Dear Friends,
We are savoring our last days of summer camp. These precious moments are full of deep conversations, talent shows, rock climbing, art project sharing, color wars, and the closest friendships you can imagine. The new three-week summer camp format has fostered a new level of growth, community and personal transformation.
Last week, we celebrated our first Arts Festival. Over sixty campers shared original artwork after spending three days under the instruction of professional artists. The girls created 10-foot high inflatable sculptures and performed original poetry and theater. Girls who had never played the piano before camp composed and played original songs! We are truly in awe of the courage and creativity of these young women. They’ve proved to us, once again, that being young in no way limits your power or potential.
Even with summer in full swing, we are starting to look ahead to fall. Check out our national back-to-school line-up, and pick up Rachel’s newly revised and updated Odd Girl Out! We wish you a peaceful August and hope to see you in September!
All my best,
Simone Marean
Executive Director
GLI In the News
Last week, our high school campers joined Rachel Simmons and local clothing boutique owner Kristin Kelly to talk about what beauty means to them. They talked about the problem of ‘fat talk’ (self-deprecating remarks in favor of the thin ideal) in their schools and families, and explored ways to combat those habits with alternative messages about true beauty. In the final phase of this project, the GLI campers wrote positive messages on hand-dyed paper and brought them to Kristin’s boutique to hang in the dressing room. Now, when customers try on pants, instead of asking if they look fat, they’re reading the GLI notes and reminding each other that “your smile lights up the room.” Click here to read more about GLI’s off-campus activism in action.
New Release of Odd Girl Out
When co-founder Rachel Simmons’s first book, Odd Girl Out, was published, it became an instant bestseller, igniting a long-overdue conversation about the hidden culture of female bullying. Ten years later, Rachel has updated the book with four new chapters about cyberbullying, parenting in a digital age, and helping girls through drama, bullying and everything in between. Reinforced by up-to-the-minute research and enlivened with real-life stories, this groundbreaking book continues to be the definitive resource illuminating the most pressing social issues facing girls today. Order it now!
$65,000 Raised for Summer Scholarships!
Thank you for helping us raise over $65,000 for Summer Camp scholarships this year! Over 100 of you responded to our request for support, allowing 50 girls to experience three life-changing weeks of leadership development and personal transformation at GLI. Some of the scholarship recipients wrote us after camp, telling us that they loved GLI because “You can be YOURSELF!” Another camper wrote that the traditional evening “love notes,” where campers write positive letters to each other, is the “key to confidence, encouragement and love.” Yet another camper declared, “I loved every single part of camp.” We couldn’t have done it without you and are deeply grateful for your support.
Fall Programs Now Open for Registration
Get ready for the new school year with Real Parents, Real Daughters workshops for girls in grades K-8! These workshops give girls and their families skills that serve them all year long—how to choose healthy friendships, admit your mistakes and communicate what you feel. Workshops are now open for registration in the SF Bay Area; Colorado; and New York City. Don’t miss out!
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