Women's Giving Circle of Howard County - Best Practices Research and Report

8/9/2019 Women's Giving Circle of Howard County - Best Practices Research and Report

1/20

Womens Giving Circle / Journey Research

Page 1 of 20

Best Practices Research & ReportJourney 2006: A Residential Camp for Middle School Girls

Presented to

The Womens Giving Circle of Howard County

& The Horizon Foundation

by

Jessie Newburn

JN & Associates

443-794-7521

[email protected]

www.jessienewburn.com

August 31, 2006


2/20


3/20


Page 3 of 20

1. interviewing key players holding an on-the-ground lens on middle school girls in the county,2. collecting publicly available data about middle school girls in Howard County, and3. conducting a broad internet scan of programs available to support middle school girls development,

with a focus on

evidence-based programs, programs applicable to residential camps, and programs for sale and/or license which are highly aligned with the WGC goals.

InterviewsThe following individuals were interviewed in 20-30 minute long phone interviews.

Marcy Leonard

Principal, Atholton HS.MLW, Treasurer and Member of Policy Board

Journey, Staff Member

Beth Singleton

Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher

Murray Hill Middles School

Mother of a middle school-age girl

Contobia Adams

Young Adult Coordinator

Howard County Library

Lisa Boarman

Facilitator for School Counseling

Howard County Public School System

Margaret (Peggy) E. Schultz

Office of Pupil Personnel

Ho. Co. Board of Education

(The notes taken during each interview are available in the Addendum of this report.)


4/20


Page 4 of 20

Each professional had her own lens, her own areas of concern and, of course, her own perspective on where

Howard County middle school girls stand and the best ways to support their development. The women

interviewed did not indicate a sense of decline and danger for our girls. There was, however, expressed

intuitively, anecdotally and factually the understanding that all middle school girls are at risk by mere fact of

their age and the knowledge that these are very challenging years for girls.

Overall, there was a sense that our girls are blessed to be growing up in a resource-rich, youth-attentive and

highly diverse school system and community.

Data on Middle School Girls in Howard CountyTo get a sense of where Howard County middle school girls are, and where they seem to be headed as

demographic group, we gathered data from these reports:

Anti-Bullying Task Force Report

Prepared for the Howard County Public School System

Results of the Bullying Questionnaire are included in this report..

2004 Maryland Adolescent Survey

Percent of Students Reporting Substance Use by Grade Level and Time Period

Results of Howard County students surveyed are included in this report..

Portrait of Philanthropy: Prepared for The Columbia Foundation

(To get a Census summary of Howard County)

The Capacity for Individual Giving in Howard County.

Howard County Public School System

Middle School Fact Sheets

All of this data can be found at the back of this report in the Addendum section.


5/20


Page 5 of 20

Internet ResearchSome editorializing, some logic and, of course, The Goods

It is here, in this sentence, where I have found myself stuck each time Ive approached the closing of this research

report. Normally, Im a stellar researcher. I have an intuitive knack for following the right thread, gettingsomeone to give up in conversation a piece of data that makes a puzzle fit together, and finding the best of the

best sources for the task at hand. I do believe Ive done that here for The Horizon Foundation and the Womens

Giving Circle. Where I have found myself completely befuddled is in the delivery of my information.

See, I had visions of going out to the internet, finding really incredible resources, using a relatively new and very

cool social bookmarking tool for tracking, tagging and annotating internet research and delivering to my client a

vibrant, living, breathing, online, totally hip and user-friendly web-based tool.

The Challenges behind UsIn looking on the Internet for evidence-based programs which help develop middle school girls self-awareness

skills, there were many a challenge.

The first big challenge is that camp marketing staff have become rather competitive and smart over theyears. Nowadays, most everyone claims that archery, hiking in the woods and swimming now build a

girls confidence and self-esteem.

The second big challenge in finding good camp program resources is the once-dominant (hopefullyfading) definition that a girl could only develop true confidence by mastering boy skills: math, science,

engineering and such.

The third challenge is that creating an evidence-based program requires strategy, time and money toprove that one has such a program (with camp ownership not being generally known as the fastest route

to owning beachfront property on a lovely tropical island).

And the fourth major challenge no news here is that the internet is practically sinking in informationoverload.

Challenge #1: Savvy Camp MarketingIn a not too distant world, I could have typed into Googles search box these words: residential camp

middle school girls self-esteem or any similar combination of words which would have lead me to 1)

residential camps for 2) middle school girls with 3) a program focused on developing self-esteem,

confidence, a positive body image and a host of other issues critical to middle school girls development.


