ROX (Ruling Our eXperiences)

At a time where only 39% of girls believe that they can be their true selves at school, ROX is proud to be a place where 94% of girls feel like they belong and where 86% believe that their facilitator truly understands what is going on for girls their age.

At ROX, we don’t tell girls what they should think, we help them know that their voices and opinions are valuable to the world.

Girls tell us that they want adults in their lives who listen to them, who believe them and who show up for them without judging them. This is exactly the work we are doing at ROX.

Join us as we share ways you can support your girls in being their authentic selves and discovering true belonging.

Since 2011, 1,073 girls across Union County have been a part of a ROX program. That's 21,460 hours of ROX programming across 15 years! This year alone, 188 Union County girls participated in ROX.

We love seeing these girls use their voices, support their peers, and own their confidence. This is ROX in action! 👏🩷

Thank you to Mental Health & Recovery Board of Union County for investing in girls and for your continued commitment to making sure ROX reaches girls across Union County!🩷

MHRBUC is proud to invest in ROX (Ruling Our eXperiences), an evidence-based curriculum helping girls in grades 5–12 build confidence, strengthen relationships, manage stress, and develop healthy coping skills.

This school year, 177 girls across Union County participated in ROX!

Last week, Creekview Intermediate School ROX girls shared healthy coping strategies and information about stress and wellbeing with their peers during the RISE Rally.

Thank you for using your voices, supporting your peers, and leading by example. Your leadership is helping build a stronger, healthier community. ✨

A Story About: The impact of ROX on an entire school community
Submitted By: Ashley Kline, Assistant Principal
Key ROX Program Outcomes: Ability to defend themselves, expanded career aspirations, healthier body image
Did You Know? 3 out of 4 ROX Programs that start with philanthropy become self-sustaining due to demonstrated impact and effectiveness.

ROX has united our community.

I began with a pilot group as the only facilitator running an after school group for about 13 girls. My own daughter talking about what stuck with her from ROX motivated me to reach out and find a way to increase our footprint. We now have 8 certified ROX facilitators, offer ROX during school hours, and I have transitioned into admin. Our funding has evolved from community donations to school funding, and we strive to provide the ROX curriculum to every female by the time they graduate.

We now teach self-defense with all levels together on ROX day. On this day, community members lead the girls through career sessions as well as self-care. Older girls are paired with younger girls as mentors, and ROX alumni speak about what it means to be a ROX Girl beyond high school.

We have completed community outreach projects focused on beauty, invited role models in to share in self-defense, and extended our district's goal for place-based learning. We have established a reciprocal relationship with our community in which we value our resources, and they value our girls.

Commit to having regular conversations with your girls, rather than waiting for something serious to happen.

This way, you’ll establish the foundation for healthy, open and supportive communication with your girl, so that when something bigger does happen, she’ll know she can come to you.

A Story About: A middle school ROX Group from Oklahoma
Submitted By: Amanda Chandler, Licensed School Counselor (LSC), ROX Facilitator
Key ROX Program Outcomes: Gained confidence, ability to use their voice and build healthy friendships
Did You Know? After participating in ROX, 94% of girls report feeling more connected to other girls and less alone

The way my ROX Girls bonded and opened up within the group was something I never imagined was going to happen! They were girls who ran with different social groups, but within ROX they were their own. They respected each other, lifted each other up, complimented each other outside of those specific activities.

My teachers saw such a positive impact within those 10 girls, the impact even started to spread throughout the grade. My girls gained confidence in the way they thought about themselves and spoke up for themselves. I had a couple parents reach out at the end of the school year to tell me that they loved the positive change/impact they saw in their daughter.

This is it! The application for our 2026-2028 Dr. Patty Fellowship closes on June 12, 2026.

The Dr. Patty Fellowship is a special way to engage with ROX.

The Dr. Patty Fellowship develops bold, community-connected ROX Facilitators who bring the full power of their experiences to their leadership.

We believe girls are best served by Facilitators who reflect the world they navigate every day. This fellowship intentionally invests in women whose lived experiences and leadership journeys reflect the vibrant communities ROX is committed to empowering.

Through cohort-based learning, mentorship and applied leadership experiences, Fellows deepen their facilitation practice, sharpen their expertise in building girls' confidence and grow as influential leaders within the ROX community. In doing so, they carry forward the legacy of Dr. Patty Cunningham - a tireless advocate for representation and transformative change.

This fellowship is designed for future-Facilitators who are ready to step more fully into their leadership and expand their impact within ROX and beyond.

To learn more and apply, visit www.rulingourexperiences.org/dr-patty-fellowship

It’s important that we’re aware of our body language when talking to our girl(s). It can be the key difference in if a girl feels safe and supported in our presence, or not.

Always think about your position, body and face.

Position:
Consider sitting instead of standing, and avoid sitting behind a desk when possible. Instead, sit next to her or catty-corner, instead of directly facing one another.

Body:
Uncross your arms/legs, relax your hands in your lap, relax your shoulders. Then, lean in and look interested at what she has to say.

Face:
Be aware of your expressions! Maintain a neutral expression during your conversation. The second she senses judgement or disapproval, she will stop sharing and avoid sharing in the future.

The Girls’ Index™ demands urgent action. When we saw that girls’ rates of sadness and depression tripled for 5th/6th graders and doubled for 7th/8th graders… it alarmed us.

But there is so much that we can do to change these stats and help our girls. The biggest thing? *Be the adult who cares.* As we’ve talked about all month long, having an adult who cares is key in helping girls build resiliency.

Tune in tomorrow for more strategies on how to best support your girl.