Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas

Have you ever felt like we are losing touch with the people who surround us? That we are more and more left to fare on our own in a world that’s all about being connected? As an adult, I have sometimes       experienced feelings of estrangement myself, and I cannot help but notice that many young people, and especially young girls, are struggling to make it through their present circumstances and find their way to adulthood.

The waters of adolescence are rough to sail even with the wind at your back, and we live in a complex society that puts an enormous strain on our young without offering any guidance or support. It’s all about good grades, making the right decisions, success — but somewhere along the line we stopped taking the time to actually guide, counsel and encourage them through the critical steps that will shape their place as fully competent members of the community.

Without positive role models, girls are especially vulnerable to succumbing to peer pressure and engaging in risky behavior. A mentor has the chance to play a pivotal role in the development of a young person by simply being there for him or her and becoming a positive, caring, non-judgmental influence in his or her life. The bond established between a young person who needs support and the mentor has a stimulating effect that goes beyond the relationship: it’s not just about helping with homework or having a smile and a soothing word for their protégé, but also creating the foundations for future stability and emphasizing the value of being there for those who need guidance to enhance their abilities and thrive in life.

That’s why I am thrilled to celebrate Thank Your Mentor Day today and would like the opportunity to express my gratitude to all the brilliant mentors who devote their time, compassion and skills to empower a young person with their guidance and continued support. You are an inspiration to all of us!

Help Young Girls Discover Their Potential through Mentorship

I am also thrilled to invite you to get involved in the new mentoring program at Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas. The most important thing you need in order to become a mentor is a willingness to make a positive impact in a girl’s life. The application process is open to females ages 21 and up who are willing to provide guidance and help our girls with homework and test preparation. To participate in the program, or to learn more about this or other volunteer opportunities, please contact Leanne Hall at 214-654-4506 or lhall@girlsincdallas.org.

Share Your Thank-You Stories and Comments

Who was your mentor? Who would you like to thank today on Thank Your Mentor Day?

October 5, 2011 

The mortality rate among young people aged ten to twenty-four is unsettling despite the fact that since 1980 the mortality rate among this age group has decreased.  The National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) reported that most of the deaths among adolescents and young adults were due to preventable causes.  If you are a teenager, know one or remember being one, you are thinking right now about carelessness and risk taking, right? You would have a point.  Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults.    Other preventable deaths and suicide rates are high among people in this age group.  Young males are more likely to die from each leading cause of death than any other age group.

 So what does this mean?  What is it about being a teenager that manifests risky behavior?  There are finally some answers to this age old question due to brain imaging.  For the last decade or so, scientists have been using brain imaging to track the growth of brains from infancy to adult.  Patterns have been identified that challenge previous thought about the cause of teenage risky behavior.  The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has been integrally involved with this research and according to their publication, The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction, the teen brain is in a heightened state of extreme change.  It is undergoing almost complete metamorphosis between the ages of fifteen and approximately twenty-two years-of-age.     

To draw a picture of this radical change, imagine a city that started with ten houses, a civic building, one school, and two main, two-way streets that crossed.  Over fourteen years,  phenomenal growth occurs.  Thousands of new streets and neighborhoods, museums, libraries, venues for entertainment, hundreds of miles of super highways and lots of bridges are added. The population quadruples. Then in the fifteenth year, the city gets completely remodeled.  Streets are relocated, rebuilt, or updated, and houses get completely remodeled along with all public buildings.  The super highways are changed into super, super multilane highways to accommodate and encourage faster transit that moves at lightning speed. 

The October 2011 issue of National Geographic includes an article that offers a good amount of detail on the physiology behind this neurological “remodeling” that is taking place in the brains of human beings during the teenage and young adult years.

The brain’s axons—long nerve fibers that act as sonar and direct the route of neurons to select and desired destinations in the brain—gradually become more insulated with the brain’s white matter.  This boosts the axon’s transmission speed, up to a hundred times what it was. 

Dendrites, the twiggy extensions on neurons that act as receivers for information, change to become more efficient.  Synapses are strengthened for more efficiency and those that are not needed are pruned away.  The teen brain’s gray matter becomes thinner and its efficiency is increased as well. 

Couple this enormous remodeling with hormonal changes and you have a human being who is both complex and obtuse, fast at learning to ride a skateboard down a metal banister and slow about getting up in the morning. Still, the teen’s capacity to learn will never be greater than during this time period.  The teen brain is a match for any adult’s.  Why then is the teenager barreling down the road at 113 miles per hour or texting risqué pictures?

