Being a visionary means thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom. Envisioning one’s future is a powerful tool for a successful life. This lesson gives a real-life example of a woman who decided to create her future instead of adhering to society’s restrictive views of women. It helps girls understand the importance of being a visionary and how to incorporate the character trait into their lives and relationships.

Amelia is an icon in American history. Everyone has at least heard her name, even if they haven’t heard her story. I have yet to meet a girl who doesn’t love the idea of Amelia Earhart: a woman flying above the world. Amelia conjures up images of adventures, and it is for this reason alone she was chosen as a Grace & Grit woman. Amelia’s spirit tells us to enjoy being a woman and understand that enjoying the adventure of living supersedes any limitation feminine stereotypes can place on us.

My mother has a favorite quote: “Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘What a ride!’" It seems like this might be something Amelia would say. Also, while I believe most women would agree with this sentiment, very few actually live it.

I think we, as women, still feel pressure that women are supposed to wear makeup to feel confident; we should be small and do all we can to prevent our bodies and faces from showing signs of aging. And, when we give into this belief, we take away all the adventure in life. This is why Amelia is so important to me—to all of us, as girls and women.

Amelia was not concerned with the opinions of others, acceptable behavior or attaining the status given to those with beauty. She was all about adventure and encouraging other women to be adventurous in their lives as well. Amelia even went so far as to produce a fashion line for the adventurous woman to expand her wardrobe from the acceptable dress to active pants.

Learning about Amelia is like being outside on the first day of spring. It's refreshing. You stretch your muscles and clear your mind of the heavy weight of winter. Amelia offers girls a break from the pressure of perfect, filtered selfies. She tells them: Go get dirty, climb a tree and be open to the idea of getting a couple of scrapes on the way down. She urges girls to forget about makeup for one moment and go for a bike ride or to laugh loudly at something they find tickling and ridiculous. I can almost hear her spirit calling across the years, reaching out to today’s girls: Be open-minded to breaking norms and being different. Be accepting of other girls who want to be different. Stretch your imagination and picture yourself doing something thrilling and new. Envision a future full of adventure.

Amelia teaches girls that the wall between femininity and adventure is fluid, but real living happens on the adventurous side of life—usually without makeup and trendy clothing. Adventures create the stories you will tell when you are older. You won’t appreciate the memories of how you once spent three hours curling your hair to go shopping for the trendiest pair of jeans, but you will tell the story and relish the memories of how you went fishing with friends one Saturday and caught 15 catfish.

Future women leaders, I ask you to study Amelia’s spirit and slide into afternoons filled with activity that keeps you away from social media, makeup and the pressure to “fit in.” Life is about breaking out of norms and forging your own path—and just walking the beaten path is a challenge if you are more concerned with your next perfect selfie.

Amelia’s life was full of adventure, support of other women and daring accomplishments. She was a visionary, an explorer of the skies.


1897
Amelia Earhart was born on July 24th, 1897.

1908
Amelia saw her first plane.

1916
Amelia went to college, and while studying nursing, she went to an airshow and became interested in planes.

1917
While a nurse’s aide in Canada, Amelia attended an air show and, unlike the “thing of rusty wire and wood” she saw at the state fair nine years prior, this time, the airplanes fascinated her.

1920
Amelia went on her first plane ride, starting flying lessons within a week. Six months later, she bought her own plane.

1922
Amelia took her airplane up to 14,000 feet. This was a record for women pilots.

1923
Amelia was inducted into the Aeronautical Hall of Fame for her contribution to aviation.

1928
Amelia became the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. She did it
again four years later.

1935
Amelia joined Purdue University as a visiting faculty member to counsel women on careers and as a technical advisor to its Department
of Aeronautics.

1937
Amelia disappeared during her attempt to fly around the globe.


Amelia’s life was one adventure after another. She was a visionary who saw what she wanted from life and pursued it with excitement. In her attempts at empowering herself, she empowered many other women to envision their futures and chase their dreams.

If girls can’t see their future, they will never be empowered. Did women in the 1800s—and even up through the mid-1900s—dare to envision a future for themselves? Or, when they thought about the future, was it in terms of: Who will my parents choose for me to marry? What will my husband’s house look like? What work will my husband do? Women rarely got a say in their futures; in fact, today, there are still countries where women have no voice when it comes to determining the trajectory of their lives. In these places, families decide everything for their daughters and the quality of their lives is determined by those around them.

