Dear Friends,
Imagine a teacher who is unprepared to guide female students through relationship challenges, a parent whose daughter comes home in tears after being ignored by her friends all day, or a volunteer coach who is trying to build community with his team of third-grade girls. What if these teachers, parents, and coaches had a website they could go to for guidance? A place to get training on the social development of their students or players, to see videos about exactly the kind of conversations they need to have, or to find the latest research on girls leadership. That is the website we are building for you, and we are thrilled to announce that Bloomberg Philanthropy has donated $162,000 to support the initial launch. Stay tuned in the coming months to learn more.
As we initiate our online work, we are still deeply committed to the programs that we run every day. No program has a bigger impact on girls’ lives than our three-week immersive Summer Program. In this program, girls don’t just learn about authentic relationships, they experience them. Girls in grades 6–12 from around the world come to our Summer Program at Mount Holyoke College. If you are considering this life-changing program, apply now. Spaces are filling up for summer 2014.
Read on to learn about the meaning behind our summer camp participant’s charms, the launch of the Ban Bossy campaign, an opportunity to support our work with homeless girls and families, and last but not least, enjoy the first advertisement for feminine products that has a sense of humor.
All my best,
Simone Marean
Executive Director and Co-Founder
The Charm of Girls Leadership
To explain our tradition of hand-crafted silver summer camp charms, we asked four-summer GLI camper Kyra to share her necklace with you. Kyra wears four charms, one for each summer from sixth to ninth grade. When friends ask Kyra about her necklace she explains,
The seahorse is for sixth grade. It isn’t a fish, and it isn’t a horse, it’s totally unique, and that’s what we celebrate about ourselves at camp in sixth grade. In seventh grade, we get a compass because we are learning to make our own path. In eighth grade, it is a heart because of love (and we learn the power of emotions). Ninth grade is the puzzle piece, because I think we are learning to be one part of a bigger whole.
Kyra’s friends from GLI are spread across the country, but they all wear their charms year round to remind themselves of their GLI summer memories. The memories are timeless: rolling down a big hill with friends, floating in the deep pool, amazing hot fudge sauce in town, or the group sleepover in air conditioning during last summer’s heat wave.
Next Summer, Kyra and her friends will return to GLI before starting their sophomore year of high school. At the end of the summer, they will all get the acorn to add to their necklaces, a symbol of the powerful potential that has always been within them, even when they bravely ventured away from home their first summer before sixth grade.
Click here to apply for GLI Summer Program 2014.
GLI Teams with Kenneth Cole’s Foundation, AWEARNESS
In celebration of International Women’s Day, GLI is partnering with AWEARNESS, The Kenneth Cole Foundation, to raise money for GLI mother and daughter programs for clients of HELP USA. We are proud to partner with HELP USA because of their commitment to provide housing and supportive services to help the homeless to become and remain self-reliant. Launching on March 8, the two-week program encourages customers to donate $10 in exchange for a 20% discount off their full-price purchase. Funds raised from the program will be used to send young women in need to GLI’s leadership workshops.
When: Mar 8-22, 2014
Where: Kenneth Cole retail, online, and outlet stores
Ban Bossy!
This month, we are proud to announce the launch of Ban Bossy, a campaign to raise awareness about the negative language used when girls take charge. The campaign offers great strategies, tips, and up-to-date research for parents and educators. Be sure to check out the resources for educators to get GLI lessons to teach girls the leadership skills of goal setting and decision making.
We are excited to be part of a national conversation around the connection between gender and power at a young age, and the link between girls leadership and the women’s leadership pipeline.
HelloFlo: Red Badge of Courage
HelloFlo is a modern feminine care company committed to educating and empowering women and girls by encouraging them to own and manage their physical and emotional changes. They provide Period Starter Kits to prepare girls for menstruation as well as a monthly subscription for sanitary items. Through a partnership with ZanaAfrica, every three or six month subscription purchased also helps to supply girls in Africa with enough sanitary products to get them through a school year.
Keep an eye on HelloFlo’s fantastic website and blog. And in case you haven’t seen their hilarious video,”The Camp Gyno,” do yourself a favor and check it out — You’ll be glad you did!
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