Skills (named)
18
FL Chamber 2019 + 3 PH additions
Clusters
6
One per session-month
Sessions per year
6
Monthly · Nov–Apr
Skill-touches per girl
24
6 clusters × 4 years
Sectors
4
Every year, every cluster
Cohort target
100
Enrolled · 75 consistent
Structural Model
How Power Hour Works Across Four Years
What changed in this revision
The program's organizing question is now "what skill am I building?" — not "what E-level am I?" 18 named skills, grouped into 6 clusters (one per session-month), revisited every year at deepening levels of mastery. The 5 E's framework remains as the internal curriculum layer; the skill spine is what girls, families, mentors, and funders see.
1
Skills are the public spine
18 named skills, grouped into 6 thematic clusters, one cluster per session-month Nov–Apr.
2
Vertical alignment is the rubric
Same 18 skills every year. Depth changes: Aware → Practicing → Applying → Leading. Y1 and Y4 work the same skill in the same month at different rungs.
3
All sectors, every year
Healthcare, Tech, Pro Services, Creative all appear every year. Sectors are the practice context for skill clusters; year level sets depth.
4
6-month arc, three phases
1 + 4 + 1: Foundation (Nov, Cluster 1) → Development (Dec–Mar, Clusters 2–5) → Launch (Apr, Cluster 6). SEL in every session.
5
Portfolio is the spine of evidence
Every session produces a deliverable mapped to a specific skill at the girl's current depth. Compounds from a Y1 self-intro reel to a Y4 job-ready portfolio.
6
5 E's as internal layer
E1 (operationalized as the 18 skills) and E5 (Cluster 6 + threads in C1 and C5) remain through-lines. E2/E3/E4 set year posture / depth dial.
The Spine
18 Skills · 6 Clusters
One cluster per session-month, all 4 years revisit the same 6 in the same calendar order. Within-year arc reads naturally: know yourself → connect → think hard → do the work → influence & advocate → look ahead.
01
November
Foundation of Self
- Reliability & Self-Discipline
- Learning Agility
- Adaptability
02
December
Communication & Connection
- Communication
- Networking & Relationship Building
- Virtual Collaboration
03
January
Thinking Tools
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Systems Design Thinking
04
February
Doing & Delivering
- Teamwork
- Resource Management
- Project Execution
05
March
Influence & Advocacy
- Leadership
- Negotiation
- Financial Resilience
06
April
Innovation & Future Fluency
- Entrepreneurial Mindset
- Design Thinking Mindset
- AI & Tech Fluency
Provenance
- 13 skills from the FL Chamber Foundation 2019 Employability Skills Framework (verbatim or lightly renamed)
- 2 skills promoted from FL sub-skills to standalone: Leadership and Negotiation — mission-critical for a women-in-leadership program addressing the wage gap and ask gap
- 1 skill split out from FL "Interpersonal Skills" umbrella: Networking & Relationship Building (more concrete, more teachable)
- 2 net-new Power Hour additions from existing E5 framework: AI & Tech Fluency (merges FL Tech Use), Financial Resilience
- Adaptive Thinking (FL) merged with Adaptability (E5) under a single name
Cite as: "FL Chamber Foundation 2019 Employability Skills Framework + 3 Power Hour additions."
The Rubric
Vertical Alignment Matrix (18 × 4)
The mastery rubric. Same 18 skills every year. What changes is depth. Each cell pairs a behavior with the portfolio deliverable a girl produces at that depth.
