Activism Log #3

Activism:

            This week we went to St. Matthew’s Church where we coordinated leadership activities for the kids. The kids were 5^th ad 6^th graders and we did leadership based activities with them including the human knot, elbow tag, icebreakers, obstacle courses, etc. Building leadership came from games like the obstacle course where one person led another using only words to direct a blind folded kid through the obstacle course. The contact we made with the community partner was very positive, some of the group met with Rev. Sonya on Wednesday to discuss what was expected of us this weekend, and of course we were all at the church on Saturday early to set up and stayed late to clean up. Sonya and some of the parents were very pleased with the way we handled the evening, which was really nice to hear. Honestly, this weekend was all a success, everyone showed up on Saturday, all the kids were well behaved and everything just worked out very smoothly.

Reflection:

            I have no doubts that Rev. Sonya is an advocate for girls leadership. She was so willing to help us this weekend, including Saturday when she helped us brainstorm for Sunday. Our actions follow the lines of us doing transformational leadership more then us helping others achieve leadership. In a lot of ways we have been doing what van Linden and Fertman describe as transformational leadership, “It is concerned with how individuals use their abilities to influence people” (9). All of us in our service learning have been brought our own strengths to this group the entire semester, and this weekend it showed when we were working with the kids. Those of us that are goofy and act like children anyways (me) were able to get on the same level as the kids and make stuff more fun, those of us that are really good at organizing and keeping things under control did this, and those of us that that are good at planning helped to make sure everything ran smoothly. Our entire group was able to work as a well-oiled machine, everyone brining something to the event this weekend that ultimately made it a success.

Reciprocity:

            This week’s service learning was just a lot of fun, which I think is cool because we were able to give back and incorporate leadership and make it really fun for everyone at the same time. I definitely gained some perceptive this weekend of what service learning is suppose to be and how it is suppose to look and be achieved, and I definitely feel like I’ve gained competency when it comes to planning events like this, something I hadn’t done before. I think community service and giving back is kind of inherently feminist, which we did this weekend. I do feel like this weekend broadened the type of service learning I can do and now want to do, helping at a church doesn’t have to be off limits and was actually a great experience.

Word Count: 497

  

Works Cited

Van Linden, Josephine. Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998. Print.

Activism Log #2

Activism:

            This week we hosted a bag decorating event with the Girl Scouts where we not only decorated brown paper bags, but we filled them with hygiene products for the women staying at SafeHouse. This week was good because I finally got to meet the entire troop and I feel like we were able to make some concrete progress with the Girl Scouts and with service learning in general. The event was successful and we ended up having a lot more products for the bags than we initially expected, which left us with over 50 bags to donate! Although we made contact with the scouts this week and were able to put donations together, I got the feeling that most of the girls didn’t care about what we were actually doing. A lot of the girls didn’t want to participate and we had to push them to make more than one bag. I was also able to get some planning for the unit event done, so hopefully our successes for this next week will include the unit event. I think we definitely need to make a point to the girls as to the reasoning behind everything we are doing and maybe try to engage them without the troop leaders there all the time.

Reflection:

            This week I realized that through our service learning project we are basically solidifying girl’s definition of leadership. In Girl Talk: Adolescent Girls’ Perceptions of Leadership, Shinew and Jones illustrate that girls already define leadership as “compassionate” and “caring” (60). And in Changing it Up!, the Girl Scouts research shows that girls identify leadership as a way to institute social change (8). Through the activities we have planned for the girls we play right into the notion that girls already have about leadership, which is being a leadership through social change. Through reading Shinew and Jones it occurred to me that finding a way to incorporate the talents of each girl into the leadership opportunities that we created through our project would have been a better way to teach leadership and appeal to the girls. I think that the Girl Scouts as an organization, as least, try to teach effective leadership in the ways that our readings suggest. However, I have noticed that the Girls Scouts function more through the girls doing projects that are decided by higher-ups, which is ineffective for teaching real leadership skills.

Reciprocity:

            I am personally gaining satisfaction from the part of this project that works with SafeHouse, however I still have no formula for successful youth leadership. This experience continues to show me why youth leadership is so difficult; this week it has been the problem of motivation. The project fits into a feminist perspective because it’s girls working for social justice and for a greater good. I find myself needing to put more into organizations like SafeHouse and give to those in need; in my perspective there is nothing more “feminist” than doing this.

Word Count: 494

Works Cited

Fleshman, Paula, and Salmond, Kimberlee, and Schoenberg, Judy. Change it Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2008. Executive Summary.

Shinew, Dawn M., and Deborah Thomas Jones. "Girl Talk: Adolescent Girls' Perceptions of Leadership." Geographies of Girlhood: Identities In-between. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2005. 55-65. Print.

