Muse Program

About Our Muse Program

The Muse program is facilitated by student volunteers from Colby College in Waterville, ME. The Muses are trained by Hardy G*rls Healthy Wom*n to guide and participate in G*rls Coalition Groups. The program is based on the From Adversaries to Allies curriculum, which serves as the catalyst for fostering coalition.

The college students who volunteer as Muses come from a wide range of academic disciplines. Their commitment to the program includes guiding a group each week, and reserving availability for three additional check-ins or trainings each semester. Muses generally meet with their coalition groups during lunch, recess, or occasionally before instruction begins for the day. Muse trainings take place on Colby’s campus and the G*rls Coalition Groups meet in schools in the greater Waterville area.

Participating as a Muse is a rewarding experience for the student volunteers. As a result of their participation in our program, some students discover and/or change their career paths. Becoming a Muse helps to build community relationships and will present valuable perspective on local issues impacting one’s community.

How You Can Help!

Anyone enrolled at Colby can be a Muse; reach out if you are interested! Coalition groups are centered around the girls and gender expansive youth but, of course, Muses gain a lot from the experience as well. There is so much to learn from the young g*rls, and spending lots of time with a co-Muse is incredibly rewarding.

For more information, please email our Program Coordinator at program@hghw.org

“I learned a lot about how to work with younger people and how to communicate my opinions and beliefs without forcing them on people. The girls taught me how to always speak up for yourself, even if you are the minority opinion. They also gave me a lot of hope for the future, as they are incredibly aware of social issues and ready to combat them even as 5th graders!”

Former HGHW Muse

Colby College

Just Girls?

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.