*EASY TWEET: .@RedskinsCR launches ASPIRE – an initiative designed to inspire, educate and build confidence in middle school girls*

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation will launch its newest initiative, "ASPIRE", at an inaugural summit on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Visa's Campus in Ashburn.

The ASPIRE initiative, created for 7th grade girls, will focus on inspiring, educating and building confidence in young women from Loudoun County and Fairfax County Public Schools. All participating students were selected by school counselors and career specialists based on need and readiness. The initiative will help provide young women with information and inspiration to chart a course for success in their lives.

"We are excited to bring together women who have achieved excellence in their respective fields with girls who are at an age where the choices they make can define their futures," said Jane Rodgers, Redskins Charitable Foundation Executive Director. "We hope that these young women leave the summit knowing that they can achieve whatever they dream and we want to be a part of setting them up for success."

The fall summit will allow students to hear from influential women in business and technology through two panel discussions. Topics will include self-worth, goal setting and pursuing their dreams. In addition to the discussion, students will collaborate on a variety of activities throughout the summit created by youth development experts from Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Panelists include:

-       Danielle White – Vice President Community Engagement, MGM

-       Cathy Lanier – Senior Vice President – Security, NFL

-       Deesha Dyer – Executive Director and Founder, beGirl.world

-       Rebecca Schulte – President, NBC Sports Washington

-       Karen Strong – Senior Vice President - Client Support & Implementation, Visa

-       Tiffany Moore – Vice President, Government and Political Affairs, Consumer Technology Association

-       Joyce Hunter – CEO, Vulcan Enterprises, LLC

-       Jennifer Hinkle – Vice President, Digital Marketing, Washington Redskins

The panel discussions will be moderated by Fox 5 News Morning Anchor Allison Seymour.

Following the fall summit, the cohort will stay connected through a protected online community and will stay engaged through monthly blog posts on the topics explored during the summit. On Thursday, Mar. 15 the cohort will reconnect at Redskins Park for the next piece of the initiative focused on health and wellness.

For more information on the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation's programs and events or to donate, visit www.redskins.com/community or follow the Foundation on Twitter at @RedskinsCR and Instagram at @redskinsgiveback.

Any questions regarding this event should be directed to Tish Carmona of Redskins Public Relations at carmonat@redskins.com or 703-726-7077. Media interested in attending the event should also contact Carmona.