Our G*rls Coalition Groups are facilitated by trained olunteers (Muses) who meet weekly with elementary and middle school girls and gender expansive youth to create a coalition of g*rl allies. The groups discuss media literacy, gender stereotypes and how to proactively change the culture around them through social action projects. GCG participants are girls and gender expansive youth from schools in the greater Waterville area. Groups generally meet in their schools during lunch, recess, or occasionally before instruction begins for the day.
Girls and gender expansive youth need a safe space where they can: relax, be uniquely themselves, and speak their thoughts and feelings; experience supportive connections with other g*rls and with adult muses; discuss and share common views and goals; feel less alone; discuss and validate a range of feelings, desires, anxieties, and concerns; think critically about stereotypes, unfairness, and hurt; and experience the power of sisterhood by crossing clique or peer group lines.*
* Adapted from Stronger Together Curriculum by Jackie Dupont and Lyn Mikel Brown
Gender is a social construct and for centuries it’s held onto a binary (boys & girls) system. HGHW does not believe in the binary; the deep history of systemic sexism and transphobia has uniquely harmed self-identifying girls and gender expansive folks. This is who we work with. As consistently learning intersectional feminists, we welcome and celebrate folks across all identities, abilities, races, ethnicities, religions, economic statuses and sexual orientations.
If you attend Colby College and are interested in being trained as a Muse, please reach out or come visit us at the activity fair at the start of each school year.
Seek us out if you are a school staff or teacher who would like to start a group in your school.
