It is finally safe to say, summer is here in the Pacific Northwest! For most, summer is a time to relax, take a break and enjoy the gorgeous weather. But here at Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, our programming is in full swing! June kicked off strong with our Volcano Camps at Mt. Saint Helens and July has been full with Eureka! and our Produced By Her programs. We also had Girls Inc. Day at the Thorns a couple of weeks ago and Rappel for Her is coming up August 3rd.
We know that while summer provides us with amazing weather, it can also be a source of uncertainty and challenges for our girls that rely on school for support and resources. So for us, summer is an excellent opportunity to provide additional opportunities for our girls to engage, learn, and grow. We hope that during this season you get to soak up a little of that sun, but that you also continue to partner with Girls Inc. and continue to help us in inspiring girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Rappel For Her is a perfect, adventurous opportunity to be bold, and encourage your friends, family, colleagues, and network to champion girls in the Pacific Northwest. Here is what to do:
Thank you to everyone that attended or donated tickets for our girls to Girls Inc. Day at the Thorns! We are so grateful for our partnership with the Portland Thorns FC and to all of you that donated over 85 tickets and made this opportunity possible!
EUREKA! ROCKS!
Eureka! programs are off and running! The first Eureka! field trip to Halfling Studios, hosted by N.M. Bodecker Foundation was a huge success. Our 2nd-year Eurekans learned about the physics of sound from Kendra Lynn, played synthesizers with Chris Funk & Adam Lee made soundwave based art with Abby Guyer & Tanya Cerda. Last, but not least, made there very own songs in a professional music studio. Take a minute to listen to their amazing creations!
Social and emotional learning happens all year round!
School is out, but that does not mean learning has to end. At Girls Inc., we believe strongly in continuing girls’ education during the summertime. Parents and adults can support youth by teaching social-emotional skills (SEL) and focusing on education beyond the classroom. By implementing these invaluable skills, which are not always explicitly taught in school, we can help girls grow into successful, young women.
You may not be able to help her with her calculus homework, but, as an influential figure in a girl’s life, you can play a crucial role in her social-emotional growth. As adults, we can help equip girls with the skills they need to thrive, such as emotional management, critical thinking, goal setting, and relationship building. By providing supportive spaces where girls can try and even fail, explore positive decision-making, and pursue self-discovery, parents can help girls build confidence to rise above limited expectations of what a girl can do.
At Girls Inc., social-emotional learning is particularly important for the girls we serve, girls of color, and girls from low-income communities, who experience even greater inequality. Our comprehensive, holistic approach to girl development provides girls a foundation to build healthy relationships with others and importantly themselves. We take great pride in helping girls cultivate these crucial skills to overcome serious challenges, set goals, and reach great accomplishments in school and in life.
We encourage parents to take an active role in girls’ social-emotional development to allow girls to visualize and to reach their fullest potential. Focusing on honest communication, responsibility in the home and the impact of decisions are a few ways parents can implement SEL into daily life. While these skills are not strictly academic in nature, they help your child develop qualities crucial to academic success like diligence, responsibility, and resilience. Social-emotional tools also give girls control of their narratives and the ability to discover their true passions.
One of the biggest ways parents can foster social-emotional learning at home is by encouraging children to express how they are feeling, starting at a young age. By recognizing their feelings, young people are able to understand how their feelings influence their choices and support them in making healthy decisions, managing conflict, and responding to adversity. Listening to how your child feels shows them that they are valued and that their voices matter.
Parents and adults have the opportunity not only to be role models but also to become teachers to the children in their lives by emphasizing the importance of SEL. Young people need reading, writing, and arithmetic, but they also need help with their social and emotional development. Social and emotional learning allows us to help young people become healthy, whole adults ready for the challenges and opportunities that the future brings.
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