Elmont launches ‘Girl Power’ program to help students stand up to bullying
A group of female fifth-graders at Clara H. Carlson are participating in “Girl Power,” a new program that offers an educational approach to improving decision making and increasing self-esteem.
According to the school, the program was developed by acknowledging the growing challenges that teenage girls are forced to face in schools today, due to the increase in alliance-building and rumor-spreading brought on by the onslaught of social media and cyber-bullying.
“Girl Power values healthy life choices that empower our female students to develop confidence, resist negative peer pressure and do well in school,” said Clara H. Carlson Principal Ken Rosner. “It promotes responsibility, strength, knowledge, courage and respect for oneself and others, and it gives the girls the tools to comfortably manage conflict.”
Specifically, she explained, the sessions show the differences between healthy and unhealthy friendships, how to stay true to who you are while still fitting in, and the importance of standing up for yourself. One workshop had the girls tear a paper girl into pieces while recounting insults and then taping it back together with positive messages. Another activity had the girls articulate what they like about themselves while displaying self-portraits.
“In order to make healthy choices, girls need a strong foundation,” said Karina Bruno, the school’s social worker. “They need to know who they are and what they stand for, and have the confidence to believe they can accomplish anything they set out to do.”
She added that the school plans to implement a similar program for boys in the 2012- 2013 school year.