Cluster 1 · Foundation of Self November
| Skill | Y1Aware | Y2Practicing | Y3Applying | Y4Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reliability & Self-Discipline | Show up on time, with materials, every session.Deliverable: First-month consistency log. | Manage commitments across school + Power Hour + life with a system.Deliverable: Weekly time-block calendar shared with mentor. | Reliable in capstone — meet deadlines, communicate proactively when at risk.Deliverable: Internship-style status update template (used live). | Be the dependable one others rely on.Deliverable: Mentor a Y1 girl on accountability + reflection. |
| Learning Agility | Try one new thing per session; reflect on being a beginner.Deliverable: Learner's Log — 6 entries. | Teach yourself something using AI + research; document the process.Deliverable: "I taught myself X" portfolio entry with method log. | Pick up a sector-specific tool during capstone (Figma, SQL, Canva pro, etc.).Deliverable: Tool-acquisition reflection + artifact. | Coach another girl through learning a new skill from scratch.Deliverable: "Learn-to-Learn" workshop she designs and runs. |
| Adaptability | Notice when a plan changes and name how it feels.Deliverable: "Pivot moments" reflection log. | Re-plan when something falls through; recover within a session.Deliverable: Documented adaptation in sector exploration. | Handle real workplace changes (scope shift, deadline, feedback).Deliverable: Capstone "what I changed and why" memo. | Help others adapt; lead a team through change.Deliverable: Change-management write-up from job/college transition. |
Cluster 2 · Communication & Connection December
| Skill | Y1Aware | Y2Practicing | Y3Applying | Y4Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication | Express ideas clearly to peers; deliver a 60-sec self-intro.Deliverable: Self-intro reel. | Professional written/oral with adults; cold outreach + follow-up.Deliverable: Networking email + LinkedIn profile + recorded outreach voicemail. | Cross-functional presenting; pitch capstone to industry panel.Deliverable: 10-min capstone pitch (filmed + slide deck). | Influence in rooms; lead Q&A; mentor a Y1 on communication.Deliverable: Showcase keynote or board-style presentation. |
| Networking & Relationship Building | Conduct 1–2 informational interviews; learn to ask for someone's time.Deliverable: 2 informational interview write-ups. | Build a 5-person professional network; maintain LinkedIn.Deliverable: Network map + LinkedIn with 50+ connections. | Cultivate 2–3 mentor-track relationships in chosen sector.Deliverable: Mentor relationship log + recommendation letter request. | Activate network for job leads; warm intros for younger cohort.Deliverable: Job-search activation log + intros made. |
| Virtual Collaboration | Show up to Zoom prepared, camera-on, mic discipline.Deliverable: Norms checklist + facilitator feedback. | Co-author async (Google Docs, Slack norms).Deliverable: Async-built group artifact + comm-norms reflection. | Lead a virtual meeting; own an agenda + follow-ups.Deliverable: Run a virtual capstone team meeting; share recording. | Coordinate hybrid team across geographies.Deliverable: Remote-internship work-product + async comms archive. |
Cluster 3 · Thinking Tools January
| Skill | Y1Aware | Y2Practicing | Y3Applying | Y4Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | Spot a claim vs. an opinion (incl. AI outputs); ask "what did it miss?"Deliverable: AI critique log — 6 outputs evaluated. | Compare 2+ sources on a sector question; identify bias.Deliverable: Sector research brief with source comparison. | Evaluate tradeoffs in capstone design decisions.Deliverable: Capstone decision log with tradeoff analysis. | Reason under ambiguity; defend a recommendation to adults.Deliverable: Capstone Q&A defense (filmed) + post-mortem. |
| Problem Solving | Break a problem into parts; use a simple framework.Deliverable: Problem-decomposition worksheet. | Apply 5-whys, fishbone, or other framework to a sector problem.Deliverable: Framework-applied sector analysis. | Solve a real industry problem in capstone.Deliverable: Capstone solution with documented method. | Frame the right problem before solving.Deliverable: Problem-statement workshop she facilitates for Y2 cohort. |
| Systems Design Thinking | Map who's affected by a decision (stakeholder map).Deliverable: Stakeholder map for one decision. | Diagram a workflow; identify bottlenecks.Deliverable: Process diagram + improvement memo. | Redesign a process in capstone.Deliverable: Before/after process design + rationale. | Anticipate 2nd-order effects in a system she's part of.Deliverable: Systems impact analysis (e.g., ESG-style report on a chosen company). |
Cluster 4 · Doing & Delivering February
