Fifth grade can be an uncertain place between childhood and adolescence. Friendships become more complicated, bodies begin to change and questions about confidence, identity and belonging take on new importance.
A new 12-week after-school program at the Glen Cove Library is designed to help girls navigate those changes together before they enter middle school.
“Middle school, as we all know, is a different beast,” said Lela Watson, founder and president of I Am My Sister, the nonprofit behind the new GirlHood: Growing Up, Together program. “And we have found that some of the challenges, like mental health issues, confidence and self-esteem or the lack thereof, it’s starting a lot earlier.”
GirlHood, which will begin Oct. 1, is designed specifically for fifth-grade girls and will address friendships, emotions, confidence, changing bodies, decision-making and finding one’s voice. Program creators, Watson explained, deliberately chose to reach girls before they make the transition to sixth grade.
“The GirlHood Program is a 12-week program that really digs in to really get fifth-graders into a mindset of focusing on themselves,” she said.
Participants will explore how their bodies are changing, how to develop positive friendships and how to navigate conflicts as relationships become more complicated. They will also be encouraged to think about who they are, what they believe and how they can turn to parents, teachers and others for support.
Rather than waiting until girls are struggling, Watson said, GirlHood is intended to introduce coping skills and resources earlier. A major component will focus on relationships, including what friendship is — and what it isn’t — as well as helping girls distinunderstand the validation they may seek online.
Each week will have a different theme, including identity, friends, feelings, the body, voice, choices and the future. Sessions will combine movement and hands-on activities with group conversations and individual reflection.
Participants will also receive journals to decorate and make their own. Watson said that reflection is an important part of I Am My Sister’s programs, because some children may not feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and emotions aloud. The journals offer another way for them to process what they have discussed and learned.
Some sessions will feature guests. A therapist, for example, will take part in a session about feelings and use a hands-on activity to help the girls identify and process their emotions, including learning how to communicate when their feelings have been hurt.
Watson said the emphasis is on giving girls coping skills before they reach a crisis.
The curriculum will begin with an introduction before moving on to topics such as what makes a real friend, navigating family and friend drama, understanding feelings and developing a “coping toolkit.” Later sessions will tackle changing bodies, finding one’s voice, standing up for others, values, peer pressure and decision-making. The program will conclude with a GirlHood graduation.
Watson said the order of the lessons is intentional because they build on one another. Learning about their identities, bodies and voices, for example, can eventually help girls understand how to advocate for themselves and make decisions.
The goal is for girls to finish fifth grade and enter sixth grade “feeling prepared and confident,” she said.
Dr. Angela Raimo, a former Glen Cove Board of Education trustee and the chair of I Am My Sister’s board, said the years surrounding the transition to middle school can be particularly challenging for girls, and the chance to discover that their peers may be experiencing many of the same things can be valuable.
“These clubs really offer girls an opportunity to create new friendships, and talk to other kids about how they’re feeling, and hopefully gain a little confidence, and maybe some new friends,” Raimo said.
Cortney Capasso has already seen the effect I Am My Sister’s existing programming has had on her 13-year-old daughter, Audrey. Capasso said she has watched her daughter become more confident and take on leadership roles.
“It definitely helped Audrey with her confidence, for sure, and her leadership skills,” Capasso said. “And we see that she’s becoming more mature and really growing into herself as a person.”
Audrey recently volunteered with I Am My Sister at Glen Cove’s National Night Out, helping younger girls participate in a “Fill My Cup” activity centered on qualities such as courage, growth and bravery. Audrey said the organization helps “build, like, self-esteem and leadership and boost your confidence and stuff.” She also said she wants to participate in the library workshops.
The first GirlHood program will be limited to 25 participants, with a second expected to begin in February. It will meet on Thursdays, from 4:30 to 6 p.m., at the Glen Cove Library. The $150 registration fee primarily covers supplies, journals and snacks, Watson said. Full and partial scholarships are available for families who need financial assistance.
For Watson, the program’s larger purpose is reflected in its name: giving girls the opportunity to grow up together while developing the confidence, relationships and skills they can carry with them into the next stage of their lives.