Going back to the NIMH publication, The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction, because NIMH said it best, “…the parts of the brain involved in emotional responses are fully online, or even more active than in adults, while the parts of the brain involved in keeping emotional, impulsive responses in check are still reaching maturity.  Such a changing balance might provide clues to a youthful appetite for novelty, and a tendency to act on impulse—without regard for risk.”

Some scientists believe the teen brain’s reasoning capability does compel them to assess risks; however, if teens feel that the reward of attention from peers is strong, it will outweigh the risks or skew the risks to a lower level of assessment.   

Environment and gender play significant roles when it comes to associating behavior to brain remodeling.  Still the brain imaging research leads us to examine how the adaptation and resulting behavior serves a larger purpose despite the dismal mortality rate due to risk taking among teens.  It certainly leads to more questions.  To that end, I will continue to explore the teen brain in my blog over the next few weeks. 

Until next week-

My best,

Lori

Sources:

National Geographic, Teenage Brains, by David Dobbs, October 2011

The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction, National Institute of Mental Health, 2011

Fact Sheet on Mortality: Adolescents and Young Adults, National Adolescent Health Information Center, 2006

Immaturities in Reward Processing and Its Influence on Inhibitory Control in Adolescence; C.F. Geier, R. Terwilliger, T. Teslovich, K. Velanova and B. Luna;  Cerebral Cortex, Oxford Journals, October 29, 2009

Teen dating abuse is far more prevalent than many teens, parents and educators think; 10 percent of U.S. high school students reported experiencing assault by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past year according to Adolescent Health study authors Emily Rothman, an Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, and Dr. Elizabeth Miller, Chief of the Division for Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Results of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Dating or partner abuse, as it is also known, includes physical, emotional or sexual trauma and, in the past decade, often technology is utilized to monitor or further torment victims.  Results of a study commissioned by Liz Claiborne Inc. indicated that 43 percent of the women surveyed who date said they had experienced violence and other forms of abuse from a partner. Knowledge Networks, the research firm that conducted the survey, interviewed 330 female and 178 male students from several universities throughout the U.S. 

Liz Claiborne Inc. understands a great deal about this phenomenon. More than twenty years ago, Liz Claiborne Inc. wanted to give back to its customers but weren’t sure how?  They polled their customers who overwhelming suggested that the company address the issue of domestic violence.  Consequently, since 1991, Liz Claiborne Inc. has been working to end domestic violence by building awareness of this ubiquitous crime through its Love Is Not Abuse program.  The program provides information and tools that anyone can use to learn and teach about this issue.  

In a conversation last Friday with Jane Randel, Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications at Liz Claiborne Inc., she shared that, “After some time, our focus began to evolve.  Women aged 16-24 are most vulnerable to intimate partner violence. We began to focus more on teens.  We strongly advocate that education be mandated for middle and high school students much as education about drugs, sex and alcohol are.  Young girls need to understand what is not healthy in a relationship so they can make informed decisions.”  The statistics that were extrapolated from the February 2005, Liz Claiborne Inc. study included the following:

• 1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner.
•  1 in 4 teenage girls who have been in relationships reveal they have been pressured to perform oral sex or engage in intercourse.
•  More than 1 in 4 teenage girls in a relationship (26%) report enduring repeated verbal abuse.
•  If trapped in an abusive relationship, 73% of teens said they would turn to a friend for help; but only 33% who have been in or known about an abusive relationship said they have told anyone about it.
• Nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abuser.
•  Of the women between the ages 15-19 murdered each year, 30% are killed by their husband or boyfriend.
•  Less than 25% of teens say they have discussed dating violence with their parents. (Liz Claiborne Inc. study of teens 13-17 conducted by Applied Research and Consulting LLC, spring 2000)
   

Special Note to Teens: These are disturbing statistics.  Ms. Randel believes that dating abuse is particularly confusing and the use of cells phones and social media to manipulate and control victims is particularly upsetting.  She suggests that parents, educators and teens download the app from the Love is Not Abuse Facebook page or visit iTunes.  The app will allow you to experience an up close and personal experience of what it’s like when a boyfriend controls your social life and tells you who you can or can’t see, or follows you around and checks up on you constantly by cell phone, email and social media. The app uses your contact information to torment and threaten you mercilessly with text messages, phone calls and social media posts just as an abuser would.  Your pseudo tormentor is the voice of a teenage boy. 

