From third to fifth grade, most girls’ educational aspirations include making something pretty in art class, ensuring that she has the desk next to her best friend, or for the really driven ones, getting into the highest reading group. Priorities include catching up on episodes of Hannah Montana and having play dates. But discussions about confidence and empowerment? That’s definitely not the norm– unless we’re talking about participants in Strong Women, Strong Girls.
This national organization, with a chapter at BC, focuses on mutual empowerment for college-aged mentors and at-risk girls from third through fifth grade. Co-campus directors Caitlin Fentzlaff, CSOM ’12, and Kelly Cannon, A&S ’13, agree, “Strong Women, Strong Girls empowers college women to be confident on campus, in the professional world, and in personal life, and then to pass that on to the girls we’re mentoring.” Weekly meetings with their BC mentors give these young girls skills for future success, through lessons in communication, teamwork, cultural sensitivity, and confidence.
Even more important than these skills, though, are the relationships formed. Since young girls can stay in the program for three years, Cannon said “there are girls graduating the program this year who I’ve worked with since freshman year.” While serious life lessons are transferred, friendship is just as important. Eyes lighting up as she clearly recalled specific girls, Cannon smiled and said “they’re so fun” and how they’ll “ask you your favorite TV show or how you do your hair.” Despite the age gap, Cannon emphasized, “it’s easy to relate to them.”
In a way, this is logical, as both mentors and mentees go through similar experiences as they move through the Strong Women, Strong Girls program. Just as the grammar school girls receive advice about their futures, looking ahead is equally important for the mentors. “The national organization also helps with career counseling,” Cannon explained. Everyone with a branch leadership position is put in touch with a leadership coach. “They can help looking at a resume or just meeting for coffee and talking about career goals,” she added.
The BC branch of Strong Women, Strong Girls gives its mentors the chance to expand their leadership skills through interactions with their mentees, as well as through planning events on campus. Later this semester, the women are planning a field trip on October 15th where the young girls will visit BC for a “Get Active” day. The event aims to teach the younger girls how to lead a healthy lifestyle and will feature a performance by the Sharps, a relay run with the track team, and stretches led by cheerleaders (“the girls just freak out over their uniforms,” Cannon said enthusiastically).
They will also host a trivia night at Roggie’s on November 10th, which earns the organization thousands of dollars, essentially their chapter’s budget. If the purpose of this program is to promote female confidence and competency, the annual success of that one event proves that they have accomplished their goal.
As a freshman entering BC, Cannon said she joined Strong Women, Strong Girls because she “didn’t know what to get involved with.” However, the organization has defined her college experience and will continue to impact her post-graduation, as Cannon explained, “empowering girls will always be important to me.”
Her growth through the program is not a singular phenomenon. In a society where two out of five women would trade five years of their life to be thin and where most American girls begin to diet at age 8, 98% of parents reported an increase in their daughter’s self-esteem as a result of the program. In a world where only 2.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, 89% of the college mentors reported an increase in their leadership skills. And in a time of economic immobility, where almost half of those born into the bottom fifth of the economic distribution remain there as adults, 98% of those involved in Strong Women, Strong Girls left the program with a greater desire to participate in community service.
Strong Women, Strong Girls isn’t about one group helping the other. It’s about mutual growth through the building of relationships and skills. “The girls and their mentors practice their ‘Unique Talents and Abilities,’” said Cannon, describing a lesson where girls focus on what makes them unique, such as their “special dance moves or beautiful voice.” So whether it’s through a lesson on conflict resolution or a dance party to unwind, BC’s strong women use their mentoring position to help create strong, confident girls.
For more information about Strong Women, Strong Girls, visit their website: swsg.org