“We believe adolescent girls are the most powerful catalysts for change on the planet,” wrote UN Foundation President & CEO Kathy Calvin and Nike Foundation President & CEO Maria Eitel in a piece that appeared on the Guardian website this week.

This week I’ve been able to meet many inspiring girls in Girl Up supported programs. Girls who were learning to read and write in these programs are empowered to learn about their rights and become leaders.

"Before this program I was blind to the possibilities that I have as a young women. I didn't know I had rights," Karen, 17, shared with us.

As a campaign of the United Nations Foundation, Girl Up has had incredible opportunities.  Partnering with 10x10 and their feature film, Girl Rising, is one of my personal favorites.

2013 Nobel Peace Prize nominee. Runner-up for Time “Person of the Year.” At 15 years old, Malala Yousafzai has already inspired the world—but she’s just getting started.

Malala Yousafzai made it to TIME Magazine’s shortlist for Person of the Year, ultimately coming in today as the runner-up.

In honor of Human Rights Day, we are celebrating Malala Yousafzai, her journey, her influence over a world of supporters and her lasting impact on the issue of human rights. We have a chance to stand with Malala in support of her and her message.

Today, on what the world calls Malala Day, supporters worldwide are coming together to honor this special girl who has shown us just how important it is to continue to support the movement for adolescent girls.

Over the years, as the movement for adolescent girls has grown, these words have become a mantra here at Girl Up. In light of the tragic news we heard yesterday, we feel that they’ve never held truer than in the case of Malala Yousafzai.

Before I came to the program I was alone at home, no one to teach me and care for me.  I had no means to leave my house. But in the center I became friends with the other girls and my mentors.

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you couldn’t go to school? Here in America, we are lucky that this question is just hypothetical. But this is a reality for girls all over the world: A life without an education.

I am an 18-year-old senior in the Global Studies and World Language Academy at Tallwood High School. This spring I finally got the chance to make a difference. I organized a silent art auction to benefit girls’ education entitled Art With Heart.

For Take Action Tuesday this week, we want you to go shopping. (That's right - shopping!) With the new school year coming up around the corner, Girl Up and our partner CLEAN & CLEAR® are excited to announce an exclusive deal at Target for back-to-school shoppers!

Thanks to all the girls who attended the Century of the Girl Expo in Philadelphia, hosted by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. More than 800 people visited Girl Up’s booth at the event this past weekend!

I hosted my Girl Scout Gold Award at my local Boys and Girls Club and promoting Girl Up was one of my main priorities! I taught three global awareness workshops for a group of 25 girls, educating them on major global issues.

Girl Up was proud to join the Spence School as it celebrated its annual Teach-In on April 4 in New York City. The theme for the day was “Girls and Women around the Globe: Living, Learning, Leading” – and the event was certainly filled with incredible women and girls!

Picture this: your name is Fatuma, and you are a fourteen year old girl living in Todee, Liberia. Your brother is allowed to go to school and you aren’t, even though you desperately want to go to university and become a doctor. While American girls like me have the same dreams as Fatuma does, she simply does not have the resources to pursue her goals.

For girls in Malawi, Liberia, Guatemala, and Ethiopia, getting an education is not as simple as showing up for kindergarten in September. Many different factors determine her chance to make it through elementary school — how much money her family has, if she has time to go to school, if the school (and the walk to and from school) is safe and secure, and if her parents believe that education for their daughter is a priority.

Girl Up celebrated United Nations Day in Nashville, TN on Sunday, with the UNA-USA Nashville Cordell Hull chapter. I had a great time representing our campaign among some amazing performers during the top-notch girl focused program.

Education is important to me because it can be the great equalizer between boys and girls, men and women. It is widely recognized that educating girls is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of poverty, and to empower the next generation to achieve a brighter future.

Education is important to me because it makes a girl’s life worth living.

Education is important to me because it’s the best way to end global poverty.

Education is important to me because it allows all girls and boys to learn skills that will last them a lifetime.

Why is it so vital for a teen to be attending and reporting on the Clinton Global Initiative 2011? President Clinton opened the morning today at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting 2011.

Did you know that an average American teenage girl sends 150 text messages a day? Now imagine using one of those text messages a day towards spreading awareness about girls in developing countries.