Education is the key, Ms. Randel, reiterates.  Several other high profile organizations that are addressing the teen dating violence issue agree. 

Until next week-

My best,

Lori

 Web sites to visit:

http://www.bumc.bu.edu/2010/12/07/dating-violence-among-young-people/

http://lovegoodbadugly.com/category/love-control/

http://www.teensagainstabuse.org/index.php?q=mission

www.loveisnotabuse.com

http://www.teensagainstabuse.org/index.php?q=statistics

Part One

September 9, 2011   I have chosen this week’s blog as an outcome of recent news stories. On August 18, 2011, Texas Christian University (TCU) campus police received a call from a female student who reported that she had been sexually assaulted in a residence hall by someone she knew.  Four days later, another female student reported a sexual assault by an acquaintance in a residence hall.  On Aug. 26, Fort Worth police contacted TCU campus police to alert them that a sexual assault had occurred several blocks south of the campus. The reported victim appeared to know the attacker in that case as well.  According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), acquaintance assault involves coercive sexual activities that occur against a person’s will by means of force, violence, duress, or fear of bodily injury. These sexual activities are imposed upon a victim by someone they know (a friend, date, acquaintance, etc.).

Currently, one in four sexual assaults is acquaintance rape, verses “stranger rape”.  Acquaintance rape may not occur as much as “stranger rape” but acquaintance assaults are escalating among young women between the ages of 16 and 24.  Increasingly, acquaintance assaults are occurring on college campuses.  Sexual assault is, among other things, a crime of opportunity, which means that there may also be opportunities for a young woman to decrease her vulnerability. 

• Stay alert, sober, in control, and empowered.
• Trust her intuition.
• Find safety in numbers.

Keep in mind that the perpetrator of this type of assault is operating under a rapist’s mental mandate to wield power over and control his victim.  Therefore, some behavior patterns may be observable before an assault.  When that big red bell alert, called intuition, starts yelling to “steer clear”, the young woman should do it.

My message to young women: Be wary of date rape drugs by being conscious and consistently aware of what you consume.  These drugs have no odor or color. Their taste is negligible. They can cause amnesia, which will exacerbate the situation.  Being truly aware will require you to literally baby sit your beverage which should come in a can or bottle–one that you opened yourself.  Never leave it unattended at parties and social events.   

Finally, remember when you were little and went on field trips in elementary school and were trained to partner with a buddy?  Do that again.  Partner with people you can trust. Discuss the rules of “having someone’s back” with your friends and vow to honor the rules. 

There’s one last point I want to make to both young men and women.  Keep an eye on both your male and female acquaintances.  Be observant for vulnerable or violent behavior in people around you.  One in five women will be the victim of a sexual assault.  One in nine teen girls is forced to have sex.  In either case, one is too many.  If you prevent one assault, you will have prevented a lifetime of pain for someone. 

Note:  I was inspired to cover this topic by Vice President Joseph Biden who authored the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as a Senator.  It was signed into law on September 13, 1994. As Senator Biden, he was inspired to move this bill because the highest rates of rape and sexual assault occur with young women aged 16-24.  His recent video message that marked the anniversary of the bill is accessible below.  I will cover abuse of teen girls by boyfriends in a future blog.   

Until next week –

 My best,

 Lori

 Sources:

 Video Message, Vice President Biden Calls on New Generation to Take Action in Preventing Dating Violence and Sexual Assault at School and On Campus

Girls Speak Out, http://www.girlsspeakout.org/resources/WSTP.php

Star-Telegram, Posted Saturday, Sep. 10, 2011, by Diane Smith; Three sexual-assault cases reported at or near TCU over nine days http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/10/3357087/three-sexual-assault-cases-reported.html
Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network
http://www.rainn.org/get-information/types-of-sexual-assault/acquaintance-rape

September 12, 2011

During the four weeks between the end of our Girls Inc. summer session in July and the beginning of our fall afterschool session on September 6, the programming staff at Girl’s Inc. shifted into a high-energy strategic planning mode.  They tackled three important tasks. First, they set a goal to grow the number of girls we serve from 805 per year to 1020 during the 2011-2012 year.  Second, they determined how this growth would be demographically and geographically achieved based on current census statistics and the number and size of the DISD feeder schools in the communities in which our four Girls Inc. campuses are located. Third, they developed robust recruitment plans tailored for each campus.