6/20


Page 6 of 20

Nowadays, with the competition for summer camp attendance at an almost fierce level, every single

camp for girls touts the numerous other benefits ones daughter will gain while learning archery, doing

outdoor adventures, developing relationships to support her personal development and so on. Nothing

wrong here, its just that using meaningful terms to get meaningful search engine results is becoming

more challenging because self esteem (among other things) is now considered a standard and stated

benefit of camps. The upside of this is that it appears those working with middle school girls understand

that addressing such subjects specifically is part and parcel of serving this particular population.

Challenge #2: Engineering Skills = ConfidenceSomeone, somewhereat sometimedecided that in order for girls to have self-esteem, they needed to

master math, science and technology. I know the issue is deeper than this, and I know that girl-only

programs help girls explore subjects often dominated by boys in class. But I am being a intentionally

sarcastic about this because the plethora of camps that are designed to build a middle school girls

confidence by immersing her math and engineering classes is astounding. Youd think that unless a sixth

grade girl can run calculus equations in her head, build a miniature robot and talk geek-talk, she has no

chance of making it in the world.

A simple stroll through a Target store communicates rather clearly that there is a big shift toward girls

wanting to be girls. They want to be Soccer Divas and to announce their status as such divas in pink

shirts with glittery silver lettering. They want to be girls AND be smart. To be pretty AND be athletic.

To be sweet AND geeky. Not either, or.

There is a growing body of evidence that girls grasp math, technology and geekiness when it is

contextualized into stories and relationships: things girls intuitively understand and orient toward. Im

not saying these math and science camps should be abolished. I simply found the equation ofMath Skills

+ Computer Awareness= Confidenceto be a Zero.

Challenge #3: Evidence-based Research Claims Cost MoneyAs is known, the terms evidence-based and research-based are not arbitrary and light comments one

can sprinkle on marketing material. This is real. And much set up, study and tracking is involved tomake such claims. So is cost. And most camps are small ventures run by small businesses, with a handful

of them run by large national parent organizations, such Girl Scouts or Girls Incorporated.

There is more recognition of the need and desire for evidence-based programs, and the beginnings of this

are starting to show up, with the most specific example being a --


7/20


Page 7 of 20

Tool Kit for Measuring Outcomes of Girl Scout Resident Camp. The new tools allow you to

enter data in predefined spreadsheets and to produce statistical results and charts at the push of a

button. The new data analysis supplement will increase your capacity to measure the impact

of the resident camp experience on girls. (See the Addendum for more information.)

Also, in my research and conversations, some groups selling licensed camp (and other) programs for

middle school girls mentioned recent pre- and post-program statistics that theyd tracked about girls

going through their programs. Still, as of yet, they were a long shot from being officially evidence-

based programs. Its growing, though.

Challenge #4: Too Much of a Good ThingTurns out and its a good thing, I do believe that middle school girls and developing self-awareness

skills is a hot topic for after-school programs, websites, parents, teachers, nonprofit groups, corporations

(interested in getting girls as customers now!) and a slew of other groups.

In other words, the number of individual, institutional, nonprofit and corporate websites replete with

resources, aggregated and/or created, to help middle school girls is, seemingly, endless. The internet, of

course, allows data to flow, flourish, multiply, spread, coalesce and pretty much anything else it wants to

do. But thats the result: its all over the place.

So, my excitement in finding, for example, a really incredible corporate site with excellent pro-girl

information or an institution with a long list of resources for parents, teachers, community leaders, faith

leaders, girls, and so faded after several days of focused research. Theres good information out there.

Theres plenty of information out there, but I had to stop, regroup and re-strategize lest I just replicate

what everyone else is doing: aggregating data.


8/20


9/20


Page 9 of 20

In 2004, GOAL revised its program delivery model from direct programming for girls to providing

programs to girls at schools, camps and other venues as well as licensing its curriculum for use by

other girl-serving organizations and institutions. This change allows GOAL to serve more girls and

serve the parents and teachers who live and work with the girls in a more cost effective manner. As the

organization moves forward into the future, GOAL is committed to helping young girls develop a

strong, confident sense of themselves, and an open-minded, respectful attitude toward the differences

that exist in their peers and the world around them.

GOAL is for girls the women of tomorrow. The world of the future will be stronger if todays girls

learn how to value themselves and interact successfully in a diverse community.

