Frequently Asked Questions What are girls gearing up for? Girls who come to GGU may each have their own visions or ideas about what they’d like to 'gear up' for. Some are gearing up for life. Others gear up for school or for leadership, for action and for change!
How old do I have to be to participate? GGU welcomes any interested girl from anywhere in the world aged 13-17.
What kind of electronics should I bring to camp? We advise you not to bring expensive electronics since you won’t need them. We have limited WiFi access. Can I earn Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) hours for my IB program? Yes, past participants have received up to 30 hours. We are happy to communicate with your school’s CAS coordinator to make arrangements for you.
Will we get to visit Berlin? Yes! Some of the afternoon activities will include exploring the vibrant and diverse city of Berlin. We also make use of the plethora of resources found in Berlin.
What if I have to cancel my reservation? If you are unable to come, you will receive a refund as follows:
90% of fees will be refunded if written notice is received no later than 60 days prior to start date.
Cancellations received 31 - 59 days before the academy begins will receive a 75% refund.
Cancellations made 15-30 days before the academy begins will receive a 50% refund.
Cancellations made within the 14 days prior to the start of the academy will not be refunded.
All cancellations need to be in writing (e-mail is fine), and all refunds will be issued within 15 business days. Medical reason for cancellation We understand that medical issues may arise over the summer or just as you are set to attend the academy. Please send an email as soon as possible to inform us of your need to cancel. Upon receipt of a physician's written verification, you will receive a full refund.
My school is still on but I want to go! We have made an effort to find a date that suits a wide variety of students from around the world, but unfortunately some schools are still in session during the academy. In the past, we've had participants from a variety of countries whose school principals and directors were very supportive of them missing class in order to attend the academy because of its valuable and complimentary educational content. School staff have also reported that the experience was not only of great benefit of the girls themselves, but also to the whole school community upon their return. If you want to participate in the academy, the GGU team is committed to helping make that possible. We're happy to talk to school directors and/or work with school staff to find a solution for you to attend the academy AND continue to excel at school.
What about programs for boys? Boys need this too! We completely agree and believe that it will take all of us - boys and girls, men and women, working together to make a sustainable and positive impact in the world. Girls Gearing Up focuses on empowering girls because there is still a great lack of female leaders all over the world. Our goal is to equip girls with the necessary skills and inspire them to use their voices so that they may be equally represented in the very important conversations on every level of society that mold our lives every day. We believe that this will have a long-term benefit to boys and girls, women and men, alike. At the same time, we certainly see the urgent need for programming for boys. Positive communication strategies, strong leadership skills, and creative problem solving techniques are skills that apply to everyone, and the more people that have them, the more productive our common endeavors can be. We have worked on mixed-gender programs in the past and plan on relaunching a mixed-gender international peace-building camp in the near future. Stay tuned for updates!