In order to grow the number of girls we serve will require us to mirror the statistical growth of Dallas captured by the 2010 census—the Hispanic population in Dallas increased 42 percent from 2000 to 2010.  The team’s recruitment efforts include Spanish language fliers and brochures along with increasingly more direct contact with area school administrators and parents. 

The next task for staff was to calendar the frequency of each program curriculum and plan the associated activities to deliver them to each age group. The groups are: first grade through third grade; fourth grade through fifth grade; middle school, which is sixth grade through eighth grade; and high school. The team prepared grade-appropriate programming that supports our goals to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold, to be competent academically, and to possess the skills that young people need to succeed in the world of work and career. The programming also includes activities that help students develop the ability to be personally effective.  We refer to all of these competencies as PAC: Personal Effectiveness, Academic, and Career Planning Competencies. 

All campus directors and facilitators are operating in high gear because we are now in our second week of after school programming.  So, you are probably wondering what a week of scheduled activities might look like for the girls at Girls Inc.  Hope you enjoy the list below!

Grades 1 through 5

The traditional disciplines of reading, writing, social and global studies, with a heavy infusion of science, technology, engineering and math, are included throughout each month along with physical activity and nutrition.   Here are some examples of a week’s schedule. 

 One Week View for Grades 1^st – 3^rd  (September 12-16):

Monday:           Mind and Body – Healthy Food Detective

Tuesday:          Counting on the Mayans – Learning the Mayan Calendar

Wednesday:     Mexican-American Quilting History – Creating Mexican Inspired Quilts

Thursday:        Volunteerism – Complete, Mexican Inspired, No-Sew Quilts for Catholic               Charities

Friday:             Viva! Friday – Family Lotería (This is a Mexican game similar to Bingo.)

One Week View for Grades 4^th – 5^th (September 26-30):

Monday:           The Greenhouse Effect in a Jar:  What on Earth Affects Climate?

Tuesday:           Waste Audit – Measuring Our Trash

Wednesday:      Me, We and the World Globe

Thursday:         Making Recycling Bins

Friday:               Recycled Art Competition

Middle School-One Week View 6^th – 8^th (September 19-23):

Monday:           Capital One Visit – The Dangers of Texting While Driving (South, West-Build IT)

Tuesday:           Global Citizenship – What does it mean to be poor?

Wednesday:      College & Career Readiness – Building and organizing a personal portfolio, Part 2

Thursday:         Healthy Lifestyles – Dealing with peer pressure. 

Friday:               Let’s Move (Field Day-Relays and Races)

 High School

The high school students are being offered several innovative educational courses during the 2011-2012 academic school year.  One is a six-week portrait photography course taught by Colby Kruger, a photographer and Southern Methodist University (SMU) student.  The classes will be held at The Women’s Museum: An Institute for the Future, and include the loan of a digital camera for each girl to use during the course.  The cameras are being made available to the girls thanks to a grant from SMU.

 The high school girls can also take a course in theater, performance, and production at the Dallas Children’s Theater.  Attendance at all performances of the season are included on an “ability to pay” basis.   The girls will participate in workshops about careers in the performing arts that include directing, acting, set design, wardrobe design, make-up, and technical production.  They will also participate in discussions on the teen issues portrayed in the play, The Secret Life of Girls.

 In addition, the Girls Inc. fall schedule includes college visits to Austin College in Sherman and Navarro College.   There will also be an opportunity for community service in serving as volunteers with Shoes for Orphans.  Throughout the entire semester, the high school teens will have access to the campus computer labs for homework and career research. 

During the fall, we will continue to roll out new programs and educational ventures including a new course on “Global Citizenship”.  This is an exciting time at Girls Inc.

 I encourage you to visit our Facebook page, by following girlsincdallas, to see actual photographs and videos of girls participating in a range of innovative educational activities at Girls Inc. 

 Have a great week!

 My best,

 Lori

September 6, 2011

After considerable thought and planning, I am excited to announce the First Annual Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas Lecture Series, “What is a girl?”.  By partnering with The Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture we’ve created a perfect synergy to conduct the four lectures.  The first lecture will be held on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, at 6:00 p.m., at The Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture.  The facility is located at 2719 Routh Street, Dallas, TX, 75201.  Join us first for a reception, then the lecture at 6:30 p.m. followed by an open discussion. 