GOAL PhilosophyResearch from several disciplines defines the theoretical framework, which forms the backbone of the

GOAL Curriculum. The fields of

Multicultural Education, Youth Development and Female Adolescent Development

all contribute to an understanding of the adolescent girls developmental needs and were integrated

throughout the development of the GOAL Curriculum.

Multicultural EducationMulticultural Education seeks to provide students with balanced and inclusive curriculum and

instruction that values a wide range of experiences. One of the most essential goals of Multicultural

Education is to assist youth in developing the attitudes, skills and knowledge they will need to be

successful in an increasingly diverse, interdependent and global society.

At its very core, GOAL is about teaching girls to value and respect difference in its many forms. From its

origins in 1997, GOALs mission has been to promote self-esteem, self-awareness and a respect for

individual differences in girls and young women. GOAL believes this mission is best served through a

multifaceted approach to diversity, which addresses not only the content of specific activities but also the

overall philosophy that is inherent in the curriculum and its delivery.

The most obvious manifestation of GOALs commitment to diversity is the Appreciating & Respecting

Diversity module. These six activities engage girls in experiential activities that explore differences in

cultural values, socio-economic status, abilities, perspectives, viewpoints, ideas and group roles. GOAL


10/20


Page 10 of 20

believes that by embracing a broad definition of diversity, the girls will be better equipped to apply the

learning to their own lives and relationships.

All of GOALs six curriculum modules are formatted to encourage girls of diverse circumstances to

share their stories and their viewpoints.GOAL does not advocate or promote a certain value set but

allows room for all girls to contribute as they reflect on, and often share, their own life experiences.The

facilitator acts as a guide, rather than an expert and the learning and growth that occurs is reciprocal

girls learn and teach from their own experience, which is central to all aspects of the curriculum.

GOAL utilizes a variety of techniques and methods to deliver the curriculum in a way that will address

the diverse learning styles that are present in every group. Role plays, simulations, craft activities,

improvisation, small group activities and time for individualreflection are combined to ensure that

the multiple ways in which girls learn are adequately addressed. Some girls will be comfortable

discussing their experiences with the entire group, some will express themselves through art projects,

songs or skits and all will experience a supportive learning environment that respects who they are and

how they learn.

Youth DevelopmentYouth Development is a field of research, which examines the strategies, and environmental factors that

promote positive outcomes for youth.Many youth programs focus on at-risk youth living in poverty.

When it comes to girls; however, GOAL knows that pervasive media images and the

conflicting messages that society imposes on young girls puts all girls at risk of developing

behaviors and/or coping mechanisms that endanger their healthy development.Girls who have

the skills to sort through the quagmire of competing expectations and pressures are best situated to

navigate the often-difficult road to young adulthood.

Recent research in youth development suggests that there are three developmental indicators that

predict positive outcomes for youth. These include

being productive (e.g. grades, school engagement and extracurricular activities), being connected to peers and adults, and being able to navigate the challenges of life (e.g. problem-solving, low antisocial behavior).

Doing well in two of these areas puts youth in the optimal category.


11/20


Page 11 of 20

GOAL has utilized these three developmental criteria in formulating activities that build skills in each of

these areas. Being productive, or as GOAL reframes it, being active and engaged, is an essential

component of our curriculum. All GOAL activities are experiential and designed to promote maximum

engagement and participation from the girls. The experiential learning cycle of doing, reflecting,

generalizing and applying keeps the girls involved at each level and produces a profound learning based

on personal experience.

The second youth outcome, being connected, is especially relevant in working with adolescent girls, who

view the world in terms of their relationship to others. In addition to an entire module devoted to

Creating & Maintaining Effective Relationships, the very structure of the GOAL Curriculum is one that

promotes relationships among the girls as well as between the girls and the facilitator. Team building,

ongoing analysis of group dynamics as well as an atmosphere that promotes respect and appreciation for

differing points of view, all contribute to promoting connection among the girls.

The third youth outcome, being able to successfully deal with the challenges of adolescence is one that

GOAL reframes for girls as developing resiliency. This does not mean that girls are immune to the

influences of the world they live in. Rather, it highlights the importance of helping girls to develop the

skills they will need to handle the challenges, disappointments and obstacles in their lives. The GOAL

Curriculum utilizes role-plays and realistic scenarios to help girls develop skills that will promote healthy

problem-solving behavior. GOAL knows that working with girls during the critical middle school

years increases the likelihood that they will develop into engaged, connected and resilient young

women.