NWSA Assignment

Harris sheds light on many aspects of girlhood, politics, the public sphere, and  girls’ voices in all of these fields. At first I thought she was exaggerating when she says that political and public participation from girls can only happen once girls overcome the obstacles and ‘scars’ they have accumulated through growing up as a female (139). However, as my media artifact, I found a disturbing article about a teacher who had been sexually assaulting his students (fifth and sixth graders) for years, and how the administration from multiple school where he was employed didn’t report it. I see this article and the experiences of the girls mentioned in this story as solid proof that what Harris is claiming may hold truth. It seems that through these types of cases the silencing of girls is almost systematic.

At multiple points in this teacher’s career someone should have reported him, yet everyone turned a blind eye, and in return multiple girls hold these scars and lack on faith in a system that has proven to fail them, and not value their voices. The acknowledgement of girls and their experiences are vital for successful girls leadership. Harris also points out that girls are manipulated out of their agency to lead and be authentic public figures because of the invasion of the girls private spaces (126). I agree with this idea, but looking at New Moon Girls Magazine in the Ask A Girl portion, it appears that self –disclosure is everywhere, and that girls enjoy putting their stories out there and receiving feedback (5).

 I see this idea of self-disclosure being potentially good as a tool for girls to connect and relate to one another, not to be exploited by media heads. However, this line between healthy disclosure to feel connected to others through personal experiences and the disclosure that’s forced on girls to appear visible and therefore important is very fine, and easily confused and used against girls. I see how these simple and healthy spaces for girls can create a false sense of security through self-disclosing on a more public stage.

All three of these sources, New Moon Girls Magazine, Future Girl, and the Seattle Times article: School district ignored warnings, then silenced girls fondled by teacher, tie together to form a picture where girls seem to be controlled through the act of sharing. Future Girl presents this idea of the voiceless adolescent girl that is in need of help, which is solidified through the Seattle Times article. Yet it is New Moon that offers a solution to the problem, which is the attempt at creating a ‘safe’ space for girls to self-disclose, ask questions, and create their voice on their own terms.

Word Count: 452

Works Cited

Armstrong, Ken, and Justin Mayo. "Your Courts, Their Secrets: School District Ignored Warnings, Then Silenced Girls Fondled by Teacher." The Seattle times [Seattle] 23 Apr. 2010. Seattle times. Seattle times Company, 23 Apr. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2011. <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/yourcourtstheirsecrets/2003316890_northshore22m.html>.

Cordes, Helen, ed. "Letters to Luna." New Moon Girls Nov.-Dec. 2011: 5-10. Web. 9 Nov. 2011. <http://www.newmoon.com/magazine/samples/November-December-2011.pdf>.

Harris, Anita. Future Girl: Young Women in the Twenty-First Century. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print.

Movie Quiz

I thought the movie Girls Rock, rocked! I found that it provided a lot of insight into what young girls go through in adolescence. Hearing some of the girls come right out and say that they don’t like to eat and wish they could stop is heartbreaking, but also enlightening and makes me feel that camps and programs like rock camp are very much needed. Shauna Pomerantz points our in her article, Between a Rock and A Hard Place: Un/Defining the “Girl” that by analyzing girls the problem of categorizing them to fit into certain discourses has been the ultimate outcome, and new expectations and counter-discourses are created. However, after watching this video, I can’t support not having programs that more-or-less follow the Riot Grrl discourse, or any other discourse that holds the intent of “helping” or “empowering” girls. I thought it was so amazing to hear all these girls making music and communicating with each other.

            This movie was able to capture raw experiences of girls, and show that it’s not just one odd case of low self- esteem or an eating disorder. These are problems that the majority of girls face and that the majority of girls think they face alone. Opening a forum for girls to connect through their experiences, like they did at rock camp, is much needed. I saw rock camp giving the girls opportunities to perform transformational leadership. The process of the girls having to decide a band name, song lyrics, and what instruments everyone would play, created a real life decision making process, which Carole MacNeil suggest needs to exist for real leadership skills to develop. Camps and programs like this really do help girls to find an outlet to discuss their emotions, build self-esteem, resolve problems, and develop leadership.

Word count: 298

Works Cited

MacNeil, Carole. “Bridging Generation: Applying “Adult” Leadership Theories to Youth Leadership Development”. 2006: 27-43. Print.

Pomerantz, Shauna. “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Un/Defining the ‘Girl’”. 2009: 147-158, Print. 

Activism Log #1

Activism:

              This week I was able to attend one of the Girl Scouts meetings, and meet a few of the girls. In this meeting we discussed what the girls thought about our plans and how they defined community service. Judy thought that the unit event would be more successful if the girls were actually able to lead a small group of Dailies, instead of the focus being on us leading the girl scouts. Candace and I gave them ‘homework’ which was to come up with an ice -breaker and an activity that they would like to host at the unit event.

