11/05/2001

Strong, Smart and Bold

Strong, smart and bold. These are the bywords for Girls Inc., an organization with 1100 chapters nationwide, dedicated to bringing out and nurturing a girl's spirit as early as possible to give her the self-assurance and personal tools she needs to thrive in an increasingly complex world.

"I've been coming here (Girls Inc. of Meriden) since the summer of first grade," says Nilda Mendez, a sophomore at Mercy High School in Middletown. "I was a camper then; I'm a junior counselor for the camp now."

Nilda has gradually worked up through the ranks at the Girls Inc. summer camp in Meriden. Starting in the 7th grade as a volunteer "runner" (who goes and gets things for the counselors and director), each summer she received training and progressed to the next level of leadership and responsibility, from "runner" to "counselor-in-training" to "junior counselor." The next steps are "senior counselor" and "unit leader" (18 and older). The unit leader plans all the daily camp activities for her group with the help of the other members of her team.

Girls Inc. of Meriden serves children, ages 2 to 12, in co-educational programs, such as pre-school, daycare, gymnastics, art, pottery, cooking, science and a variety of after school classes during the academic year, plus eight weeks of summer camp. The teen programs are for girls only.

The Junior Leadership Program for teen girls is unique to Meriden, taking materials from the national curriculum and expanding on them, especially with its emphasis on volunteerism. Participants volunteer for the Girls Inc. classes and summer camp as well as for charitable functions, both within the organization and out in the community.

"I am an assistant to the dance instructor," says Kaitlyn Craig, a dancer herself and an 8th grader at Washington Middle School in Meriden. "I help make up the dance routines. I'm learning that teaching style really matters. I'm learning how to handle different situations with kids. I plan to teach elementary school someday."

Kaitlyn volunteers in special education classes at the middle school, too. She likes to go with a friend to the resource room, where she reads to and plays with children who are in wheelchairs.

"I want to help other people, because so many people have helped me," Kaitlyn says. "I've always had trouble reading. In the sixth grade I got phonics training with two boys who had reading problems like mine. Now I read a lot better than I thought I ever could."

The Junior Leadership Program begins with team-building activities. An important one is the annual Halloween Party for young children, which the teens plan, conduct, decorate, supervise and manage from start to finish.

Other meetings focus on important social and developmental issues, such as Preventing Adolescent Pregnancy (PAP), learning how to say no to drugs and alcohol (much teaching and learning is done through role-playing the kinds of situations that teens encounter with peers who pressure them to experiment with dangerous substances) and career exploration. Local professional women are invited to speak with the girls about their jobs and training requirements, as well as about "what it takes" to succeed in their profession.

"I've learned a lot and made so many good friends here," says Leda DeRosa, an 8th grader from Washington Middle School. "They are people who have the same values I do; they're the kind of people you would want in your life."

Leda teaches swimming at the summer camp and volunteers for dozens of charitable events at school, her church and at Girls Inc. "Every time I volunteer I feel like, wow, happy because I gave back to someone else. Someday I might work for Girls Inc. in New York City, where I could help inner city children."

Discussions at Junior Leadership meetings sometimes lead to community action. "We talk about what's going on in the world," Nilda Mendez comments. "Here in Meriden we need a place for younger kids to hang out, so they don't get in trouble. We're sick of being at the mall every weekend. We need more parks, a teen center and a high school nightclub like they have in Wallingford, where they serve water and juice and only let high school kids in."

"Junior leadership is the epitome of Girls Inc.," says Sue Moore, Program Director, "because its dynamic programs inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold."

Girls Inc. of Meriden
Maria Trella Drauss, Executive Director
Sue Moore, Program Director
130 Lincoln St.
Meriden, CT 06451
Phone: 203-235-7146

Links

Girls Inc.

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