| Skill | Y1Aware | Y2Practicing | Y3Applying | Y4Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teamwork | Recognize own role and others' in a small group; give credit.Deliverable: Team contribution rubric — self + peer rated. | Hold a peer accountable; give structured feedback.Deliverable: Peer feedback log + retrospective notes. | Cross-functional team in capstone (peer + mentor + employer).Deliverable: Team charter + capstone retrospective. | Build/anchor a team; resolve conflict.Deliverable: Team-leadership reflection from internship/college org. |
| Resource Management | Manage own materials, time on tasks.Deliverable: Time-and-materials log for one project. | Manage a small budget (event budget, simulated).Deliverable: Budget tracker + post-event reconciliation. | Manage a capstone project's resources (people, time, budget).Deliverable: Capstone project plan with resource allocation. | Coordinate resources across a team; advocate for what's needed.Deliverable: Internship-scale project plan + post-project write-up. |
| Project Execution | Use reading/writing/math in a career context (calculate savings rate, write a memo, read a workplace doc).Deliverable: Workplace-context worksheet. | Apply academic skills to a sector-relevant artifact (market sizing, business memo, data summary).Deliverable: Sector business memo with quantitative analysis. | Execute a capstone end-to-end with embedded data/written analysis.Deliverable: Capstone with embedded data/written analysis. | Communicate quantitative or technical work to non-experts.Deliverable: Translation of capstone for general audience (one-pager + video). |
Cluster 5 · Influence & Advocacy March
| Skill | Y1Aware | Y2Practicing | Y3Applying | Y4Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leadership | Lead self before leading others; identify 1 leadership behavior to develop.Deliverable: Self-leadership pledge + reflection. | Lead a small group activity in session; get peer feedback.Deliverable: Lead-a-meeting artifact (agenda + recap + feedback). | Lead a capstone team or community-impact project.Deliverable: Project leadership reflection + 360 feedback. | Lead in real context (intern team, college org, founding role).Deliverable: Leadership story + recommendation letter from a leader. |
| Negotiation | Practice asking — for help, time, a turn. Understand the wage gap statistically.Deliverable: "First Asks" reflection + wage-gap data literacy quiz. | Negotiate a small thing in peer/mentor context (deadline, role, scope).Deliverable: Negotiation script + outcome reflection. | Salary negotiation simulation with industry mentor; benefits comparison.Deliverable: Mock offer-letter negotiation transcript + analysis. | Negotiate live (job offer, scholarship, internship terms).Deliverable: Real negotiation outcome + post-negotiation memo. |
| Financial Resilience | Lifetime earnings calculator; compound interest visualization.Deliverable: Lifetime earnings projection (own scenarios). | Build a realistic post-grad budget for Miami-Dade.Deliverable: Post-grad budget + cost-of-living analysis. | Total comp analysis; investment basics; "wealth-building first 5 years" plan.Deliverable: Total comp analysis + 5-year wealth plan. | "First 90 days" financial plan (paycheck budgeting, retirement, taxes).Deliverable: First-90-days financial onboarding plan. |
Cluster 6 · Innovation & Future Fluency April
| Skill | Y1Aware | Y2Practicing | Y3Applying | Y4Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurial Mindset | Identify a problem worth solving in your community.Deliverable: Problem-identification log (3 problems). | Generate solutions; pitch one to peers.Deliverable: 2-min solution pitch (filmed). | Capstone with "value created" framing.Deliverable: Capstone value statement + impact case. | Take a venture-style approach to your career or a side initiative.Deliverable: "First venture" plan (real side hustle, club founded, content created). |
| Design Thinking Mindset | Empathize — interview 3 people about a problem you care about.Deliverable: 3 user interview write-ups. | Define + Ideate — synthesize interviews; brainstorm 10 solutions.Deliverable: HMW (How Might We) statement + sketch of 5 solutions. | Prototype + Test — build something low-fidelity in capstone, get feedback.Deliverable: Capstone prototype + user testing notes. | Iterate based on feedback; ship a v2.Deliverable: V1 → V2 reflection + final product. |
| AI & Tech Fluency | AI-assisted email drafting; "what did the AI get wrong?"Deliverable: AI-assisted artifact with critique annotations. | AI for career research + cover letter editing; learn 1 sector tool.Deliverable: AI-supported career-research brief + sector tool exploration. | AI as critical editor in capstone; prompt engineering basics; data tool fluency.Deliverable: Capstone with AI-process documentation (prompts used, outputs critiqued, decisions made). | AI as career co-pilot — ATS optimization, company research, interview prep.Deliverable: Job application portfolio with AI co-pilot process documented. |
Depth Dial
Year Postures · Depth Settings
Same 18 skills every year, same calendar order. The depth dial determines how a girl works each skill at her year level — with E-level naming preserved as the internal curriculum reference.
