Schenectady County Working Group on Girls
Joanne Tobiessen
In the past several months we have heard from mothers and principals about how they have seen The Girls' Circles program turn some girls around. One mother thanked us for giving her back her daughter, a girl who was full of enthusiasm and things to share with her mother. Another mother told us that for the first time she saw her daughter feeling good about being a girl. Several principals also said they saw girls `turn around' in their attitudes and are so glad we are doing this again. Please consider changing some girls lives by co-leading a Girls' Circle this winter and spring. It is a wonderful way to give back to the community and support our girls to develop into happy, healthy young women.
Wanted: WOMEN AS MUSES to 7th Grade City School Girls.
A Muse inspires girls by recognizing and drawing out girls' strength and potential.
Five core skills for Muses are:
(1) appreciating differences;
(2) stepping in and stepping aside, depending on the needs of the group;
(3) self-awareness;
(4) observing and listening carefully; and
(5) curiosity, being comfortable with the unknown, and moving the focus away from yourself and what you know and want for girls toward what girls know and want for themselves.
- Muses will work in pairs facilitating a Girls' Circle of about 6-8 girls for nine sessions at the girls' middle school in follow-up to Girls' Day Out.
Commitment:
Attend the Second Annual Girls' Day Out: `Me Today - Me Tomorrow' at the Glen Sanders Mansion on November 17th
Two evenings of training for the Muses on Thursday, October 28, from 6-9pm and Thursday, November 4 from 6-8:30pm. In addition, there will be a meeting Thursday, December 2nd at 6 pm to meet with the school clinicians to set dates for your Girls' Circle at your designated school and review the events of Nov. 17th.
Nine one-hour Girls' Circles at which you and your co-leader would meet with your girls at their middle school (during their lunch break or 3pm-4pm) on dates of your choosing (in collaboration with the school clinicians) for December through April. A curriculum will be provided.
Girls' Celebration Dinner (near Mother's Day, tentatively May 5th) to recognize and share their experience.
If you would like to join us for this exciting endeavor, please email Barbara Dworkin at barbaradworkin@englishperfect.com and put Muse in the subject line. If you have questions, please email Joanne Tobiessen at jtobiessen@hotmail.com and put Muse in the subject line. Thank you!
For more information about us: http://sites.google.com/site/schenectadycountyworkinggroupo/
SCHENECTADY COUNTY WORKING GROUP ON GIRLS'
"FIRST ANNUAL GIRLS' DAY OUT:
BREAKING BARRIERS/BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS"
One hundred and fifty 7th and 8th grade girls were bussed from four Schenectady City Schools to the Glen Sanders Mansion, Wednesday, November 18th. They enjoyed a full school day off campus during National Education Week and participated in "The First Annual Girls' Day Out: Breaking Barriers/Building Relationships," facilitated by the Schenectady County Working Group on Girls (SCWGG). Women from over 15 agencies and organizations who work with and care about girls teamed to create a project to strengthen the girls' sense of self respect, to teach skills that would enable the girls to take responsible control of their lives and to open their minds to new options. The adult participants wished to show the girls that the community cares about them and to connect the girls with the community and with agencies that can meet their needs.
After a mini-breakfast, a plenary session featuring Sister Anne Bryan Smollin emphasized the importance and value of self-respect. Sister Anne starting her keynote by getting everyone up and hugging at least 12 others.
She said that we need four hugs a day just to survive and to help us thrive. Girls then attended two pre-selected morning workshops (out of six) dealing with different aspects of forming and maintaining healthy relationships. They regrouped for lunch and met their 'muses'. Muses are adult women who will lead monthly "Girls' Circles" throughout the remainder of the school year.
Following a pre-selected choice of an afternoon arts expression workshop. We offered six other workshops from which to choose. Then the girls reconvened to share what they had accomplished. Girls displayed their visual art work, recited the poetry they had written, acted in a dramatic presentation, sang songs, performed yoga and step dance, played steel drums and performed African dance. All were developed during their afternoon workshops.
Before boarding buses to return to their
respective schools, each girl received a
soccer bag containing small gifts, resource materials, information about programs offered by agencies that serve girls, and a book, "Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: the Real Deal."
The next day, one of the girls' school social workers reported "Our girls are talking about it--some have described it as the best thing that has ever happened to them."
The Schenectady County Working Group of Girls (SCWGG), modeled on the United Nations Working Group on Girls, an NGO under UNICEF, was initiated five years ago by the League of Women Voters of Schenectady County and the American Association of University Women of Schenectady County. The WGG is a truly collaborative venture with members from the LWV, the AAUW, as well as the City Middle Schools, the Schenectady Federation of Teachers (SFT), the NYS United Teachers (NYSUT), the Schenectady School Board, The Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES), the Schenectady County Public Library, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Schenectady, the Sexual Assault Support Services/PPMH (Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson), Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), SAFE Inc., the YWCA, the Girl Scouts of NENY, Girls Inc., and the community.
The SCWGG's mission statement is 'Working together to put the spotlight on girls, facilitate programs on their behalf, and educate the community about their needs, challenges, opportunities and successes.'
The SCWGG is a 501c3 under the sponsorship of the League of Women Voters of New York State's Education Foundation, enabling it to receive funding from numerous foundations, agencies, organizations, and individuals.
The Girls' Day Out was funded by donations from The Schenectady Foundation, The Carlilian Foundation, Soroptimist International of Schenectady, The Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region's Standish Family Fund, The Henry M. Butzel Family Foundation, Stewart's Shops, Price Chopper (in-kind), also NYS United Teachers, Schenectady Federation of Teachers, LWV, AAUW, Zonta, Schenectady Permanent Firemen's Association,SAFE Inc., as well as businesses: Blown Away, Griffith Dardanelli Architects, M.A.L. Accounting and Tax Services, Miss Nikki's Tutoring Service (Athens, Greece), and individuals:
Dr. N Balasubramanian, Jon and Nancy Tobiessen, David Humphrey, and Carole Merrill-Mazurek.
GIRLS' DAY OUT WORKSHOP LEADERS
Chrys Ballerano, Community Educator, NYS Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Karen Baum, Dir. of Alternative Dispute Resolution Programs at The Center for Community Justice
Robin Boyd, SPOA Coordinator, Schenectady Co. Office of Community Services
Laura Combs, Social Worker, BOCES/Schenectady CSD
Nettie Crossman, retired school librarian, Schenectady CSD
Gwynne De Long, LWV and retired teacher Schenectady SCD
Gail Wilson-Giarratano, President/CEO, Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region
Okenya Hickson, student SHS
Maureen Johnson, Service Coordinator, SAFE Inc.
Eileen Lawson, Education Team Manager, Planned Parenthood Mohawk-Hudson
Mary Clare O'Connor, Schenectady Youth Build, SUNY/SCCC
Nichelle Rivers, Ed.D., Asst. Superintendent, Troy CSD
Karen Ferrer-Muniz, Dir. Multicultural Affairs, Union College
Shirley Readdean, past president, YWCA NENY, and Schenectady CSD Board of Education
Bernice Rivera, Social Studies Teacher, Schenectady CSD
Latisia Rivera, SHS 2008
Angelique Williams, Founder of Girl Power Mentoring
Michelle Williams, community volunteer.
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League of Women Voters of Schenectady County, New York. All rights reserved.
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