girl power program
> Download Girl Power Brochure in PDF ...
The Celebrate Diversity Project in partnership with the Cole Center Family YMCA with collaboration from Drug Free Noble County; Central Noble, East Noble, West Noble school corporations and many other community partners offers “Girl Power”, an after school program for middle school aged girls. Girl Power is a program for GIRLS and about GIRLS. Middle school aged girls come together to learn about each other, themselves, and their potential and they have fun doing it!
The purpose of the program is threefold:
To provide new learning experiences for middle school aged girls;
To provide an all-inclusive atmosphere that fosters diversity based on race, social class, ability/disability, culture and other differences;
To provide adult female mentors and pro-social opportunities with peers to help them acquire new information, practice new skills and make healthy choices for their life. |
Studies have shown that in a single-gendered community, such as Girl Power, girls: Are more likely to say what they really feel; Feel they are more likely to be listened to; Will take on more leadership roles; and Will try new things.
The Girl Power program addresses some of the concerns that many middle school age girls have:
-Need for new, fun experiences to learn about the world around them;
-Girl-on-girl bullying;
-Need for positive, self-esteem building activities;
-Importance of education and pursuing post-high school education opportunities;
-Promotion of understanding between cultures that exist in each community.
Subject blocks with a 2-3 week focus on each topic are:
-Community Service: options, research, community service experience
-Personal Safety: Internet, Peers, and Self-defense
-Healthy Choices: Alcohol, Tobacco, Other Drugs, Peers (using Youth Matters curriculum)
-You and Your Body: body image, eating, exercise, and personal care
-Careers: Research, guest speakers and visits to women at job sites
-Cultural Diversity: Guest speakers from other cultures, research, food, and presentation
-Girl Power meets after school from for two hours at WNMS, CNMS, and KMS. There is a registration fee of $15 per year to participate in the program.
The most important aspect of this program is that it is for girls, about girls and the girls want to be part of it. The girls say it best:
-“My dad told me that if I didn’t bring my grades up that I couldn’t come to the program anymore.”
(She then showed the leaders her grades had all come up to A’s & B’s from D’s and F’s)
-“We get to have fun and do cool things.”
-“I didn’t know that a woman was mayor of Kendallville!”
-“I like it because I meet new friends that I never really talked to before the program.”
To register to participate in Girl Power or to learn more about the program including meeting times and locations please contact Donna Wolfe at the Cole Center Family YMCA at 260-347-9622.