| Year | E-Level | Posture | Depth Setting | Headline Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | E2 Exposure | Curious Observer | Aware | Knows the skill exists; can name it; has done it once. |
| Y2 | E3 Exploration | Active Investigator | Practicing | Uses the skill with intention in low-stakes settings. |
| Y3 | E4 Experience | Practitioner | Uses the skill in real (industry-reviewed) capstone work. | |
| Y4 | E4 Peak | Launcher | Leading | Models the skill for others; uses it in real-world settings. |
Late-Entrant Pacing
| Entry Grade | Depth Trajectory |
|---|---|
| Freshman (Gr 9) | Aware → Practicing → Applying → Leading (standard 4-year arc) |
| Sophomore (Gr 10) | Aware → Practicing → Applying → Leading (3-year arc, slightly compressed) |
| Junior (Gr 11) | Aware (Nov–Dec compressed) → Practicing → Applying (2-year arc, accelerated) |
| Senior (Gr 12) | Aware (Nov) → Practicing (Dec–Jan) → Applying (Feb–Apr) (1 year, intensified, focus on launchable deliverables) |
Practice Context
Sectors · All Four, Every Year
Sectors are the practice context for skill clusters — not a separate organizing axis. Every cluster needs sector-flavored variants (24 total: 6 clusters × 4 sectors) so all sectors appear every month, at every cluster.
Healthcare & Life Sciences
Many girls have family in healthcare support. We show higher-wage pathways: clinical research, health informatics, biotech.
+26,118 jobs by 2034
Technology & Innovation
Miami #2 for tech growth. 70–89% male. Deliberate counter-programming. Software, cybersecurity, data science, UX, fintech.
$121K–$141K senior roles
Professional & Business Services
Finance, consulting, marketing, legal, architecture, engineering. Broadens beyond STEM-only framing.
+33,910 jobs by 2034 (largest)
Creative, Social Impact & Entrepreneurship
Design, media, nonprofit, public policy. Honors girls whose interests cross boundaries.
$4.6B VC invested (2024)
Year level determines sector depth
Year 1 samples all 4 broadly through every cluster. Year 2 narrows to 1–2 sectors with cluster activities leaning into chosen sectors. Year 3 concentrates in chosen sector through capstone. Year 4 applies cross-sector in real-world settings.
Calendar
Session Model · 6-Month Arc
Every session: SEL Warm-Up → Cluster Content → Differentiated Activity (by depth level) → Portfolio Work → Wrap-Up. SEL is in every session — constant, not siloed.
| Session | Month | Phase | Cluster | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November | Foundation | C1 · Foundation of Self | Belonging, identity work, safe-space norms, mentor matching, baseline. HI Pre-Survey. |
| 2 | December | Development | C2 · Communication & Connection | Communication basics · networking · virtual collab norms. SEL deepens. |
| 3 | January | Development | C3 · Thinking Tools | Critical thinking · problem solving · systems design. HI Check-In + Empowerment Eval Taking Stock. |
| 4 | February | Development | C4 · Doing & Delivering | Teamwork · resource management · project execution. Capstone work intensifies. |
| 5 | March | Development | C5 · Influence & Advocacy | Leadership · negotiation · financial resilience. Capstone industry feedback. |
| 6 | April | Launch | C6 · Innovation & Future Fluency | Entrepreneurial · design thinking · AI & tech. Portfolio finalization, public showcase, growth narrative. HI Post-Survey + EE Reflection. |
Pre-program orientation (separate from the 6)
A late-October orientation event — format and timing TBD — absorbs the legacy 7-session model's second Foundation runway. Family-attended; introduces the 18-skill spine.
Evidence
Portfolio · Spine of Evidence
Every deliverable maps to a specific skill at the girl's current depth level (see Vertical Alignment Matrix above). Cross-cutting components compound across all 6 clusters.