 The first lecture, What is a Girl? Traditional and Contemporary Archetypes of Girls will be presented by Dr. Claudia Allums, and will explore the idea of the Greek goddesses as the archetype of ways to perceive “the girl,” and will serve as the foundation for the Lecture Series.  Future lectures will build on the images of “the girl” from classicGreek mythology to consider how girls are characterized within our own cultural heritage.  Dr. Claudia Allums is Director of the Louise and Donald Cowan Center for Education at The Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture. She began her teaching career in 1981, and has served as a high school teacher, department chair, and dean of curriculum and instruction.  Dr. Allums also served as a Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Associate Dean of both the Braniff Graduate School and the Constantin Undergraduate College at the University of Dallas. She holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of Dallas.

 You won’t want to miss Dr. Allums’ pointed and impactful presentation and discussion.  If you have not yet registered to attend, please go online to www.girlsincdallas.org or call (214) 654-4553.

 The subsequent lectures will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on September 7^th and November 2^nd, 2011, and February 1^st and April 4^th, 2012.  Each event will begin with a thirty minute informal reception and the lecture will be followed by a panel discussion with audience participation.   You will be excited by the caliber of speakers and panelists, and a format that allows you to participate in the discussion.

 The second lecture, Girls on the Big Screen will be presented by film expert Dr. Scott Churchill who will explore the various images of the girl depicted in film—from innocence to experience, from victim to victor.  Dr. Scott Churchill’s lecture will be followed by a discussion with audience members by expanding the thought that film has become a major source of our cultural awareness, offering images that both delight and disturb.

 Dr. Scott Churchill is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Dallas.  He earned a Bachelor’s of Science from Bucknell University in Biology and Pre-med; a Master’s of Science in Psychology from Duquesne University; and a Ph.D., in Clinical Phenomenological Psychology also from Duquesne University.  His lecture will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2011.

 Noted author Peggy Orenstein probes the question, What is a Girly-Girl?  Orenstein is the author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture. Having published numerous books, she is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, and many other publications.

 Ms. Orenstein was recognized for her “Outstanding Coverage of Family Diversity,” by the Council on Contemporary Families and received a “Books for a Better Life Award” for Waiting for Daisy. Her work has also been honored by the Commonwealth Club of California, the National Women’s Political Caucus of California, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.  Additional opportunities to meet the speaker may be available with purchase of a separate ticket. Ms. Orenstein’s lecture will be held on Wednesday, February 1, 2012.

 The final lecture of the series will be held on Wednesday, April 4, 2012. It will focus on What is a STEM Girl– Girls in Science, Engineering, Math and Technology?   This concluding program will consider the feminine role in scientific and theoretical fields, most if not all of which have traditionally been associated with men. How did such a tradition develop? In what ways is it changing? And what does the future hold for girls who are drawn to these professions? 

 Consider this your invitation to join us.  We hope to see you there.  Individual tickets are $25 and admission for all four lectures in the series is $90.  You can pre-register at www.girlsincdallas.org

 Until next week-

My best,

Lori

August 30, 2011

We teach our children to cross the street in a safe manner.  You know the drill, look left, then right, and left again before stepping off of the curb.  We tell them not to talk to strangers or fall for tales of lost puppies.  We teach them “SDR” – stop, drop and roll in case of fire.  When our children start school, we teach them a secret password that a person would need to quote if they were delivering a critical message from their parents.  We prepare our children to negotiate the world and be cognizant of potential dangers.

Still, there are so many children and adults who are seemingly unaware of the dangers lurking behind the colorful smart phone, iPad, and computer screens.  Digital technology, as reported recently by the American Academy of Pediatrics, offers benefits including increased communication, access to information, and help in developing a sense of self for tweens and teens.   According to the 2010 Pew Research Center Internet and American Life Social Networking Site Survey, seventy-two percent of children who are in high school or below have a profile on either Facebook or MySpace.  When children enter the digital universe by texting or interacting on Internet social sites, they are in effect entering a busy street where predators may be waiting for them.  Parents and educators must add social media safety to the list of warnings and best practices they regularly share with their children.  

For parents and educators two things are critical. First, set a good example by following safety tips as well.  Second, be observantly aware of how your children are using social media by initiating an ongoing dialogue. Several helpful websites are listed at the end of this blog.  Don’t consider your child’s social media a right for privacy; consider this area of their life as important as their bedroom and social interpersonal activities.  To boil it down, parents and teachers should teach children–consistently and repetitively–to protect their anonymity, be wary of strangers and to understand that what they post on the internet is forever.

