Workshops

Schedule and Workshops

Workshop Descriptions:
Girls will be split into middle & high school groups for age appropriate discussions

Sisters Circle

The opening to the conference will be Sisters Circle, where the girls will be broken into groups of 18 and matched with a group of women from the Boston Area Chapter of the NAASC to talk about what it means to be a sister and friend. Girls will remain with these groups for the remainder of the conference. A portion of this workshop is intended to lay a foundation of trust between the girls in each group as they participate in the conference.

Image: Self Esteem

Led by nonprofit directors, this workshop will focus on the balance between inner confidence aligning with external image. The workshop will also address the new challenges girls face in how people perceive them through their online identity (via Facebook and MySpace). Additionally, the workshop will cover how self-esteem and insecurity play into bullying others and being bullied.

Image: Let's Talk About Sex

Led by a combination of professional sex educators and college students with personal stories to relay, this workshop will cover both the clinical side of sex, STDs, and birth control in addition to the emotional peer pressure girls feel and issues about their sexuality. The session will build on ideals from the self-esteem workshop to let girls know virginity and abstinence are okay even if others are pressuring them to believe it is not.

Identity: Mental Health

Building on the 2008 session on mental health, this workshop led by professional counselors will 1) give the girls the space to discuss issues of depression, anxiety, anger, and other emotions they are feeling and 2) provide them with concrete coping mechanisms and strategies as well as information on how to follow up after the conference. This workshop will also address the correlation between a healthy body and a healthy mind.

Identity: Racism and Discrimination

Led by experts on the subject matter, this workshop will foster healthy dialogue between the middle and high school students highlighting various attitudes toward racism and discrimination and shared experiences. It will provide the girls with proposed solutions to a wide variety of problems faced in their daily interactions and teenage experiences.

Identity: Opportunities Fair

Towards the end of the day, colleges and local organizations will be available to provide information on their programs. To participate please email [email protected]