Gold medal soccer star Kristine Lilly and Paralympic world record holder Aimee Mullins will be the keynote speakers on Saturday, September 10, at a special Lead Out Loud leadership training conference for high school girls.

The conference will be held at Newtown High School.

Spearheaded by NHS athletic director Gregg Simon – and other South-West Conference ADs – the conference will seek to provide girls with exposure to role models who can help them develop leadership skills and inspire them to look at their fields of interest from a leadership perspective.

Priority registration will be given to students from SWC schools until June 30.

The conference will bring together leaders from various fields to conduct interactive workshops and roundtable discussions with the girls in a full day of activity. The day will begin with opening remarks from State Treasurer Diane Nappier, the first African American woman to hold statewide office in Connecticut and the first African American woman to hold a U.S. state treasurer’s seat.

Following Ms Nappier, Aimee Mullins – a Paralympic athlete, actress and model – will offer a keynote address. Ms. Mullins, who lost both legs before the age of one, has competed with able-bodied women in the NCAA and set Paralympic world records for long jump and the 100-meter dash in Atlanta in 1996.

The day will culminate with an inspiring talk from Olympic soccer star Kristine Lilly, who will speak about her experiences as a leader on the soccer field. Ms. Lilly has won two World Cup titles and Olympic gold and silver medals and is the third all-time leading scorer in U.S. soccer history.

Throughout the day, workshops and discussions will be conducted on a wide variety of topics, such as – How To Be Your Own Best Coach; Competition Is Not A Four Letter Word; Conflict Resolution; and TEAM (Together, Equal, Aware, Motivated) Players.

Additional workshops will be led by renowned psychologist and author Dr Roni Cohen-Sandler, whose new book Stress Out Girls will be released in September; former Vogue cover model and body image expert Aly Dunne; ESPN senior vice president Hodi Markey; and Dr Janis Hadley, president of the Housatonic Community College.

Parents are invited to attend separate sessions throughout the day, including Stressed Out Girls.

The conference is being conducted by the Esteemed Woman Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2000 by filmmaker Suzie Galler, who began conducting research about women and self-esteem which led to the making of the highly acclaimed documentary film “I Am Beautiful.”

The film then became the cornerstone of an outreach program designed to help women explore and strengthen their self-image.

The programs of the EWF teach that self-esteem is not a destination, but a life long journey – one that requires recognition of the sources of self-esteem, and a willingness to address those areas that impede a positive self-image.

The conference is open to all high school girls. Tickets are $25 for students (which includes lunch) and $35 for parents.

For further information and registration, visit www.esteemedwoman.org.