Reflections
As we implemented the first semester of Power Up at Adelphi Elementary School, I reflected on the milestones of each week.
Week 1: Introduction and Creating a Safe Space
After months of preparation and anxious waiting, Week 1 was finally here! I was absolutely terrified at the prospect of not having any girls show up, but luckily we had eight! Most of the girls seemed to be in sixth grade but were pretty diverse in terms of personalities and interests. The mentors, Sarah Nicole, Asia, Grace, and Shana, were so excited to begin participating but were also pretty nervous.
We were given a classroom as our meeting space, causing me to be taken aback at the lack of room for movement and activity. However, we made the best of what we were provided and immediately began the “Name and Movement Game” as well as “The Beach Ball Game.” Several of the girls really stood out including Abby, Devin, and Cam (the names of students were changed to ensure privacy). Abby was full of spunk and was always eager to comment on another girl’s answers with a joke or connection to her life. Devin, a sixth grader, seemed to be the most verbal out of all the girls and happy to participate. Cam was one of the few fourth graders and seemed to be very shy. She did not want to participate in the game and required a lot of encouragement from the mentors.
Continuing on to the Intel for Change video and explanation of Power Up, the girls seemed to be very excited and interested. Most of them actively participated in creating the contract, although there were few who were consistently engaged. The mentors did a great job of emphasizing that Power Up was a safe space and that we needed to respect each other.
We ended the session with our Woman to Watch activity. The girls were so amazed that Reby Silverman, the creator of Power Up, made a video for them specifically. They loved decorating their journals and listening to empowering songs. I was surprised at how much the girls wrote about Reby in their journals and look forward to seeing if this will continue. Overall, it was a great first day!
After months of preparation and anxious waiting, Week 1 was finally here! I was absolutely terrified at the prospect of not having any girls show up, but luckily we had eight! Most of the girls seemed to be in sixth grade but were pretty diverse in terms of personalities and interests. The mentors, Sarah Nicole, Asia, Grace, and Shana, were so excited to begin participating but were also pretty nervous.
We were given a classroom as our meeting space, causing me to be taken aback at the lack of room for movement and activity. However, we made the best of what we were provided and immediately began the “Name and Movement Game” as well as “The Beach Ball Game.” Several of the girls really stood out including Abby, Devin, and Cam (the names of students were changed to ensure privacy). Abby was full of spunk and was always eager to comment on another girl’s answers with a joke or connection to her life. Devin, a sixth grader, seemed to be the most verbal out of all the girls and happy to participate. Cam was one of the few fourth graders and seemed to be very shy. She did not want to participate in the game and required a lot of encouragement from the mentors.
Continuing on to the Intel for Change video and explanation of Power Up, the girls seemed to be very excited and interested. Most of them actively participated in creating the contract, although there were few who were consistently engaged. The mentors did a great job of emphasizing that Power Up was a safe space and that we needed to respect each other.
We ended the session with our Woman to Watch activity. The girls were so amazed that Reby Silverman, the creator of Power Up, made a video for them specifically. They loved decorating their journals and listening to empowering songs. I was surprised at how much the girls wrote about Reby in their journals and look forward to seeing if this will continue. Overall, it was a great first day!
Week 2: What makes you YOU? A Day for Identity Exploration
I was really excited about this week’s topic because I thought it would give the mentors a chance to get to know the girls a bit better. I also wondered whether some of the same girls would come as last week and if we would get any new additions. We had about twelve girls this week and several new younger students came, including Leila and Jane. Leila, a fifth grader, seemed to be very excited to be there and always had a smile on her face. Jane, a small fourth grader, was a bit more reserved but also seemed to be having a good time.
After about twenty minutes of homework, we did the icebreaker “Any Way the Wind Blows.” This got the girls moving and helped the mentors learn about them more. Then, we explained that the girls would be creating a “You Collage” with markers, magazines, and stickers. Most of the girls were eager to find things in the magazines that related to them and share these connections with the mentor at their table. During this time, I walked around the classroom and took notice of what types of things the girls put on their collage.