| Component | Y1 Aware | Y2 Practicing | Y3 Applying | Y4 Leading |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resume | Skills-based, 1 version | Sector-targeted, 2 versions | Industry-specific, 3+ versions | Job-ready, tailored per opportunity |
| Cover Letter | Basic template | Customized for 1 role | Multiple polished versions | Submitted with real applications |
| Personal Statement | Identity + goals draft | Refined with sector focus | Publication-ready | Used in college/scholarship apps |
| Mock Interviews | 1 round (peer) | 2 rounds (peer + mentor) | 3 rounds (peer + mentor + employer) | Live interviews completed |
| Capstone/Project | — | Sector research project | Industry-reviewed capstone | Cross-sector capstone or venture |
| Rec Letters | — | 1 requested | 2–3 secured | Complete reference portfolio |
| Growth Narrative | "Who am I today?" | "What's changed?" | "What do I stand for?" | Full arc reflection |
| Network Map | Initial: peer + mentor + 1–2 contacts | Growing: 5+ professional contacts | Active: 10+ contacts, employer partners | Portable: 15+ contacts. References who know her work. |
| Skill Evidence | 1 recorded activity, peer feedback | 2+ recordings, mentor feedback | 3+ recordings incl. employer-scored, teaching evidence | Complete portfolio: recordings, evaluations, 360 feedback |
Per-skill deliverables
See the Vertical Alignment Matrix above. Each of the 18 skills has its own depth ladder with a deliverable per year — 72 cells of skill evidence across the program.
Work-Based Learning
Internship Pathway
Target: 10 paid placements by summer 2027. 15 hrs/wk (10 on-site + 5 with Girls Inc.). 5–6 weeks summer. Funded by Girls Inc. and/or industry partners.
A
SYIP Feeder ($0 for wages)
Partner with M-DCPS + The Children's Trust. SYIP places 3,187 students at 974 worksites annually. Grant-funded. Power Hour girls arrive pre-trained. Applications due May 1 annually.
B
Girls Inc. Direct Pipeline (~$1,500/intern)
Girls Inc. builds own T4 employer pipeline. $15/hr × 15 hrs/wk × ~5 weeks. For 10 interns = $11,250–$15,000/year. Funded via grants/corporate sponsors. MOU with each employer required.
| Year | Type | Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Y1 | Career exposure only | Panels, site visits, speakers via T1 + T2. No internship. Sector-flavored cluster activities. |
| Y2 | Micro-internships | 10–20 hr projects with T2/T4 partners. Single deliverable. Can be virtual. |
| Y3 | Paid internship | 15 hrs/wk (10 on-site + 5 with Girls Inc.). 5–6 weeks summer. 10 placements. |
| Y4 | Light touch + tracking | Continued placement or job search support. Post-graduation outcome tracking. |
Internal Curriculum Layer
5 E's · Now Internal
The 5 E's are no longer the public spine — the 18 skills are. But the 5 E's continue to inform curriculum design. E1 + E5 are operationalized through the cluster structure; E2/E3/E4 set the year posture / depth dial.
E1
Employability
Operationalized as the 18 Skills. Every cluster, every session.
Through-line
E2
Exposure
Y1 depth setting "Aware". Sector breadth happens within every cluster.
Y1 Posture
E3
Exploration
Y2 depth setting "Practicing". Sector narrowing through deeper cluster deliverables.
Y2 Posture
E4
Experience
Y3 "Applying" / Y4 "Leading". Capstone in Y3; real-world in Y4.
Y3–Y4 Posture
E5
Evolution
Distributed across C1 (Learning Agility, Adaptability), C5 (Financial Resilience), and C6 (Entrepreneurial Mindset, AI & Tech Fluency).
Through-line
Still Open
Open Decisions
Pre-program orientation Format and timing for the late-October event that absorbs the cut Foundation runway.
Sector-flavored variants 24 needed (6 clusters × 4 sectors). Separate scope-of-work to build.
FL Workforce Needs Study 2.0 Reconcile against this 18 if alternate skill list emerges.
"Women in Leadership" branding Final program theme name TBD.
Sliding scale fee model Confirm with Virginia.
FIU partnership Formalization for T1 Collegiate tier.
Session length 2.5 hours assumed — needs confirmation.
Device access plan Tablet/laptop strategy for participants.
T4 employer pipeline 5–10 partners by Feb 2027.
SYIP vs. direct pipeline Internship feeder decision.
MOU template + legal review For employer partners.
Liability insurance Confirm coverage for off-site placements.
E5 AI tool selection Now scoped to Cluster 6.
E5 financial literacy partners Now scoped to Cluster 5.
Entrepreneurship pipeline StartUP FIU, etc. — relevant to Cluster 6.
Employer value proposition one-pager Not yet built.