History: The concept for Girls’ Stories, Girls’ Voices originated from a workshop designed for women called Women’s Stories, Women’s Voices, a program that gave them a place to share and use their voices. Dr. Nelson, who at the time was teaching an Adolescent Psychology class at Edgewood College, a small liberal arts school in Madison, WI, where her students mentored Middle School students. There she gained insights about the Middle School girls, their stressful experiences, their troubled relationships and the numerous questions these teens raised. She concluded that girls who take the time to discover their authenticity could develop skills that utilize and reinforce their strengths to deal with: blindly obeying, pleasing others, accommodating to cultural expectations, accepting conditionally, denying self and handling rejection. Having knowledge and confidence results in healthy young women. These new insights were supported by researchers and social scientists that point to the psychological, social and economic importance of young adolescent maintaining and sharing their voices. Carol Gilligan, Annie Rogers, and Mary Pipher describe the loss of girls’ voices during their early teens and the consequences of such losses.
The week-long program was launched in the summer of 1999 in Madison, Wisconsin, and has evolved into a quality program that challenges girls to explore themselves and their voices, their friends and families and then to reach out to offer their fits and knowledge to their community and the global world.
Philosophy: Middle school girls need a safe environment where they can safely explore the many issues surrounding their lives. It is essential for them to discover themselves, share their unique stories and to be heard by caring, loving people. Through sharing of themselves, the girls discover and effectively use their voices.
Program: Middle School girls gather at Edgewood College in Madison, WI, for a week-long program fron 9:00 am – 3:00 pm each day. A small number of girls are placed with two facilitators (College and High School young women) who create a safe place for open sharing. Both large group and small group interactions occur. Outside professionals lead the group in yoga, dance, self-defense,exercise and outreach activities. Different colored T-shirts identify each separate group.
The College and High School facilitators are role models for these girls during a the week that addresses tough issues through art, music, writing, role playing and sharing. During the week they are able to:
- Find their VOICES
- Make FRIENDS
- Write STORIES AND POEMS
- Create ART WORKS
- Learn DANCE FORMS
- Train in SELF-DEFENSE
- Practice YOGA
- Share STORIES
- Reach out to OTHERS
- Engage in outreach for GIRLS IN POVERTY
To view the different components of the program, please CLICK HERE!