When the girls were finished creating their collages, we moved into a circle and began discussing their artwork and the importance of identity. This part of the session did not work as well as I had hoped because only several girls participated. Devin and Hailey, two sixth graders, seemed to be the most verbal and somewhat overshadowed the others in the group. I need to improve on maintaining a balance in the group where we can support those who are really verbal while also encouraging the quieter girls to participate. I think breaking up into smaller discussion groups and then coming back as a whole can help this.
After the discussion, we moved on to our Woman to Watch of the week: Gabby Douglas. Due to Shana’s absence, we did not have a WiFi connection and were unable to show the girls any visuals of Gabby. I think this really hindered the girls’ understanding of Gabby’s importance and showed how critical it is to have supplemental explanations ready each week. However, the girls still wrote in their journals and I think they left with a better understanding of their personal identity.
I was really excited about this week’s topic because I thought it would give the mentors a chance to get to know the girls a bit better. I also wondered whether some of the same girls would come as last week and if we would get any new additions. We had about twelve girls this week and several new younger students came, including Leila and Jane. Leila, a fifth grader, seemed to be very excited to be there and always had a smile on her face. Jane, a small fourth grader, was a bit more reserved but also seemed to be having a good time.
After about twenty minutes of homework, we did the icebreaker “Any Way the Wind Blows.” This got the girls moving and helped the mentors learn about them more. Then, we explained that the girls would be creating a “You Collage” with markers, magazines, and stickers. Most of the girls were eager to find things in the magazines that related to them and share these connections with the mentor at their table. During this time, I walked around the classroom and took notice of what types of things the girls put on their collage.
When the girls were finished creating their collages, we moved into a circle and began discussing their artwork and the importance of identity. This part of the session did not work as well as I had hoped because only several girls participated. Devin and Hailey, two sixth graders, seemed to be the most verbal and somewhat overshadowed the others in the group. I need to improve on maintaining a balance in the group where we can support those who are really verbal while also encouraging the quieter girls to participate. I think breaking up into smaller discussion groups and then coming back as a whole can help this.
After the discussion, we moved on to our Woman to Watch of the week: Gabby Douglas. Due to Shana’s absence, we did not have a WiFi connection and were unable to show the girls any visuals of Gabby. I think this really hindered the girls’ understanding of Gabby’s importance and showed how critical it is to have supplemental explanations ready each week. However, the girls still wrote in their journals and I think they left with a better understanding of their personal identity.
Week 3: Education! Education! Education!
Everyone was very excited about this session because we missed the previous week due to my absence. I was a bit nervous at how the girls would react to today’s topic considering their apparent negative attitudes towards school. However, I think today went really well and that the girls really understood the message we were trying to get across.
Then, we proceeded to discuss the importance of education. Grace helped the girls express their feelings about school and why they think they are required to go. I was surprised that despite their initial disdain for school, most of the girls understood why it was essential. They emphasized that you had to get good grades in order to go to college and get a job. Asking a lot of questions about the University of Maryland, it was obvious that the girls looked up to the mentors and were already developing close relationships. There was an emotional moment when Grace asked if they knew anyone who was not allowed to go to school. One of the girls disclosed that her cousin was forced to leave America and couldn’t go to school because of a “mark on her face.” While the rest of the girls were confused, the mentors quickly came to understand that this girl was referencing illegal immigration.
This discussion led well into the Girl Rising video. Despite the length of this video, most of the girls remained engaged in what was happening. They had a lot of questions at the end of the video about why Suma could not go to school and if this would ever happen to them. I emphasized that in the United States girls were given the right to go to school and this was not consistent around the world. The girls were excited to create their “With education I can…” placards and expressed a lot of great ideas.
We concluded today’s session with the Woman to Watch journals. I believe this was one of the most effective journal activities because it enabled the girls to reflect and process why Suma was a role model. Overall, I think this was a very successful session.