            This meeting was successful in the sense that I feel like we have finally made some type of progress and have solidified some of our plans. However, I definitely feel really disorganized and would have liked if our entire group had been at the meeting, so what we could have made decisions as a whole, because Candace and I were sort of forced to make group decisions without consulting everyone. Unfortunately, there were only 2 girls at the meeting instead of all 6 of the troop, which didn’t supply us with enough input. What bothered me the most at the meeting was that I felt that the ‘adults’ were dominating the conversation and decision making and that the girls were not engaged enough.

            I feel like to accomplish anything for next week our entire group needs to come together and make decisions and delegate responsibility. I have emailed SafeHouse about our day of service event, and am hoping they get back to me by next week so that we can make definite plans and contact the girl scouts.

Reflection:

            During the meeting with the girls I did not feel as though we were making the atmosphere conducive for them to develop leadership skills or make any real decisions. I most apply this situation to what MacNeil writes about, “…we must frame our programs so that youth have opportunities not only to develop skills and knowledge but also to apply them in meaningful and authentic ways (33)”. I agree with MacNeil, and acknowledge that our interaction with the girls lacked this; now I need to figure out how to actually implement this when we are with the scouts. I doubt that the Girl Scout leaders were intentionally preventing the girls from being a part of the decision making and brainstorming, nonetheless, they were. This week has solidified all the theories we’ve been learning about in Girls and Leadership, because I was actually able to see the process of girls and leadership in action, and see the challenge that is to be overcome when working with girls and leadership. 

            

Reciprocity:

            So far I’m gaining a lot of insight that supports and challenges my feminist views. More than anything else I am gaining personal experience into what we are constantly reading about and seeing why, first hand, youth leadership is unsuccessful. This experience has benefited me in an academic way much more than anything else. 

Works Cited

MacNeil, Carole. “Bridging Generation: Applying “Adult” Leadership Theories to Youth Leadership Development”. 2006: 27-43. Print.

Word Count:501

Service Learning Proposal

Service Learning Proposal for Girl Scouts of America

By: Erica H, Ashleigh A, Nichole R, Abi R, Candace T, Jacqui C,

Valerie T, Anna S. and Esteffani C.

September 29, 2011

Meredith Tweed

WST4021-0001

Community Partner Profile:

Community Partner: Girl Scouts of the United States of America,

Florida Citrus Council, Troop #331

Contact Information: Judy Williamson, Troop Leader: 

troop331deltona@gmail.com

Our Community partner for service learning is the Girl Scouts of the USA, particlary Tropp #331 of the Florida Citrus Council. They are a part of the Florida Citrus council branch of Girl Scouts of the USA. The Girls Scouts program was formed almost a century ago in 1912 by Juliette Low, whose goal was to give girls the opportunity to explore their community and to get out of the confinements of their homes.

Today there are over two million girls participating in the Girl Scouts, with almost one million adults participating as volunteers. The mission of Girl Scouts is to "...build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place" (Girl Scouts). Through the numberous activities that the girls are able to participate in, ranging from field trips to community service, this organization aims to provide girls with the tools to develop themselves both socially and individually. The organization gets their funding from an array of partners. These partners include individuals, corporations and government entities. GSUSA acknowledges that girls have constantly changing needs.

Second-Level Community Partner: SafeHouse of Seminole County

 SafeHouse of Seminole is a shelter that provides a secure environment for women and children who have fallen victim to domestic violence. SafeHouse currently provides a variety of counseling and outreach programs for women coping with the trauma that domestic violence causes. SafeHouse also gives access to an emergency shelter, crisis hotline, and court advocacy for those who need it. As the percentage of women who experience domestice violence continues to climb over 20% establishments like SafeHouse have become a vital part of our society.

Proposal:

Need for Action/Volunteerism

Girl Scouts of the USA Troop #331 needs assistance in planning and carrying out activities and events for community service. This includes not only smaller-scale service day activities for the girls in Troop #331, but also a larger-scale day of service for the entire Rainbow Lakes unit of Girl Scouts which Troop #331 belongs to. These service days must be appropriate for the girls, address a specific community need and stay true to the fun spirit of the Girl Scouts.

Many women who are seeking refuge at SafeHouse do so without any material possessions, as well as a lack of resources to provide themselves with items such as hygiene projects. Similarly, the organization needs volunteers in assisting with gardening and other maintenance services.

Plan of Action Proposal

We have several plans to help the girls understand the influence they can have on their community. One of the events we are planning will be with the SafeHouse of Seminole. We will be doing direct service by

performing any service needed by the organization. We are also going to be doing indirect service by making bags which will contain personal hygiene products. This will help the girls to understand that both indirect and direct service with organizations can be beneficial to themselves as well as the community on the whole.

