The Gateway 2024-2025

The Gateway 2024-2025

A Leadership Program
For High School Girls

Grades 9 to 12
The Gateway 2024-2025

A Leadership Program
For High School Girls

Grades 9 to 12

The Gateway is expanding!

The Gateway’s flagship program in Miami will continue with sessions based at Larkins Center. In 2024-2025, we are excited to offer for the first time two new programs in Delray Beach and Orlando. Choose the program closest to you!

Our Mission

The Gateway aims to inspire young women to grow in the confidence and leadership skills they need to improve the lives of the people around them and to acquire a deeper sense of belonging and service to their community.

Our Program

Authentic leadership involves developing one's character and growing in virtue. The Gateway offers professional development to high school girls through monthly sessions including:

Professional seminars
Career and skills-based workshops
Discussion groups
Individual mentoring
Service projects
Building friendships

"The Gateway has been an amazing resource on real professional work, with helpful topics and discussions. Every month is something new and exciting, as well as being surrounded by peers who appreciate the importance of leadership." - 2022 participant

"...an experience where I was able to learn and grow alongside other girls who shared common interest with me and explore and learn about different career paths." - 2022 participant

The Gateway program is designed by Larkins Center, which offers educational and formational activities to women and girls of all ages. The spiritual and doctrinal aspects of activities at Larkins Center are entrusted to Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church, which helps people find God in their work and everyday life.

During each session, Larkins's chaplain is available for those who wish to receive spiritual guidance. This spiritual component is optional and not required to fully participate in The Gateway. The Gateway welcomes young women of all races, creeds, and ethnic backgrounds.

Miami

Larkins Center

7100 SW 75th Ave, Miami, FL 33143

The first Saturday of every month, September to May, from 2:30 - 5:00pm.

Delray Beach

Roseaire Conference Center

14281 Gallagher Road, Delray Beach. FL 33445

The second Saturday of every month, September to May, from 2:30 - 5:00pm.

Orlando

444 Windmill Palm Circle, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

The second Tuesday of every month, September to May, from 6:00 - 8:00pm.

Time and place may change for service opportunities. Participants will be notified a month before of the time of the session and for transportation to the service site.

Two additional opportunities are available this year to Gateway participants. These events are separate from The Gateway Program schedule and price.

High School Workshop at Roseaire Conference Center September 27-29. Register at https://roseaire.org/womens-events/

High School Seniors: Program participants also have the opportunity to attend a college-prep conference in Rome during Easter Week. For more information contact larkinscenter7100@gmail.com.

Registration

Online registration is now available. Please register by October 1st.

Program Fees

Miami and Delray Beach registration fee: $220.00

Orlando registration fee: $180.00

Payment Options through Zelle, Venmo or check

Zelle: palmtrail.inc@gmail.com
Venmo: @Palmtrail-Larkins
Payment by check addressed to Palmtrail, Inc.

Please note the payment is for Gateway/(Location).

If a payment plan is needed, please contact us at thegateway.fl@gmail.com

No refunds are available.

Testimonials

Dr. Steven Christie,

Panelist at The Gateway 2019

“I just wanted to thank you for including me on today's panel. I was absolutely stunned at how professional the whole presentation was. Your panelists were excellent, the moderator was outstanding and the young women were impressive. Even the room set up was perfect. This is the kind of thing I would expect to see on television, not in a house living room!”

Larkins Center is dedicated to providing a safe educational environment for those who participate in its activities, especially all minors. It does not tolerate any sexual or physical abuse on the part of staff, volunteers, or participants, including behavior that is objectively intimidating, either physically or verbally. Also, staff and volunteers do not provide any illegal substances to the students nor permit their use. Every adult staff or volunteer submits to a background check and commits to follow a set of behavioral guidelines here. If you are aware of any abusive behavior, please report it immediately to the Director of the center. The Director of the Center, in conjunction with the Center’s Board of Directors, will promptly investigate and resolve any such complaints or reports. When necessary the Director will inform the Directors of the Prelature of Opus Dei.

These guidelines apply to all staff and volunteers of Larkins Center who oversee and carry out activities at Larkins (or offsite) in which minors take part. The guidelines also apply to one-on-one counseling of minors who take part in these activities. A minor is anyone under the age of 18.

Whenever adults are with an individual minor, they should always remain within view of other people and should avoid being alone in any isolated place.
Priests should hear confessions and give spiritual direction to minors only in a confessional with a screen.
When staff or volunteers talk to minors alone they should do so in a room with the door open or with a window in the door allowing them to be easily seen, or someplace where they can be easily seen by other people.
No adult should ever be alone with a minor in a bedroom. No minors should be in bedrooms of the center, and it is better if they simply do not enter the residents’ area of the center.
Any overnight activities or one-day trips involving minors should include a sufficient proportion of adults and never fewer than two. In overnight activities, no adult should share a bedroom (or tent) with minors. If possible, minors should sleep either in single rooms or in rooms with three or more.
No adult should shower or dress in the presence of minors and vice-versa. Adults should have separate showers or use the showers at a separate time. Whenever the minors need to dress with other minors present, they should be instructed to use bathrobes or at least towels. All showers should be individual showers or have individual stalls.
No adult should drive in a car alone with a minor, unless the parents have given their explicit approval. Longer trips alone with a minor (over half an hour) should be avoided altogether.
Before a minor attends an overnight activity (e.g., a retreat) the parents should be informed and their approval obtained by those responsible for the activity.
No adult should subject a minor to any physical or verbal abuse, including threatening, intimidating, taunting, humiliating and insulting, nor allow the participants to treat others in these ways.
No adult should invite or aid minors to smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. The possession and use of marijuana are always prohibited, regardless of their legality.
Adults should avoid any physical contact that is sexual or could be misunderstood as sexual. In this area it is better to err on the side of caution. Wrestling and rough-housing should be avoided.
Adults should not send text messages to minors under 15 and may send such messages to other minors only if they have first obtained the parents’ approval.
No adult should give or show to a minor pornographic or indecent reading materials, photographs, CD’s, DVD’s, websites, etc. In speaking about matters related to the virtue of chastity, it is best to emphasize the positive aspects of the ascetical struggle.
If anyone knows or reasonably suspects that abuse of a minor has taken place in any of Larkins’ activities, they should inform the Director of Larkins immediately. All those who work with minors should be familiar with the pertinent state’s requirements for mandatory reporting of confirmed or suspected abuse of minors.
If a minor says that she has been abused, the adult should listen to her without disputing her story, ask for pertinent details (who, when, what), and tell her that she will speak to the Director. She should be encouraged to tell her parents.

Approved by the board of Larkins Center, October 31, 2020

A Leadership Program For High School Girls

A Leadership Program For High School Girls