Control the information your child posts.  Remind children not to divulge their full name, location, birthday, any identification numbers, and confirm they have restricted access to their page.  Use a screen name that keeps the child anonymous instead of using their real name.  Tell them to think before they post a statement that is questionable.   Posting personal photos could be dangerous.  You and your children should carefully consider posting “true” photos.

Children should not have dialogue with strangers online and definitely should not meet strangers in person.  We should remind children that if they feel threatened by someone or uncomfortable because of something they’ve read or seen online, to tell an adult they trust, and if it warrants it, report it to the police.

Finally, children need to understand that what they post online is posted somewhere forever and that social networks are always expanding.  Perform regular security and privacy setting checks.  Be concerned, involved and get the training you need in order to protect your child.

The good news is that there is a lot more that is positive about social media than negative.  Michele Ybarra presented formal research to the American Psychological Association’s annual meeting, which is soon to be published in the Journal of Pediatrics.  Overall, the online experiences of most young people are positive, but the risks are growing by the hour.  The level of parental involvement runs the gamut from a complete hands-off lack of awareness to a prohibition on allowing children to engage in social media at all.  Regardless, digital technology is ubiquitous, and the more we teach children to use it safely, the more equipped they will be in navigating the unavoidable digital world.

Until next week-

My best,

Lori

Sources:

US News and World Report, 4 Tips to Keep Your Teen Safe on Facebook, By Jason Koebler, Posted August 12, 2011

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently released findings from a comprehensive study on the impact social media has on kids and families.  Clinical Report—The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families; Gwenn Schurgin O’Keeffe, MD, Kathleen Clarke-Pearson, MD, COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

 Visit:

http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Presentations/2011/Feb/Pew Internet_Girl Scout Webinar PDF.pdf

www.onguardonline.gov/topics/safety-tips-tweens-teens.aspx

www.forsafersocialnetworking.com

www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm

www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/kids-social.aspx

08/22/2011 

Academically preparing high school students for college continues to present its challenges in Texas and across the U.S.  This past Wednesday, the Dallas Morning News reported that, “a majority of Texas high school graduates who took the ACT this year lacked the skills to pass the introductory college courses in math, reading and science”.  The national average is 25%, which is not significantly higher than Texas’ 24%. 

 Because Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas provides out-of-school programming, which includes goal setting and college/career exploration, I am acutely interested in all students’ success, not just our girls.  As I look at these results, my mind immediately seeks to understand and develop solutions. 

 I wondered if college preparedness should start in an earlier grade.   In a study conducted by ACT in 2005, student surveys and focus groups revealed that too many middle and high school students were not taking college preparatory classes.  The study also revealed that parents and educators offering support and recommendations were not as consistently involved with the planning process as they could be for students in the eighth and ninth grades.  This improved for tenth graders –but again, starting earlier may be the key.  

 Southern Methodist University Assistant Professor Sherril English says, “Yes.  The primary challenge is starting too late.  Look at children in private schools and children with parents that have been to college.  Generally, for them, going to college is a given.  Children need to understand well before middle school that high school is not enough. They need to understand that some level of higher education is expected.” 

 The U.S. Department of Education recommends that students begin planning for college as early as sixth grade.   From an academic standpoint, this means understanding what courses would be beneficial, creating a schedule that covers the subsequent years, and taking the courses and passing them.  

 Assistant professor English, who served as a principal at St. Phillips, a private elementary school in Dallas before joining the SMU Teaching and Learning Department, believes that talking about college from the very beginning of a child’s educational experience is even better.  “Parents,” she said, “can seek help from agencies such as Girls Inc. and Boys and Girls Clubs that provide college readiness programs if they have a limited or no understanding of college preparedness.  Teachers work hard focusing on the curriculum each day in the classroom; they need the support of agencies that provide vital afterschool programming.  Additional educational enrichment, social interaction and mentors beat watching television in the afternoons.” 