Female Adolescent DevelopmentThe field of Female Adolescent Development focuses on the experiences of girls as they move

developmentally from childhood to young adulthood. It specifically addresses the ways in which

adolescent girls view themselves in the world and in relation to others. Carol Gilligan was the first to

recognize the unique experience of girls and called the adolescent years a time when girls are in danger

of drowning or disappearing 1.

GOALs Curriculum developed out of the knowledge that girls experience adolescence in a manner

that highly specific to their gender. The statistics paint a startling picture; adolescent girls list far fewer

role models than boys, receive less attention from their teachers, attempt suicide twice as often as boys,

have the worst nutrition of any age group and suffer eating disorders at an astounding rate2.

Additionally, a girls self-esteem plummets at the same time that she is undergoing physical and


12/20


Page 12 of 20

hormonal changes that are often uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Girls at this age often pull away from

their mothers and assert their independence, yet still need to process what it means to be female in the

company of other girls and women.

In the development of the GOAL Curriculum, special consideration was paid to the theories of female

psychological development where attention and respect is given to the role of relationships , as opposed

to traditional psychology, which presupposes the necessity of a separate self before entering a

relationship.The curriculum promotes both self-awareness and teamwork and throughout the

curriculum, care is taken to acknowledge, both tacitly and subtly, the importance of connection to

others.

Recently, the work of Jo Anne Deak has examined educational settings that work for girls. She found

that girls perform better and report more satisfaction and confidence in democratic, cooperative,

connected, inclusive, hands-on settings 3. GOAL provides girls with a safe, girls-only environment

where connection and relationships are valued and where they can explore, experience, learn and reflect

on what it means to be a girl. GOAL simultaneously facilitates the development of skills and coping

mechanisms that will allow a girl to handle the often-difficult culture of adolescence and the conflicting

messages that girls are bombarded with in their lives.

Curriculum ModulesGOAL helps girls explore and develop the skills they will need to successfully navigate the uncertainties

of adolescence. GOALs curriculum contains six important and distinct modules that are designed for

this purpose.

Creating & Maintaining Effective RelationshipsGirls experience the world through a frame of connection with others. GOALs Creating &

Maintaining Effective Relationships module helps girls understand the elements that are

necessary for a healthy relationship. Through fun and engaging activities, the girls examine the

concepts of communication, inclusion, conflict resolution and group dynamics, while

continually exploring how their own relationship skills can contribute to the development of

meaningful and positive connections with others.

Knowing & Expressing Your VoiceResearch has consistently shown that girls tend to lose their voices as they approach and

experience adolescence. GOALs Knowing & Expressing Your Voice module encourages girls to


13/20


Page 13 of 20

identify and acknowledge their thoughts and feelings and to trust that what they think and feel

is worthy of attention and consideration. Activities in this module give girlsan opportunity to

practice assertiveness in expressing their ideas, opinions and feelings by giving them the skills

to recognize their voice and communicate it in appropriate ways.

Identifying & Using Your Gifts and TalentsDuring adolescence, girls tend to focus exclusively on their flaws rather than taking time to

identify and celebrate the many talents they possess. Society tends to define gifts and talents only

in the narrowest terms high levels of athleticism, extraordinary musical talent or top grades in

class. GOAL supports girls in finding and embracing those qualities they possess that are worthy

of acknowledgement. By defining gifts and talents in the broadest sense, girls recognize their

inherent value and self-worth by naming the positive qualities they bring to the various arenas

of their lives.

Valuing & Accepting Your BodyIn todays world of pervasive media imagery, girls are bombarded with messages that result in

the devaluing of their bodies with an emphasis on an unachievable model of beauty rather than

health and well-being. GOALs Valuing & Accepting Your Body module helps girls develop

skills that allow them to look critically at the media, value the body they have and sort

through the conflicting messages they receive about their bodies in order to make decisions

that reflect their values.

Respecting & Appreciating DiversityAlthough girls today grow up in an increasingly diverse world, they often remain segregated

within their schools and communities. GOAL believes that it is essential that girls learn to

respect individual differences, and value the strengths that differences provide a group.

GOALs Respecting & Appreciating Diversity module uses experiential activities to demonstrate

the value of diversity and promote the concept of nonjudgmental acceptance.

Setting & Achieving Your GoalsAll girls have dreams but they often lack the framework for turning these dreams into reality.

GOALs Setting & Achieving Your Goals module teaches girls how to set goals, overcome

obstacles and use their goals to promote growth in their lives. It emphasizes the importance of

seeking support in order to achieve goals. GOAL believes that in order for girls to be successful,


14/20


Page 14 of 20

they need to have the skills to identify their goals, formulate goal statements and measure their

progress.

