young girl's observation became the inspiration for our project theme! The following lessons were designed for Sunnyside Girl Power as an introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with an emphasis on SDG 5: Gender Equality and Female Empowerment. The lessons can be used for ALL students in grades 3-5 because we want ALL students to see themselves as positive changemakers capable of making the world a better place.