 Girls Inc. conducts field trips for middle school and high school students to college and university campuses that include interaction between students and educators across a range of disciplines.  We offer experiential training in college financing through simulation programs and, academically, we provide tutors and mentors.  Students and parents have a role to play as well.  “Parents set and manage the parameters at home for the work ethic of the K-12 student.  The student is responsible for following through on that work ethic.  Not taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses is not the best way to prepare.  Taking them will help prepare the student for college and prepare them to pass SAT and ACT tests.  Success in AP classes is a good predictor of college success,” assistant professor English says.

 There is no silver bullet and no easy answers.  Educators, agencies, parents and students all have a role to play in reversing this trend.  Time is of the essence, however.  The time to begin is now. 

 Until next week-

My best,

Lori

Sources:

Dallas Morning News; Students not college-ready, by Terrence Stutz, 08/17/2011

Washington Post; 2011 ACT scores show problems with college readiness, by Valerie Strauss, 08/17/2011

The Week; Americas ‘huge’ college readiness problem, 08/18/2011

FairTest, the National Center for Fair & Open Testing; Flat ACT results, rising college prep score gaps, show failure of test-driven reform, 08/17/2011

As the summer comes to an end, I would love to visit with you about our innovative and successful summer institutes for teens, one of our many new programs designed to provide college and career guidance to girls through exposure to a variety of industries and professionals. We piloted the institutes over an eight week period, beginning in June:  one institute in the field of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math; and the second in the field of Arts and Letters.   Both institutes introduced teens to a variety of career paths and the educational training required to pursue them. The girls kept journals during the summer, noting what they learned about the campuses they visited, the career paths they explored, and the new contacts they made. 

 Before I continue, I would like to recognize and thank Chase Bank for its generous sponsorship of the STEM Institute.  Both Chase and Girls Inc. are committed to create opportunities for girls to pursue careers within the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.  This was a great way for us to pursue this goal, together.

 I also wish to recognize and thank the many businesses and institutions that participated in our many educational site visits.  During each visit, employees provided excellent opportunities for the girls to learn about career paths, educational training, and on-the-job responsibilities and opportunities.  Now, enjoy the following summary of our summer institutes…and remember when you were in high school and wondering what you were going to do next in your life on the path to adulthood.

 Girls Inc. STEM Summer Institute

At Texas Woman’s University (TWU), overwhelmingly voted the most enlightening excursion by the girls, the administrators and professors went out of their way to conduct highly experiential activities, which allowed the girls to explore aspects of chemistry labs and class curriculum. 

Mountain View College (MVC) was a perfect location to explore aviation focused careers. The girls took turns sitting in the pilot’s seat to experience flight simulator training.  They learned about MVC’s degree and certification programs for pilots, dispatchers, and airport management personnel.

At Richland College’s new award-winning science building, the girls met with science professors to talk about Richland’s STEM degree programs. To the girls delight, they created their own bath products in the new state-of-the-art chemistry lab.

The girls discovered the functionality and practicality of Paul Quinn College’s Food for Good Farm and learned about the work study program that supports it. They also learned about the Social Entrepreneurship curriculum around the Farm and how it is used as an agricultural hands-on learning lab.

One of the girls attending the Institute has wanted to be a nurse since she was small.  While on the field trip to Baylor University Medical Center, she learned from an RN how many specialties there are for nurses—close to forty.  The field trip to Baylor was a turning point for her, not so much because she selected a specialty, but because she now knows a lot more about the nursing profession and the academics required.  She can begin to make more informed decisions about her future. 

At Texas Instruments, the girls met with several female engineers who were working with technology for 3D movies.  The women talked about the paths they each took to become engineers and explained their roles and the value they bring to TI. 

Girls Inc. Arts and Letters Summer Institute

The careers in the Arts and Letters portion of the Girls Inc. summer teen program included a visit to the Wade College of Design, which inspired one young woman so much that the next day, she called the admissions administrator that she had met during the visit, to get more information about enrolling. 

The girls spoke highly of their visit to the Starbucks regional office where they spent time talking to employees, holding a variety of different titles. about their career paths, pivotal successes and job responsibilities. 

The trip to North Park Mall and the Brookstone store was a cross-functional experience that appealed to both the girls interested in arts and letters as well as the STEM enthusiasts.  The girls got a behind-the-scene glimpse at high-end fashion and retail and took a deep dive into the engineering inside Brookstone’s gadgetry. 

The girls enjoyed viewing the exhibitions of art and antiquities at both the Trammell Crow Museum and the Dallas Museum of Art.  They also learned a good deal about the career path of a museum curator. 