Having the autonomy to envision one’s future is something today’s girls shouldn’t take for granted. Half a world away, there are girls in developing countries whose parents are not working to make their daughters independent or ensure they obtain education but instead are fixated on finding husbands for them to marry. Or maybe even deciding what work a girl will do for her family when she is older. Because that fate is a reality for so many in the sisterhood of life, those who have been blessed with the ability to go to school, dream, say what’s on their minds and make their own decisions have a duty to set a course and determine their futures.

Everyone has one life. Own your path. Be a visionary.

So, what does it mean to be a visionary? It describes a person who can see something that doesn’t quite exist yet is determined to bring her vision to life. Every business, idea, book, nonprofit, invention or electronic gadget began with someone being a visionary. It all starts with an idea and a picture in one’s head. What follows after that is a lot of grit, determination and grace.

Visionaries are resilient. They are problem-solvers and are dedicated to the task of thinking. They love to brainstorm and get excited about the opportunities to solve problems in order to bring their visions to fruition. This constant problem-solving leads to constant mental and emotional growth and maturity. It leads to owning one’s life. One vision will lead to another and another and another.

A true visionary understands she is the first to walk on the moon, so she makes those steps really count by not stopping with her own life. She breathes her dreams into the souls of others and offers them a hand up to join her, making them want more for themselves, too. Girls need to encourage each other to envision detailed futures—and, by that simple act, maybe they can help bring about a future when all women from all walks of life have that same freedom.

To be a visionary is to be empowered. Strong girls understand they are in control of their own lives and know they are responsible for determining their futures. So, make those visions count. Make a difference. Envision something phenomenal.

Hand out the materials to the girls, allowing them to spend some time going through them independently. If you purchased the charm or accessory, invite them to try it on or talk about how they can use it or add the charm to a bracelet. Give them time to satisfy their curiosity so they can focus on the lesson once you begin. After a few minutes, bring their attention back to you and start the lesson.

The following sections provide you with guidance to get the girls thinking and discussing the topics related to the theme and lesson contents. Use the discussion questions to the extent time allows.

Consider using a whiteboard to note responses, comments and ideas from the group as you go along.

Statement or Instructions:
Direct the girls to the timeline.

Take turns having the girls read each event on the poster.


Questions:
What do you know about the history of aviation?

After reading the timeline, what do you think is Amelia Earhart’s greatest accomplishment?

Statement or Instructions:
Direct the girls to the portrait.

Questions:
What do you already know about Amelia?

What do you think she is smiling at in the portrait?

What do you think she is getting ready to do?

What do you want to know about Amelia?

Statement or Instructions:
NOTE: If time is limited, group leaders may consider assigning the reading to be done independently before the group meets.

If the group is reading the biography together, consider doing so during silent reading time, out loud by the facilitator, or by taking turns, each girl reading a paragraph or page.

Guided questions to deepen understanding of the Biography:
Have you ever heard of the word “visionary” before?

Amelia kept a scrapbook of inspirational stories and women. Do you keep a scrapbook of anything?

Do you keep things that are sacred or inspirational to you? Where do you keep them?

Flying airplanes was one way in which Amelia believed that women could be equal to males. Do you think there may have been some men who respected and admired Amelia’s ability to fly planes?

Do you think there were some men who did not respect her piloting abilities?

How do you think women felt about Amelia flying airplanes?

Have you ever heard of Amelia’s clothing line?

Have you ever recognized a time when one person didn't succeed, but it inspired others to keep trying?

Statement or Instructions:
Ask the girls:
What do you think the quote on the cover of the booklet means?

Have the girls open up the booklet and invite them each to take turns reading a paragraph.

Options:
1. Read parts of the booklet and use the suggested questions below to deepen the discussion and check for understanding.

2. Read the booklet (up to the activities) and then use the suggested questions below to deepen the discussion and check for understanding.

Guided questions to deepen understanding of the Activity Booklet reading:
Have you ever heard of the word “visionary” before?

Amelia kept a scrapbook of inspirational stories and women. Do you keep a scrapbook of anything?

