Our G*rls Coalition Groups are facilitated by trained volunteers (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.
Hardy G*rls Healthy Wom*n is happy to offer virtual coalition groups for the 2020-2021 school year. This is a late start for a school year program so our intention is to keep the groups together through the rest of the fall and spring. Groups are led by two college aged women or gender expansive people from Colby College. These Muses are trained and supported by Hardy G*rls staff. Groups have a set time and meet via Zoom once a week. Meetings work best when participants have a space free from other adults including parents. Conversation topics and activities are chosen by the Muses and participants in collaboration and often begin with an exploration of gender and a questioning of norms placed on g*rls. As the group finds their stride, they often work toward an action project – finding a way to take back some control and make a difference in their schools or communities.
If you are interested in participating as an individual or in establishing a group in your area , please click here.
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.
Hardy Girls Healthy Women
PO Box 821
Waterville, ME 04903-0821
info@hghw.org
207.387.0553
hghw.org
Hardy Girls Healthy Women takes girls seriously and puts the power in their hands to challenge a society that ignores their brilliance.
We dare adult allies to join us.
©2020 Hardy Girls Healthy Women