In addition, the girls were introduced to journalism, reporting, and editing during a visit to the Dallas Morning News where they had a session with Bill Yates, from Sports Day, who gave them a little background on the different careers associated with the paper.  After that, the girls met with several editors who described their career paths and what being an editor entailed. 

Another visit was at the KD College in Dallas, a conservatory for film and acting that offers a two-year degree in a variety of on- and off-screen related careers.  The girls spent time learning about the school and the degree programs offered at the school.

To round out these field trips and activities, a representative from the Reality Store, a provider of foreclosure listings, visited with the girls and used a computer program to help them understand what they could expect in terms of salaries for specific jobs.  Then based on these forecasted incomes, the girls charted how much they could spend on a home and what discretionary income would remain.  It was an eye-opening exercise for the girls, indeed.   

And importantly, both the STEM and Arts and Letters Institutes allowed the girls to spend time with their peers and develop new friendships while enjoying highly experiential activities that will help guide their educational and career decision-making in the future.

…….

I hope you have enjoyed this snapshot of our new Girls Inc. summer institutes.  During the coming academic year, I will keep you informed about the strategic and innovative programs that we are developing and delivering to girls, ages 6-18.  It is truly an exciting time here at Girls Inc. as we robustly pursue our mission to Inspire all girls to be Strong Smart, and Bold.  

My best,

Lori

Girls, in the U.S., can set sky’s-the-limit goals for themselves and very likely achieve them.  Why then are we still hearing startling statistics pointing to the self “sexualization” of  teenage girls?  These are startling statistics. 

•  Thirty percent of teenage girls report that they have sent sexually suggestive messages or images as “a joke.”
• Thirty-four percent of teen girls report that they have sent or posted sexually suggestive content to “feel sexy.”
• Twelve percent of teen girls report that they have felt “pressured” to send sexually suggestive messages or images.
• 30% of girls’ clothing is sexualized in major sales trends.
• More girls are cutting themselves.

Dr. Leonard Sax MD, PhD, has some ideas on why the number of girls engaging in a variety of risky behaviors is increasing.  In his latest book, Girls on the Edge: The Four Factors Driving the New Crisis for Girls-Sexual Identity, the Cyberbubble, Obsessions, Environmental Toxins, Dr.  Sax is adamant that this is a crisis and not a fad.  He believes that despite the enormous opportunities and choices that today’s girls have, they are lacking a sense of self. 

Generally, according to Dr. Sax, the girls most likely to engage in these activities get good grades, are actively involved in school related activities, and are most often affluent and white.  There are other reports that the problem is more widespread across racial and economic lines.  Regardless, Dr. Sax cites a lack of a self identify as one reason that a girl would sexualize herself.  Dr. Sax explains that when you ask these girls who they are, their response will reflect what they do and how they look, and not who they are. 

Dr. Sax also drew a distinction between fictional role models of girls today verses girls of the 20^th century in his recent NPR interview.  He contrasted Nancy Drew, teenage girl detective, with Bella, the teenage girlfriend of a vampire in the Twilight series.  The character Nancy Drew is confident, driven and thoughtful.  Bella is victimized, confused and adrift.  In the Twilight series, girls are girls, but boys are men.  In the Nancy Drew series, the gender roles are more contemporaneous. 

A teenager who describes herself  only in terms of what she does and how she looks without the depth of thought about what she wants, what her beliefs are, and what she aspires to be is a candidate for risky behavior.  Dr. Sax is quick to point out that, “Girls today are bombarded with the notion that revealing your body is a valid means of self expression even a manifestation of girl power”.

Dr. Sax cautions parents to become involved and be very aware of what their daughters are texting.  

Parents, teachers, doctors, administrators, fashion designers, celebrities, cell phone providers—whoever either contributes directly to this issue or is a complacent facilitator should understand what is at stake.  Teens should feel empowered, Dr. Sax says to “help to redefine ‘hot’ as being someone who’s “confident and caring”.   

Until next week-

My best,

Lori

 Sources: 

www.leonardsax.com/girls

National Public Radio, Think, Interview with Dr. Leonard Sax; Think, The Current Crisis for Girls, Krys Boyd

American Psychological Association, The Sexualization of Girls, January 2011

TIME News Feed, The Sexualization of Girl’s Clothing

Psychology Today, Leonard Sax, MD, PhD, March 14, 2010

Psychology Today, Leonard Sax, MD, PhD, April 3, 2010