MethodologyAll GOAL programs are predicated on the belief that the most profound learning begins with directexperience. The GOAL Curriculum is structured in a way that moves girls through the experiential

learning cycle from direct experience, to reflection, to generalizing and finally to applying the

knowledge to their own lives.Experiential learning creates an environment where the girls experiences

and interpretations of those experiences are central to the educational process.

Developmentally, middle school girls have varying levels of abstract reasoning skills. For this reason,

GOAL facilitators are trained to guide the girls through the processing of the activity and to ask

questions that provide a bridge from the concrete experience to the abstract concept and, eventually, the

application of the learning to real life.

By limiting group size to 10-12 girls, GOAL groups provide a safe and supportive environment where

even the shyest girls are encouraged to speak up. Activities are varied and include small groups, pairs and

triads and individual work. Diverse methods are employed to vary the girls experience and include role-

plays, improvisation, craft activities, simulations, challenge activities and games. In this way, GOAL

ensures that the girls remain engaged and interested throughout the program.

VisionBy providing girl-specific, proactive programming that promotes self-esteem, self-awareness and

respect for individual differences to the girls of today, GOAL envisions a future generation of strong,

competent and resilient women, able to handle lifes challenges with flexibility and a solid grounding

in their own identity.

www.goalonline.org


15/20


16/20


Page 16 of 20

Girls IncorporatedFormerly known as the Girls Clubs of America, Girls Inc. is a national research, education, and direct advocacy

organization that inspires girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Programs based on research gathered at the Girls

Inc. National Resource Center encourage girls ages 6 to 18 to take risks and master physical, intellectual, and

emotional challenges. Programs are offered through a network of 1,000 sites nationwide and are facilitated by

trained professional staff.

Note: Representatives from the Womens Giving Circle visited the Maryland chapter of Girls Inc. before forming

the Journey 2006 camp. www.girlsinc.org

Girls CircleThe Girls Circle model, a structuredsupport group for girls from 9-18 years, integrates relational theory, resiliency

practices, and skills training in a specific format designed to increase positive connection, personal and collective

strengths, and competence in girls. It aims to counteract social and interpersonal forces that impede girls growth

and development by promoting an emotionally safe setting and structure within which girls can develop caring

relationships and use authentic voices. Girls Circle is classified a promising approach program. Their

evaluation kit includes step-by-step instructions for program evaluation, consent forms, information sheets,

Spanish language survey and forms, and options for collaboration with a national GCA study. Materials about

this program and some early results of program participation can be found in the Addendum. www.girlscircle.com

Girls Leadership InstituteGirls Leadership Institute (GLI) is a residential summer camp for girls entering grades 7-12. The camp is two

weeks long, including 5 hours of workshops with Rachel Simmons every day; fitness and recreation; free time;

and a long-term project where girls practice the skills learned in the workshops.

Our mission is to fight the crisis of confidence that often occurs in adolescent girls. When girls

disconnect from their true feelings, their relationships become fraudulent and they lose the ability to

communicate what they really think and feel. We believe this loss of voice leads to a lifelong compromise

of the quality of girls relationships and leadership potential. Our curriculum uses educational theater

and is grounded in the research on girls pioneered by psychologists Lyn Mikel Brown, Carol Gilligan,

and their colleagues. Our workshops empower girls to trace and resist the impact of pleaser behaviors

on their lives and relationships. We teach skills to increase emotional intelligence during conflict, admit

limitations and accept criticism, and connect the concept of "leadership" to everyday aspects of girls

lives.


17/20


Page 17 of 20

Whats interesting to note is that this camp and many organizations which once offered just programming are

starting to offering training, workshops, curriculum, professional development, womens weekends, school

retreats, mother-daughter weekends and a host of services, material and programs to broadcast their material,

understanding and tools to a larger audience. This program is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. More

information about their program is found in the Addendum. www.girlsleadership.org

Incorporating FaithSome nonprofit organizations are incorporating gentle beliefs about faith into programming for middle school

girls. Courage for Youth, in Canada, an Opheliate (an affiliate of the Ophelia Project,get it?) offers an interactive

three-part program for middle school girls with practical training for preventing relational aggression. They also

partnered with the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre to offer GammaGirls, a program which empowers teenage

girls to make wise choices, to successfully navigate their teenage years, and to become all that God created them

to be. www.courageforyouth.com

After-school ProgramsThe nationally acclaimed clubGEN, a weekly after-school program for middle school girls led by trained high

school girls promoting healthy self-esteem, confidence, and leadership skills. To support their program, theyve

created a comprehensive speaker series for girls, teens, their parents and teachers; oriGENal voice, a public

awareness campaign educating girls on how to find their voices and to speak up and influence others through

advocacy and public policy; and a website, which features an online counselor.