Everyone was very excited about this session because we missed the previous week due to my absence. I was a bit nervous at how the girls would react to today’s topic considering their apparent negative attitudes towards school. However, I think today went really well and that the girls really understood the message we were trying to get across.
Then, we proceeded to discuss the importance of education. Grace helped the girls express their feelings about school and why they think they are required to go. I was surprised that despite their initial disdain for school, most of the girls understood why it was essential. They emphasized that you had to get good grades in order to go to college and get a job. Asking a lot of questions about the University of Maryland, it was obvious that the girls looked up to the mentors and were already developing close relationships. There was an emotional moment when Grace asked if they knew anyone who was not allowed to go to school. One of the girls disclosed that her cousin was forced to leave America and couldn’t go to school because of a “mark on her face.” While the rest of the girls were confused, the mentors quickly came to understand that this girl was referencing illegal immigration.
This discussion led well into the Girl Rising video. Despite the length of this video, most of the girls remained engaged in what was happening. They had a lot of questions at the end of the video about why Suma could not go to school and if this would ever happen to them. I emphasized that in the United States girls were given the right to go to school and this was not consistent around the world. The girls were excited to create their “With education I can…” placards and expressed a lot of great ideas.
We concluded today’s session with the Woman to Watch journals. I believe this was one of the most effective journal activities because it enabled the girls to reflect and process why Suma was a role model. Overall, I think this was a very successful session.
Week 4: Breaking Gender Stereotypes
I was slightly nervous going into this session because I was not sure if the girls would be able to fully understand the concept of gender stereotypes. I knew that we needed to strike a balance between assuring them that it was okay to like “girly” things and supporting the girls who did not. Concerned that these ideas would polarize the group, I made sure to take on a more observational role during the early activities and checked that everyone felt comfortable. However, despite my concerns, I think this session was the most successful so far! The girl engaged in very thoughtful discussions, asked relevant questions, and eagerly participated in all of the activities. I believe that this week acted as a turning point for the girls, mentors, and myself. It really felt like we were making a difference in these girls’ lives by teaching them about the world and supporting their individual differences.
Grace began today’s session with a Rock, Paper, Scissors competition. This got everyone moving and excited for the day. After one of the youngest participants won, Asia had everyone sit down and listen to a difficult riddle that highlighted gender stereotypes. Most of the girls seemed comfortable sharing what they thought was the correct answer. This smoothly led into a brief definition of what a “stereotype” was. A sixth grader eloquently explained that a stereotype was something that someone else thought of you just because of the way you looked or acted.
Then, the girls divided into two groups, one being a “boy” group and the other a “girl” group. They were instructed to brainstorm the way that gender was expected to behave in our world. For example, what jobs they are supposed to have, things they should like to do, and what they should like. The mentors wrote down the girls’ ideas and prepared them for presenting in front of everyone else. During the presentations, some of the girls mentioned that what they wrote was not necessarily true for every girl or every boy.
After presenting, we moved the chairs into a big circle to discuss the meaning of this activity and challenge some of the things they had written. While this activity was only supposed to take ten minutes, the girls were so invested that it lasted close to twenty-five minutes. I held up the “girls” and “boys” poster and asked them whether only boys or girls could do these things. They vehemently responded no and many of them disclosed things from their lives when they were stereotyped for being a girl. For example, many shared frustration that they did not like wearing dresses, wanted to just be friends with a boy rather than having a crush on him, and loved to play sports. We also discussed that boys were also victims of stereotypes and that they should be able to wear pink, cook, and take care of kids. To end this activity, we ripped the posters, metaphorically “breaking” gender stereotypes.
