The Story Behind Our Digital Wellness Empowerment Brunch

A Historic First Year Calls for Bold Action

This year is historic: our very first as Cedar Park’s tuition-free public charter school for girls in STEM. We opened our doors on August 13, 2025, with a bold vision: to create a place where every girl can thrive, take up space, and discover her potential as a future leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

But we knew from day one that we were fighting against troubling national trends. Research shows that girls’ confidence in their STEM abilities has plummeted from 73% to just 59% since 2017. Most girls opt out of STEM by middle school—they stop raising their hands, stop believing they’re smart, and start shrinking instead of growing.

The Phone-Free Revolution

That’s why we made a bold decision that sets us apart: we partnered with YONDR to create a completely phone-free learning environment. While other schools struggle with digital distraction, we chose to liberate our girls from the constant pull of social media and the pressure to perform online personas.

The results have been nothing short of transformative:

- 95% increase in face-to-face peer interaction

- 87% improved classroom focus and engagement
- 92% higher participation rates across all subjects

- 100% parental support for our phone-free policy

“My daughter comes home excited about her conversations with classmates, not distracted by what she missed on social media. She’s more present, more confident, and more engaged in learning than ever before.” – TTGS Parent

When Shy Girls Find Their Voices

Take our founding families who made the leap from homeschooling. Their shy daughters were hesitant about peer interaction, worried about fitting in, uncertain about their abilities. But within just six weeks at TTGS, those same girls were:

Collaborating on video game design projects in their Warriors book series adaptation
Acting out Spanish skits with classmates (complete with “tween giggle fits en español”)
Creating presentations filled with endless cat clip-art that made them laugh and learn
Participating in “iceberg” exercises that helped reserved girls share meaningfully about themselves

As one parent shared: “The staff has already helped grow their confidence and the year has just started. Every single person working at the school seems energized and genuinely thrilled to be at work, making a difference in developing young women’s lives.”

The Urgency of Now

But here’s what keeps us up at night: nationally, 89% of girls report feeling pressure to fit into specific roles and stereotypes. Only 39% of girls feel they can be themselves at school. And despite 84% of girls wanting to make a difference in the world, only 49% are considering STEM careers—because they don’t see how science and technology can change lives.

At TTGS, we’re proving that when you remove digital distractions, create small learning communities, and show girls how STEM connects to real-world impact, magic happens. Our girls don’t just learn about cell structure—they explore how cellular research leads to cancer treatments. They don’t just learn to code—they design solutions that help people.

Why This Event Matters

Our Digital Wellness Empowerment Brunch isn’t just another school fundraiser. It’s a celebration of what’s possible when we create intentional environments where girls can focus, connect, and thrive. It’s proof that the phone-free movement isn’t about restriction—it’s about liberation.

When keynote speaker Lilly Workneh—author of the acclaimed "Rebel Girls" book and endorsed by Oprah herself—takes the stage to discuss digital empowerment and social media safety, she'll be speaking to parents who have already seen the transformation. Parents who watch their daughters come home excited about face-to-face conversations instead of scrolling through feeds. Parents who see confidence blooming where anxiety once lived.

The Ripple Effect

Every ticket purchased, every auction bid placed, every sponsorship secured doesn’t just support one event—it supports a movement. It funds:

Leadership Development that builds confident voices in girls who used to shrink
STEM Excellence through our Flex Friday engineering challenges and fully equipped maker lab
Digital Citizenship Workshops that teach girls to be creators, not just consumers of technology

As an extremely lean nonprofit with minimal overhead, every dollar has tremendous impact on every single girl and teacher in our school.

A Call to Community

This historic first year is just the beginning. We’re building momentum, spreading the word, and creating a place where girls in the Cedar Park, Leander, Lakeway, and NW Austin communities can discover that being “too smart” is exactly the right amount of smart.

Our parents are already seeing the transformation:

“She LOVES school and is thriving! We are so grateful to the TTGS community.”

“Her personality, confidence, and the love for school has changed. She’s excited to wake up and go to school now.”

“This school has been a game-changer for Catherine with its focus on leadership, engineering problem-solving tactics, and a less-distracting all-girl environment.”

Together, We’re Changing the Story

When you join us on January 30th, you’re not just attending a breakfast—you’re becoming part of a story that’s rewriting what’s possible for girls in STEM. You’re investing in a future where girls don’t just dream big—they do big.

You’re supporting a school where shy girls become confident leaders, where digital wellness creates space for authentic connection, and where every girl learns that her voice, her ideas, and her potential matter.

Because when girls thrive in STEM, everyone benefits.

Join us as we celebrate how far we’ve come and invest in how far we’ll go. Together, we’re not just raising funds—we’re raising the leaders, innovators, and changemakers our world desperately needs.

The future is bright, and it’s full of confident girls who know they belong in every lab, every boardroom, and every space where innovation happens.