Each clubGEN consists of a group of twelve to sixteen middle school girls and six to eight high school mentors.

The result is a dynamic program that promotes self-esteem, resilience, healthy development, and leadership skills

for middle school and high school girls alike. www.genaustin.org

On the WebAs expected, many organizations, municipalities, corporations and concerned folk are using the internet to

disseminate subject-focused information to tweens, their parents, teachers, community leaders and professionals

working with middle school girls.

The resources vary quite a bit from --

Dove Soaps Campaign for Real Beauty, which includes workshop materials and booklets for mothersand daughters, and includes website language such as: You can start fostering positive self-esteem in

yourself and others right now. The activities below are a fun way to explore how our ideas and


18/20


Page 18 of 20

perceptions of body image and self-worth are developed and reflected in the media and popular culture.

www.campaignforrealbeauty.com

PBSs kid-oriented site Its My Life with an entire section for kids on bullying.http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/bullies/

Smart Girl (dot com), a nonprofit organization owned and run by the University of Michigan, with a sitedesigned especially for girls. www.smartgirl.org

Girl Power!Part of the national public education campaign sponsored by the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services to encourage and motivate 9- to 13- year-old girls to make the most of their lives.

www.girlpower.gov

And on, and on, and on. Really. Data is to be had.


19/20


Page 19 of 20

RecommendationAs a curiosity, I would consider ordering the Tool Kit for Measuring Outcomes of Girl Scout Resident Camp (andthe supplement) just to see how applicable they are to Journey and its program.

If reaching a girl audience even younger than just middle school is desired, I believe the Girls Empowered programholds great promise for resonating with the 5-12 year old girls andtheir parents. The Girls Empowered programs

are created, designed and marketed in a refreshing and age-appropriate manner and could, perhaps, be deemed

important enough to supercede the many other scheduled activities kids seem to have on their calendars.

Given this projects research goals and both the short- and long-term goals of The Womens Giving Circle and

The Horizon Foundation, I believe a serious inquiry into the GOAL program will produce the most fruitfulresults. Interestingly, GOALs tagline is A Girls Journey to Growth. All data and science aside, and with a wee

smile, thats what could easily be called a sign.

Personal Observations & NotesOn a completely personal note, where I felt the most energy and resonance, as a researcher, was with the GOAL

and Girls Empowered programs. My sense is that Howard County could with a bit of strategy, resource

allocation and community-wide cooperation become themost stellar example of a community caring for its

girls. The challenges with middle school girls are researched and documented. The challenges are also logical and

understood on both an intuitive and academic level. The programs to address these challenges are now available.

Perhaps they need a bit more data and proof to be research-based, but the programs do exist.

In fact, it could be Howard County that moves such programs from their small, almost unknown existence, into

a nationally recognized and proven program. Howard County, as we all know, is an almost magical concoction

for community super powers: we have wealth, a highly educated population, cultural resources and deeply

committed and caring citizens. If there were ever a community positioned to put promising new programs on the

map, its ours.

Though the initial goal of this research project was to find programs applicable to a residential camp for middle

school girls, my sense is that the true mission is to help our girls as many as possible -- be resilient and capable.

If we, as a community, can show how it is done: how to work with the schools, which programs to bring in, at

what age to start working with the girls, how to track the data and show the results then we, as a community,

can give this gift first to our girls, then to ourselves and then to the nation.


20/20


Page 20 of 20

No witty little saying comes to mind now just basic knowledge proven again and again, across the globe:

When women do well, society does well. There is something magical and deep about helping women lead

healthy and glowing lives. The ripple effect from healthy girls and women is powerful and it impacts all of

society, economically, educationally, in health and in general life conditions.

I love my hometown for all that its been to me: 35 years, plus or minus a few trips elsewhere. I fill with a

glowing sense of possibility of Howard County becoming the national leader in this mightily important realm of

caring for our girls.

I believe a well-conceived partnership with GOAL, or one of these programs, will allow us to do just that.

My best,

Jessie Newburn

[email protected]

www.jessienewburn.com

443-794-7521

Women's Giving Circle of Howard County - Best Practices Research and Report

Documents

Transcript of Women's Giving Circle of Howard County - Best Practices Research and Report