The girls were so excited after watching the #Girlscan CoverGirl video that included well-known celebrities such as Queen Latifah, Katy Perry, and Becky G. They talked about how Nicki Minaj was a role model because she was a female rapper. They also really enjoyed the “Like a Girl” video and could relate being told that they “act like a girl,” “run like a girl,” or “hit like a girl.” Coincidentally, one of the sixth graders asked if there has ever been a female astronaut. This led perfectly to our Woman of the Week, Sally Ride, who was the first woman to go into space.
I believe that this session was especially meaningful and effective. These girls could really relate to what we were talking about, and were therefore very invested. Each girl wrote a lot in their journal and most added their own opinions. I am really looking forward to next week’s session discussing body image and self-esteem.
I was slightly nervous going into this session because I was not sure if the girls would be able to fully understand the concept of gender stereotypes. I knew that we needed to strike a balance between assuring them that it was okay to like “girly” things and supporting the girls who did not. Concerned that these ideas would polarize the group, I made sure to take on a more observational role during the early activities and checked that everyone felt comfortable. However, despite my concerns, I think this session was the most successful so far! The girl engaged in very thoughtful discussions, asked relevant questions, and eagerly participated in all of the activities. I believe that this week acted as a turning point for the girls, mentors, and myself. It really felt like we were making a difference in these girls’ lives by teaching them about the world and supporting their individual differences.
Grace began today’s session with a Rock, Paper, Scissors competition. This got everyone moving and excited for the day. After one of the youngest participants won, Asia had everyone sit down and listen to a difficult riddle that highlighted gender stereotypes. Most of the girls seemed comfortable sharing what they thought was the correct answer. This smoothly led into a brief definition of what a “stereotype” was. A sixth grader eloquently explained that a stereotype was something that someone else thought of you just because of the way you looked or acted.
Then, the girls divided into two groups, one being a “boy” group and the other a “girl” group. They were instructed to brainstorm the way that gender was expected to behave in our world. For example, what jobs they are supposed to have, things they should like to do, and what they should like. The mentors wrote down the girls’ ideas and prepared them for presenting in front of everyone else. During the presentations, some of the girls mentioned that what they wrote was not necessarily true for every girl or every boy.
After presenting, we moved the chairs into a big circle to discuss the meaning of this activity and challenge some of the things they had written. While this activity was only supposed to take ten minutes, the girls were so invested that it lasted close to twenty-five minutes. I held up the “girls” and “boys” poster and asked them whether only boys or girls could do these things. They vehemently responded no and many of them disclosed things from their lives when they were stereotyped for being a girl. For example, many shared frustration that they did not like wearing dresses, wanted to just be friends with a boy rather than having a crush on him, and loved to play sports. We also discussed that boys were also victims of stereotypes and that they should be able to wear pink, cook, and take care of kids. To end this activity, we ripped the posters, metaphorically “breaking” gender stereotypes.
The girls were so excited after watching the #Girlscan CoverGirl video that included well-known celebrities such as Queen Latifah, Katy Perry, and Becky G. They talked about how Nicki Minaj was a role model because she was a female rapper. They also really enjoyed the “Like a Girl” video and could relate being told that they “act like a girl,” “run like a girl,” or “hit like a girl.” Coincidentally, one of the sixth graders asked if there has ever been a female astronaut. This led perfectly to our Woman of the Week, Sally Ride, who was the first woman to go into space.
I believe that this session was especially meaningful and effective. These girls could really relate to what we were talking about, and were therefore very invested. Each girl wrote a lot in their journal and most added their own opinions. I am really looking forward to next week’s session discussing body image and self-esteem.
Week 5: Changing the Messages We Tell Ourselves and Celebrating Positive Self-Image
From my previous experiences in Power Up, I knew that this session was going to be one of the most difficult for both the girls and facilitators. The objective of this session was for the girls to understand that that what they see in the media is not an accurate portrayal of beauty. We wanted them to know that beauty goes beyond physical appearance and encompasses personality traits. While I think the girls were definitely impacted by this session, I think it would be beneficial to reinforce these ideas in the coming weeks. This week was also challenging because Sarah Nicole and Shana were unable to attend. Despite these obstacles, I believe that we were successful in communicating critical messages concerning beauty.
