Programs
I participated in the Girls Leadership Institute (GLI) the summer before my freshman year of high school. GLI runs a two week retreat for girls in high school at Mt. Holyoke College, in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The retreat focuses on leadership skills, and creates an atmosphere in which girls can feel safe, bond, and talk about issues they face together. When I attended the program, it was taught by Rachel Simmons, author of Odd Girl Out, Odd Girl Speaks Out, and The Curse of the Good Girl, as well as Simone Marean, who has taught theatre at schools all over New York City. Currently, the staff includes Julia Loonin (who was an awesome counselor when I attended), and Shelby Knox, a young activist, who is well known as the star of the documentary The Education of Shelby Knox, which focuses on her campaign for better sex-education in a public high school in Lubbock, Texas.
I participated in Running Start’s five-day program in Washington DC last summer, and it was a truly amazing experience. Running Start is an organization that aims to bring more young women into politics. It grew out of WUFPAC, Women Under Forty Political Action Committee, which raises money for young women running for political office. The Running Start program I attended was the Young Women’s Political Leadership Program (YWPL). For five days, girls from all over the country gather in Washington, DC for what I like to call a “political boot-camp.” We learned everything from public speaking and networking skills, to how to give a good on-camera interview and perfect a sound byte. We heard inspiring speakers and met amazing women. We began the program by traveling to Capitol Hill to hear members of Congress, such as Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rosa De Lauro. A few days later, we participated in our own “networking party” at a venue in downtown DC, where we were given business cards and mingled with professionals who work on the Capitol. Best of all, Running Start was a chance to connect to other politically active teenage girls. I met friends I still keep in touch with, and learned about other ways girls my age are getting involved all over the country. The program was one of the highlights of my year, and I recommend it to anyone who is at all interested in leadership or politics. It is truly an experience I will never forget.
The following year, I got to participate in Running Start again—in a slightly different way. I interned at a weekend long program Running Start held in New York City for girls from the tri-state area. We started out the weekend with a viewing of SEVEN—a documentary play created by seven different female playwrights with the help of the non-profit organization, Vital Voices. SEVEN tells the story of seven female activists from all over the world. The cast includes Meryl Streep the play was directed by Julie Taymor, of The Lion King. Hillary Clinton made an introduction. It was a wonderful beginning to the program, and I think the girls really enjoyed it. Click here for an excerpt from the interview after the play.
Throughout the program, the girls heard from speakers, such as Stacy Parker Aab, author of Government Girl: Young, and Female in the White House, Ann Shoket, Editor in Chief of Seventeen Magazine, numerous female elected officials, and several representatives from organizations, such as the White House Project. These women talked about their experiences as women in the political arena, as the girls listened, captivated. They asked informed questions, and the end of each speech became a forum for back and forth between the girls and the presenter. I also really enjoyed being able to hear these women express their views on various topics, but most of all it was wonderful to hear the girls express interest in the issues being discussed. Coming away from the program fro a second time, I feel that Running Start truly will make a difference in the future leadership of this country.
On Sunday, February 21, 2010 I attended my first WonderGirls workshop. The day started out with lunch for the girls and mothers. I quickly bonded with my table of mothers and daughters, who I found to be talkative, intelligent, and excited. Then, singer-songwriter Naomi Less warmed us up with a song about “Being the Real You,” and an improvisation exercise where we learned about each others passions and hobbies. The rest of the day was filled with workshops with experts, where we discussed everything from how to best organize our school planners and book bags, to how to be a better friend. We had a relaxing stress-reducing exercise, learned about making good food choices and created Vision Boards, which depict our dreams and aspirations.
The day ended with a talk from Kristen Johnston, the actress especially famous for her roles in “Third Rock From the Sun” and “Ugly Betty.” She spoke to the group about her experiences with false rumors, adolescence and feeling comfortable in one’s own skin. I found her to be incredibly inspiring: a beautiful, funny, confident woman who provided us with words of motivation and goofy ways to get over girl drama. More specifically, what really inspired me was her ability to truly understand what many of the girls at the workshop were going through. Johnston made each of us tell her what we were good at and pushed us to look within ourselves if we couldn’t think of anything. She also hugged and comforted one girl who broke down while relaying a story of bullying. Johnston was down to earth and left us all with the sense that different is good, and everyone has a strong, smart, self-assured woman inside of her.
I think the workshop made a real difference in many of the girls’ perceptions of women in the media, “good girl” behavior, and meaningful relationships. All in all, it was a Sunday well spent, and I look forward to participating in future WonderGirls programs.
BALI: Bella Abzug Leadership Institute
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