Back to School
Back to School 2026
Help Send 2,000 Girls Back to School This Fall!
A new school year is full of possibility—and this year, WGEP has an ambitious goal: to raise $50,000 to help send 2,000 girls back to school!
Across Kenya and Senegal, our locally led partners are working every day to help girls overcome the barriers standing between them and their education.
From scholarships and school supplies to mentorship and leadership opportunities, your support helps make sure girls have what they need to stay in school, keep learning, and shape their own futures.
Three Ways to Get Involved
Whether you join us in Chicago, fund a scholarship, or fill a virtual backpack, there’s a way for everyone to help girls start the school year ready to learn and thrive.
01
Join Us for Back to School at LOULOU
An unforgettable dinner with Lula Cafe’s James Beard Award-winning hospitality—and a conversation connecting Chicago with Kenya and Senegal.
Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Location: LOULOU by Lula Cafe
3057 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago, IL 60647
Tickets: $200 | Only 8 seats left!
Join us for an intimate four-course, family-style dinner with thoughtfully paired wines, featuring the warm hospitality and exceptional food for which Lula Cafe is known.
Led by acclaimed chef and owner Jason Hammel, Lula Cafe received the 2024 James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality, making this a truly special setting to bring the WGEP community together.
We’re thrilled to welcome Njambi Wagacha from Kenya and Casimir Coly from Senegal to Chicago for a special conversation moderated by Brian Hanson, a longtime WGEP supporter and global affairs leader.
Over dinner, Njambi and Casimir will share firsthand how locally led solutions are helping girls stay in school, grow as leaders, and create lasting change in their communities.
Incredible food. Thoughtfully paired wine. Meaningful conversation. And a rare opportunity to connect directly with the people leading this work.
Space is limited for this intimate evening—reserve your seat today!
02
Give One Girl a Scholarship
$350 can help one girl go back to school this fall.
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For $350, you can fund a scholarship that helps one girl return to school with the support she needs to succeed.
A scholarship helps cover:
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School fees
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Room and board
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Food
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School supplies
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A toiletry kit
Together, these essentials give a girl the opportunity to attend school with dignity, focus on learning, and thrive.
Fund a full scholarship—or contribute toward one—and help us reach our $50,000 Back to School goal.
One Girl. One Scholarship. A World of Possibility.
03
Shop Our Virtual School Supply Drive
Shop our Virtual School Supply Drive and help girls walk into the classroom ready to learn.
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Every notebook, textbook, hygiene kit, and backpack helps remove a barrier that can stand between a girl and her education.
Choose the gift that is right for you:
🎒 $30 — Learning Essentials
Give a girl her own backpack filled with notebooks, pens, and supplies—the basics that build confidence and prepare her to thrive.
🧼 $50 — Hygiene Kit
Provide sanitary pads, soap, toothpaste, deodorant, and other essentials so a girl has what she needs to attend school with confidence and dignity.
📖 $100 — Book Bundle
Provide 20 textbooks to a classroom, giving girls the shared resources they need to study, learn, and dream.
🎓 $500 — High School Necessities
Help provide tuition, room and board, books, school supplies, hygiene essentials, and other resources that support a girl throughout the school year.
📚 $1,000 — University Pack
Help cover on-campus housing, books, and school supplies—and support a young woman as she pursues higher education and builds a new future for herself and her family.
Every gift—at every level—helps a girl begin the school year with the tools she needs to succeed.