From Dreams to Direction

For many girls growing up in rural Northeastern Thailand, dreaming about the future comes naturally.

They want to become teachers, nurses, pharmacists, or pursue other meaningful careers. But turning those dreams into reality is often much more difficult.

How do you choose the right education pathway?
How can you afford university?
And how do you prepare for work safely?

These are questions many girls face without having someone at home who can guide them.

This is the gap the Better Me for Girls: Preparing for Success workshop was designed to close.

In June 2026, the workshop was delivered to 527 Grade 11 girls across three secondary schools in Ubon Ratchathani province:

• Muangsamsip Ampawanwittaya School
• Buntharik Wittayakarn School
• Khuangnaipittayakan School

🌱 Starting with Aspirations

Before the workshop, most girls already had hopes for their future.

• 70% planned to continue to university
• 62% already had a career goal
• Yet 51% worried about financial barriers to continuing their education
• Only 29% had a family member with university experience who could help guide them through the process

Many girls had the ambition—but not always the information or support needed to make informed decisions.

🎯 Learning Through Exploration

Rather than simply providing information, the workshop encouraged girls to explore who they are and where they want to go.

Through self-reflection activities, career exploration games, group discussions, and practical guidance, participants learned about education pathways, scholarships, student loans, labour rights, and safe transitions into work. They also practiced communication, teamwork, and decision-making while identifying realistic steps toward their future.

For many girls, it was the first time they connected their personal strengths and interests with real education and career opportunities.

📈 Turning Knowledge into Confidence

The workshop produced clear improvements in both knowledge and confidence.

• Average test scores increased from 43% to 84%
• 89% of participants improved their scores
• More than 90% gave positive feedback on self-awareness, education and career planning, decision-making, and confidence in planning their future

Teachers also observed that students became more aware of their interests, communicated more confidently, and showed strong engagement throughout the workshop.

🌟 More Than Career Planning

The workshop helped girls gain more than practical information.

Many participants described feeling more confident expressing their opinions, working with peers from different classes, and believing they could shape their own future. Others said they felt inspired to pursue higher education, better understood the steps toward their dream careers, and were more prepared to overcome barriers along the way.

This shift—from simply hoping for a better future to believing they can actively plan for it—is one of the workshop’s most meaningful outcomes.

💡 Why This Matters

For many rural girls, planning for higher education and future employment means navigating unfamiliar territory.

The Preparing for Success workshop equips girls with practical knowledge, greater self-awareness, and the confidence to make informed decisions about education, careers, and safe work.

Because when a girl understands her options, she does not just dream about her future— she begins creating it.