The second, larger event is still in the planning stages. The tentative plan is to have a “Fun Day” that will join the girls from YWLP and the Rainbow Lakes Girl Scouts unit together to help the girls develop leadership. During this event, the Girl Scouts will collect cans and non perishable items to donate to a non-profit organization, and also participate in Fun Day activities at a local skating rink (or similar location). Each troop will be responsible for creating or bringing something to the event, such as a holiday basket for donation.

Rationale

For our service learning project we will be working with a local Girl Scout troop. The Girl Scouts seek to teach girls skills of leadership. As our class’ main focus is girl’s relationship to leadership, working with the scouts will not only allow us to observe the leadership in these girls, but also to provide them with service experiences that will help them to broaden their definition of what a leader is, as well as, become leaders.

We will follow the work of MacNeil as she wrote, “Early research on leadership focused on the qualities and traits of the leader rather than the process of leadership” (27). It is through our service learning project that we will aid in this process of leadership for the girls we will be working with. Linden and Fertman observe that most kids don’t even think of leadership (5). If nothing else, we will open the minds of these girls to the idea of leadership and show them that it is obtainable.

Action Steps Taken Thus Far

Jacqui has already contacted the troop leaders regarding our interest in volunteering with them this semester. We have presented them with all of our possible volunteer opportunities, which they have confirmed

their interest in. We are currently working out definite dates. We are making plans to contact several companies to solicit donations of sample products. Erica has already acquired one case of face wash for these bags.

Each group member is responsible for an equal share of their time and work in order to accomplish both of these goals. We hope that each member of our team will be able to attend all of the events, but each member is required to help plan and coordinate at least one event.

Timeline for Action

October 1: Contact Judy Williamson with proposed dates

October 9: Possible meet and greet with Troop 331

October 29: Fun Day event

TBD: Volunteer Day at SafeHouse

TBD: Troop 331 event - Making care packages to be donated

Works Cited

Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Who We Are. 2011. 28

September 2011 <http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/>.GSUSA. 2010

Annual Report. Annual Report. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA, 2010.

Web.

MacNeil, Carole. “Bridging Generation: Applying “Adult” Leadership Theories to Youth Leadership Development”.

2006: 27-43. Print.

Van Linden, Josephine. Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding

Leadership Devel opment in Adolescents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,

1998. Print.

Word count: 1045

Introduction!

Dear Everyone!
             My name is Nichole and I was not in this class last week, but I'm super excited to be a part of it now. I just transferred to UCF this semester, from UNC-Charlotte (but I'm from Florida) as a sophomore. I'm currently a History major and I'm planning on a Women's Study minor. I discovered about a year ago that I'm a full-blown feminist, after a really good friend of mine told me to read Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Vallenti, if anyone's interested it's really good and she's funny too, I actually just decided to minor in Women's Studies, although I've taken WST classes prior to this one.
              I never really thought of a degree in WST I would just take classes because I thought it was interesting and enraging stuff! I'm constantly trying to interest my friends in readig WST-ish books, I will also resort to ranting so much about things that my friend Collins could practically sell the DivaCup now, or if nothing else I try to point out the small things, like the way everyone says 'guys' in reference to mixed company all the time, which I've noticed even more lately. Anyways, aside from WST, Girl's Studies is just as important to learn about. I feel like from a small age boys and girls are treated differently and expected to do different things which can discourage women later on in life from taking on leadership roles, or not even consider it. It is important to communicate to women and girls how important it is to become leaders and for all of us to learn how to teach girls to fill leadership roles.
              I see Girls Studies focusing more on how adolescent and even younger girls are affected by gender politics and society, and how problems affecting women today can we tackled through fixing them first in the youth (girls and boys). In many ways Girls Studies is almost a preventative study to a lot of Women's Studies issues, like education (sexual included), health, and even sexism.
              Unfortuately, I'm not currently holding any leadership positions, but my definition of leadership would be: a position held by someone that has the skills and ability to influence others to make good decisions or come to productive resolutions to problems. I have mentored elementary school kids and unintentionally became the leader of my service project for my War,Genocide, and Human Rights learning community last year; but in all honesty I want and need more opportunities and skills to hold a leading role, which I hope I can achieve through this class.


This one is for Ms.Tweed,
              I have read the syllabus and feel good about the set up. Do you know if I can use my 15 hours of SL for my other class too? or is that like double- couponing? No big if I can't. I also expect to be absent 0 times so don't worry. Lastly, unlike probably everyone else on the planet I have not read Twilight, but did make the mistake of seeing the movie.. and was curious if we are in fact reading it this semester or if that was a typo on the syllabus??? :) Anywho! see you Tuesday.