The Girl Effect is a movement that's aiming to change the world one girl at a time.

It focuses on the "untapped potential of adolescent girls," said Jaimie Popp, of the Nike Foundation. The foundation created the Girl Effect in 2008 in conjunction with the NoVo Foundation.

The Girl Effect has shown through its research that when girls in Third World countries are able to break the cycle of poverty for themselves, they are more likely to contribute to their communities rather than marry young, be susceptible to illness and remain in that negative cycle.

"When you invest in girls, it's reinvested in the community," said Popp, adding that when girls from developing countries are able to rise above negative circumstances and secure a future for themselves, they invest 90 per cent of their income into their families and surrounding area as opposed to the 30 to 40 per cent from boys.

Essentially, the impact girls can have on their surroundings is influential and the global community is noticing.

"People are realizing and reevaluating where money (global aid) is going," said Popp. International groups like the United Nations and the Clinton Global Initiative have promoted The Girl Effect's message.

But some of the most avid supporters of the movement have been girls from all around the world. They have started school clubs and are raising money for the cause.

Students interested in getting involved in the The Girl Effect can visit www.girleffect.org to download a toolkit to start your own group or fundraiser and learn more about the campaign.