The NBA and WNBA have promoted Lean In Girls, a leadership program for ages 11 to 15, while a facilitator handbook obtained by Fox News’ OutKick includes guidance on gender identity, pronouns and using gender-neutral terms for participants. The report says it remains unclear how much of the curriculum the leagues reviewed before backing the program.
Lean In describes the program as free and suitable for schools and community organizations. Its 2023 facilitator handbook presents activities on goal-setting, confidence and responding to failure. In a section on gender inclusion, it says some participants may be exploring their gender identity or may be uncomfortable being called a girl. It advises facilitators to address a group as “everyone,” “folks,” “leaders” or “team,” rather than “girls” or “guys.”
The handbook recommends inviting participants to share pronouns but cautions against requiring them to do so. It also suggests using they/them pronouns in fictional examples. Other sections address social power, bias and what the program calls “active allyship.” During a February 2026 webinar, Lean In Girls official Kelly Meredith described a 15-session version with sections on overcoming bias and barriers and on allyship.
The leagues’ relationship with Lean In predates the program. The NBA’s 2022-23 Social Impact Report said the WNBA had worked with the organization for eight years and aired public service announcements during playoff games. The report says the partnership expanded to Lean In Girls by 2024, when the leagues promoted the initiative with WNBA player Aliyah Boston. The NBA published a video supporting the program on April 20, 2026, and Lean In’s website said the WNBA and player Flau’jae Johnson supported it.
OutKick sought the current curriculum, including the later sections on bias and allyship, but Lean In did not provide the materials after initially directing the outlet to another email address. The report also says the NBA, WNBA and Lean In did not provide substantive responses to questions about what the leagues reviewed, who approved the relationship, whether the leagues provide financial support, or what information was shared with players appearing in promotional campaigns. The NBA and WNBA were contacted on Oct. 9, and the organizations were given a deadline of Oct. 13.
Records obtained by OutKick show Santa Clara Unified School District used Lean In Girls at Buchser Middle School and considered expanding the program to four other middle schools. At a district equity event in spring 2025, school officials presented it as a targeted student-support intervention. They identified concerns about social connection, confidence and negative messages among eighth-grade girls.
The district presentation said staff considered academic, attendance and discipline records, along with weekly student check-ins. Recruitment materials included applications, essays and interviews; the presentation also listed academic information, check-in histories and diversity among factors considered. The stated goals included examining gender and cultural stereotypes, understanding identity and recognizing barriers to leadership.
District planning documents proposed a five-school program and described a potential formal partnership. One document indicated that several schools planned to use only the first two parts of the curriculum. The records do not explain why the later parts were omitted, show which lessons Buchser students received, or confirm that the planned expansion occurred. They also do not establish whether families were informed about the handbook’s guidance or whether participation required parental consent.
OutKick asked the district which schools ultimately adopted the program, whether staff reviewed the later curriculum sections, and what consent rules applied. District official Mark Schiel acknowledged the questions in an Oct. 12 email and said he would try to respond, but the district did not answer by the extended deadline, according to the report.
The account also refers to a separate WNBA charitable initiative. In July, OutKick reported that the league selected Girls in the Game as an All-Star charitable beneficiary. The organization’s website said it welcomed gender-expansive participants and used language about moving beyond a binary definition of “girl.” Neither the WNBA nor the organization answered OutKick’s questions about that language or eligibility for its programs.
The available records document public promotion, handbook guidance and one school’s implementation, but do not establish which curriculum materials league officials reviewed or whether the district’s proposed expansion took place.