We began today’s session with mentor role-plays in which Asia and Grace acted out two scenes in front of the girls. The first scene consisted of them complimenting each other about physical characteristics like their clothes, hair, and nails. During the second portion, Asia and Grace acknowledged each other’s personality characteristics such as working hard, persevering, and being kind. The girls were easily able to distinguish the differences between the two scenes, acknowledging that it is also important to like a friend’s personality rather than their appearance.
After the skits, each girl was given a magazine and asked to find a picture or advertisement that represented beauty. Most of the girls selected images containing models, expensive clothes, and make-up. This led to a discussion of whether these images were real. The mentors asked challenging questions such as “do you think that model is really happy?” Several of the girls disclosed that they wanted lighter skin and blonde hair. We expanded on these ideas and asked them, “who tells us that we have to have light hair, wear make-up, and buy nice clothes in order to be happy?” They had a difficult time answering this question. As a means of explaining, I showed a video of a normal girl being photoshopped for a magazine shoot. Many of the girls were surprised that the people they saw in magazines did not look like that in actuality. We emphasized that beauty is a matter of internal characteristics. While it is okay to like to wear makeup, have nice clothes, and admire celebrities, it is also important to be a kind person.
At the end of this discussion, I played a video about the Woman of the Week, Demi Lovato. Many of the girls were taken aback at the struggles Demi endured with her personal body image. However, she inspires others by being confident with herself and advocating for girls everywhere. We concluded the session by giving each girl a foam frame and asking them to write why they are beautiful. We continued to emphasize that person’s personality influences whether others perceive them as beautiful. All of the girls chose great characteristics about themselves and were excited to take these projects home.
From my previous experiences in Power Up, I knew that this session was going to be one of the most difficult for both the girls and facilitators. The objective of this session was for the girls to understand that that what they see in the media is not an accurate portrayal of beauty. We wanted them to know that beauty goes beyond physical appearance and encompasses personality traits. While I think the girls were definitely impacted by this session, I think it would be beneficial to reinforce these ideas in the coming weeks. This week was also challenging because Sarah Nicole and Shana were unable to attend. Despite these obstacles, I believe that we were successful in communicating critical messages concerning beauty.
We began today’s session with mentor role-plays in which Asia and Grace acted out two scenes in front of the girls. The first scene consisted of them complimenting each other about physical characteristics like their clothes, hair, and nails. During the second portion, Asia and Grace acknowledged each other’s personality characteristics such as working hard, persevering, and being kind. The girls were easily able to distinguish the differences between the two scenes, acknowledging that it is also important to like a friend’s personality rather than their appearance.
After the skits, each girl was given a magazine and asked to find a picture or advertisement that represented beauty. Most of the girls selected images containing models, expensive clothes, and make-up. This led to a discussion of whether these images were real. The mentors asked challenging questions such as “do you think that model is really happy?” Several of the girls disclosed that they wanted lighter skin and blonde hair. We expanded on these ideas and asked them, “who tells us that we have to have light hair, wear make-up, and buy nice clothes in order to be happy?” They had a difficult time answering this question. As a means of explaining, I showed a video of a normal girl being photoshopped for a magazine shoot. Many of the girls were surprised that the people they saw in magazines did not look like that in actuality. We emphasized that beauty is a matter of internal characteristics. While it is okay to like to wear makeup, have nice clothes, and admire celebrities, it is also important to be a kind person.
At the end of this discussion, I played a video about the Woman of the Week, Demi Lovato. Many of the girls were taken aback at the struggles Demi endured with her personal body image. However, she inspires others by being confident with herself and advocating for girls everywhere. We concluded the session by giving each girl a foam frame and asking them to write why they are beautiful. We continued to emphasize that person’s personality influences whether others perceive them as beautiful. All of the girls chose great characteristics about themselves and were excited to take these projects home.