Do you keep things that are sacred or inspirational to you? Where do you keep them?

Flying airplanes was one way in which Amelia believed that women could be equal to males. Do you think there may have been some men who respected and admired Amelia’s ability to fly planes?

Do you think there were some men who did not respect her piloting abilities?

How do you think women felt about Amelia flying airplanes?

Have you ever heard of Amelia’s clothing line?

Have you ever recognized a time when one person didn't succeed, but it inspired others to keep trying?

Statement or Instructions:
Have the girls take the scarf and the charm from the box. Use each item as you discuss the following questions.


Questions:
What is the significance of the scarf? (It is an aviator scarf.)

What are your initial impressions of the charm?

Why do you think the charm is a wing instead of an airplane?

Statement or Instructions:
Invite the girls to complete the activities in the back of the booklet and discuss their answers. This is the heart of the lesson. While some girls may not want to share their answers, please allow time for discussion and processing their answers. The objective is for the girls (when applicable) to apply lessons about the woman’s life and character trait to their own lives.

The following are the questions found in the Activity Booklet or Biography Workbook. They are meant to be answered independently by the girls in the booklet, but may be referenced as needed in the lesson.


Activity 1:
Amelia could see a future where airplanes were a mode of transportation, and she wanted to share her vision with others.

Imagine the future you would like to create for yourself.

What do you want your future to look like?

What type of job do you want?

Where do you want to live?

What type of people do you want around you?

What hobbies do you hope to have?


Activity 2:
When Amelia created a new fashion line, she not only designed clothes she would want to wear, but that also would suit women who wanted to be as active as she was.

Pretend Amelia just hired you to design a new outfit. Use the next pages to design an outfit for the confident girl, the girl who is active, intelligent and brave—a girl just like you!


Activity 3:
Amelia encountered a lot of obstacles on her way to becoming a woman pilot, but she didn’t let these things deter her.

Is there something you want to achieve but are afraid to try because of potential obstacles?

Write it down and think about obstacles standing between you and your goal. After that, brainstorm ways around them.

Goal:
Perceived obstacles:
Ways around these obstacles:


Activity 4:
A favorite quote of Amelia’s was, “Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”

Amelia didn’t let society’s ideas of men’s work vs. women’s work keep her from achieving her dreams.

What does her quote mean to you, and why do you think it is important?


Activity 5:
Amelia started organizations and counseled women about their careers. She wanted them to understand all the opportunities that lay before them.

Amelia believed in supporting other women in their endeavors.

Why do you think it is important for girls to support other girls?

How is this support different from other support you can receive?


Activity 6:
“…now, and then, women should do for themselves what men have already done—occasionally what men have not done—thereby establishing themselves as persons, and perhaps encouraging other women toward greater independence of thought and action.”- Amelia Earhart

Who is a woman that encourages you? Invite her to read Amelia’s story and interview her about it.

What is something she learned about Amelia?

Ask her about the fondest adventure she had ever experienced.


Questions to deepen discussion (if time allows):
In your own words, describe what it means to be a visionary.

Do you know anyone who is a visionary?

Describe the difference between being a visionary and setting goals for your future.

Statement or Instructions:
Tell the girls what the Play-It-Forward Cards are and how they are intended to be used with other girls in their daily lives.

Have the girls take the Play-It-Forward Cards from the Lesson Set and browse through them for a moment.

Go around the group and have them read the front and back of one card aloud. Ask the girls what that card means to them and how they could use it in everyday life. (Depending on time, you may want to limit this exercise to 3 cards.)

Remind them that, over time, as they choose to pass out a card to another girl with positive intent, their name will go into a drawing to get the tote bag.

Depending on time, you may want to limit this exercise to only a few girls.

As you close the lesson, you are looking to spark a conversation among the girls about how they plan to use inspiration from Amelia to improve their own lives while also helping and supporting one another. The goal is to help them recognize how topics from the lesson apply to their own lives in a positive way.


Statement or Instructions:
Optional: Use the Timeline Poster as a focal point for open discussion.

What impresses you most about Amelia?

What did you find most interesting?

What are some ways in which you can practice being a visionary?

What ideas do you have for using the Play-It-Forward Cards?

What new things did you learn about Amelia Earhart?

How did this lesson help you?