Our History

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Lee and Sally PoseyIn early 2001, Texas philanthropists, Lee and Sally Posey. learned of a new single-sex, college preparatory, public school in New York City, The Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem. With a passion for at-risk and underserved young women, the Posey’s interest was immediately piqued by news of the wildly successful New York school. After an inspirational visit to the school, Mr. and Mrs. Posey endeavored to bring the model to Texas. In  2002, the Foundation for the Education of  Young Women (FEYW), a       501 (c) (3) organization, was established. FEYW formed its first public-private partnership with the Dallas Independent School District and, in August 2004, the first all-girls, college preparatory, public school in Texas, the Irma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, opened its doors. Since then, FEYW has opened Young Women’s Leadership Schools in Austin, San Antonio, Lubbock, Fort Worth, and Houston.

The Foundation for the Education of Young Women engenders change in public education by using an innovative model which supports public-private partnerships around the state.

• Through FEYW, urban school districts agree to open and operate an all-girls, college preparatory, public school.
• FEYW supplies the expertise to bring the school to fruition and provides seed funding for the planning year and the school’s first three years of operation.
• Once operational, the district funds and staffs the school according to district guidelines.
• FEYW works with each school to build local support within the school district and community, including a vibrant local Advisory Council.
• FEYW and the local Advisory Councils work to raise the funds necessary to provide CRUCIAL educational enhancements at each school.

Lee Posey passed away in 2008. His vision and legacy lives on in the hallways and classrooms of our Young Women’s Leadership Schools across Texas.