MEDIA KIT

Helping girls succeed in relationships, academics, careers & life

Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) provides research-backed resources and programs for you to help girls use their voice, rule their experiences and embrace their confidence.

Over A DECADE OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND CONFIDENT GIRLS.

Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) began in 2006 as a research study at The Ohio State University where Founder and CEO Dr. Lisa Hinkelman spent her career training graduate students in counselor education. As a licensed counselor working with adults and students in school settings, Dr. Hinkelman recognized that the issues facing female students mirrored the experiences of the adult women she was working with in counseling. This connection sparked a research agenda that sought to understand the challenges facing girls and what interventions existed to help them navigate these challenges.

Highly motivated to improve outcomes for future women, Dr. Hinkelman put research into practice and developed a comprehensive curriculum that could be delivered during the school day and that was available for any girl that expressed interested. Dr. Hinkelman founded Ruling Our eXperiences, Inc. (ROX) in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to create generations of confident girls who are in control of their own relationships, experiences, decisions and futures.

Since then, ROX has scaled nationally to grow programming across 30 states with more than 6,500 girls annually and launched The ROX Institute for Research & Training to provide innovative, data-driven resources for the adults who support girls. Serving nearly 6,000 adult influencers each year, the ROX Institute conducts large-scale national studies of girls’ lived experiences and uses that data to provide engaging, evidence-based resources for parents, educators, counselors, mentors, and coaches. 

ROX studies the unique experiences of girls, capturing the opinions, behaviors and aspirations of over 17,000 girls across the country.

ROX trains women who are licensed school counselors, social workers and educators to deliver a 20-week evidence-based program in schools to girls in grades 5-12.

ROX supports the adult influencers in girls’ lives, providing training and professional development, as well as practical tools and support for everyday use.

Columbus Blue Jackets x ROX

We are grateful for the support from The Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation. Learn more about ROX’s impact and what the CBJ are doing to champion girls in Columbus and across the United States.

Our Experts:

  • Dr. Hinkelman is an academic and clinician, who has spent her career in counseling and education focused on girls and women. She is the founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) and the author of “Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers, and Life.” Written as a tool for parents, teachers and counselors, “Girls Without Limits” has won acclaim as a resource that helps adults "get it" by developing an understanding of what girls think and feel about their daily challenges.

  • As the manager of content development & community programs at Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), Lauren oversees the organization’s community-based programming including: parent workshops, summer camps, community outreach, and corporate workshops. She regularly presents for school professional development seminars, state and national conferences, and local and community events. Prior to joining the ROX team, Lauren spent nine years as a high school counselor and has worked both in private and public school settings.

IN THE NEWS:

EducationWeek: The State of Girls’ Mental Health and Self-Confidence, in Charts

November 9, 2023 — With so many of their daily struggles now playing out on social media, young girls’ mental health and self confidence have taken a major hit over the past six years, a new survey of thousands of girls suggests…



The Devastating Decline In Girls’ Mental Health: 7 Ways You Can Help

February 28, 2024 — Plenty of people struggle today with stress and declines in their mental health—but the experience of middle and high school girls is especially concerning. Girls are struggling with some of the highest-ever levels of depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide. They are sad, insecure and pessimistic about themselves and their lives…

Teens Willing To Give Parents Control of Their Social Media

November 3, 2023 — Many teens use social media to connect with their friends and the outside world, but a large number of young people now support having parental consent requirements as the dark side of social media takes a toll on their mental health…


Today's Confidence Crisis Has Tween and Teen Girls Struggling With Mental Health

July 28, 2020 (Columbus, OH) — Emerson Christman hasn’t gotten together with friends in four months because of the coronavirus pandemic. The loneliness is gnawing at her. “It’s really hard not to see my friends. When you’re a 10-year-old, that’s all you care about,” she said. “I hate it, really.” … Continue reading

ROX Research Featured in The Wall Street Journal: “Lonely Girls: How The Pandemic Has Deepened the Isolation of Adolescents”

July 28, 2020 (Columbus, OH) — Emerson Christman hasn’t gotten together with friends in four months because of the coronavirus pandemic. The loneliness is gnawing at her. “It’s really hard not to see my friends. When you’re a 10-year-old, that’s all you care about,” she said. “I hate it, really.” … Continue reading



photos:

logos:

Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers, and Life

Best-selling book that reveals what girls think and feel about their daily challenges.

INSTAGRAM: @RULINGOUREXPERIENCES

Funders & Partners

Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX) partners with public, private, independent, charter and parochial schools in urban, suburban and rural communities across the country.