Welcoming Unwelcome Campers

This duck got a rude awakening when a camper barked
viciously at her to get the away!

                I shouldn’t really be surprised at this point with the reactions of the girls when a few ducks decided to trespass on out campsite at the beach this week. One little girl chased them away as she barked loudly while other quivered on their towels, worried that the ducks might eat the applesauce. All in all, it provided for an amusing day at the beach. You know the kids had a great time when the bus ride home is almost silent because everybody is asleep!  

                Like I said in a previous post, I left my book at home for the bus rides to the lake this week, and I think that it really paid off. The girls love having conversations with you even if they are about completely pointless stuff. One girl spent almost 15 minutes telling me how much she liked Grapes! In my journals that I passed in for my Senior Seminar class, I discussed how normal conversations allow you to earn the kids’ trust. Even though it may be a fairly insignificant conversation about grapes, maybe in the future they will feel comfortable enough to come to you if they had a larger problem.

I am having a great time washing police
cars with a groupof girls!

                I remember being eight years old and going to the recreation department’s summer camp in the town I live in. I idolized the camp counselors and clung to them like glue. It is enlightening now being on the other end of the spectrum. Although sometimes it is annoying for a kid to come sit next to you all the time and have the constant need for your attention, it should really be flattering—this girl see’s you as a role model. That is the whole purpose of my project. I was having a conversation two older campers while swimming in the lake. They are both high school students and were telling me about their disciplinary records. I was amazed to hear that one has been suspended from school over 10 times! As a high school student myself, I can hardly imagine what you have to do to get suspended. Anyways, during this conversation I found myself thinking about the positive influences in this girl’s life. I have plenty of positive influences and surround myself with a group of friends that also does not get into trouble. However, this one camper probably wasn’t so fortunate. I was able to sneak hints into the conversation about why bad disciplinary records can harm you in the future and it is my hope that this camper was able to take something away from it.

                Outside of Girls Inc I also work at an elementary and middle school track camp. I have a pink streak dyed in the back of my hair, and one day a girl complemented me on it. The next time I saw her, she came running up to me to tell me she had dyed her hair. Knowing that in eight year old dyed her hair because of me kind of made me speechless. That wasn’t really the example I was trying to set for the girls. It just goes to show you how huge of an impact you can make on girls lives. Always remember that someone may be watching.  Think twice before you say or do anything because what you chose to do is what you are teaching a little girl to do. The next week I had the majority of the pink cut out of my hair.

The protective underwear car!

                On Friday at Girls Inc. we finished up making our cardboard cars to take to the drive in Movie Theater! Aka the TV we set up in the gym. When I was a kid I used to love making cardboard forts. I would spend hours in the basement working on intricate designs with tunnels and various levels. None of the cars were quit as complex as the forts I used to construct, but it was great to see the girls’ imaginations in action! It really brought me back to the times when I was ten years old cutting cardboard in the basement for hours on end. My favorite car had to of been one made of a “protective underwear” box. The girls had no idea what that meant, but it sure gave the counselors a good laugh.

The cars are all lined up, ready for inspection
 before they get to go to the movie theater.

                Once the movie was completed, the girls all seemed to disappear, leaving me and one other counselor to clean up the spilled popcorn and juice. I guess that is the price we have to pay for the satisfaction of seeing the girls having a great time watching Big Miracle in their cars. The cleaning wasn’t that bad either. I seem to be doing a lot of it this summer (haha). On a different note, I can really see how my relationships with the girls are transforming. I am having numerous personal conversations with the girls. One camper and I talked about our grandmother for a half hour after discovering that we both sewed quilts with them. It has only been four weeks and I can tell how much of a difference I am really beginning to make already.

Lost in the Woods?

The girls are swimming in the water and having a
great time at Ellacoya State Park

     This week at Girls Inc we went to Wellington State Park. Despite the 90 degree weather outside right now as I am writing this, it was a little bit colder at the beach two days ago. With the weather being far from perfect, I was ready to make the most of the day. We got a plot of land right near the bathrooms (that's always a good thing) and the sun was starting to show through the clouds. With that, I started to think maybe this day was going to turn around....I was wrong. After freezing for several hours on the beach while the kids swam, seemingly unaffected by the cold temperature and wind, we took the girls on a hike on a walking trail. With zero sense of direction, I started to get a little nervous when 45 minutes into a hike that was supposedly a half hour we were not back yet, but a few short minutes later, we could see the camp again. Little successes like making it through a hike with 17 girls without a single casualty (aside from a broken flip flop) really make my day. Cherish small victories, right?

Mel's group is striking a pose at the beach!

     Upon arrival back at the beach, we learned a young camper had tripped on a tree root and cut her toe on a rock. She was okay, but hadn't we been telling the girls all day not to run near the rocks? Yes, but we are still working on listening skills with a lot of them. Even in the short time I have been at Girls Inc so far, I feel like I am really starting to form some good relationships with the girls, and that I am slowly gaining their trust. It is a good feeling to have girls asking to sit with you on the bus rides. I can tell that some of them really do look up to me. Because of that, I try very hard to set a positive example for the girls. In an interview with Karen, she talked about how important it is for the girls to know they are important to you. On this past Thursday's bus ride, I reading a book and occasionally responded with "yeahs" and "uh huhs" to the girl I was sitting with, but after talking to Karen about the importance of letting the girls know how much they mean to you and giving them your full attention, I'm going to put the book away on the next field trip day. In my last post I quoted the book I read during my researching by saying "Be amazed at what powerful teachers little girls can be." With this project, I really feel that I am going to get out of it, what I put into it. Paying attention to what the girls say on the bus rides only has the power to teach me more about my topic and myself.

     I can certainly tell which young ladies don't get as much attention at home as others. It very well could just be their personality, but I am willing to bet that the girls who are constantly prying for my attention and begging for compliments may not be getting as much attention as the other girls from their parents. Before this experience I would have blamed that simply on the parents not caring. But after talking with Karen and getting to know the parents and the girls' stories a little bit better, in the majority of cases, the girls are not getting as much attention because their parent(s) is/are busy working and can't spend a lot of time with them. So at first, the constant need for attention seemed annoying, but now, it is understandable. I'm starting to realize that seeing situations through other perspectives is very important. I'm being more reserved in making judgments, and I think that will really help me in the future.

This young camper sure knows how to use her imagination!

     We got back to Girls Inc after leaving the beach early, and a flood of girls came to me for ice packs! Six girls in one hour! Can you believe it? That's a little ridiculous if you ask me. But once one girl gets hurt, magically, they all seem to get hurt. The rest of the day went fairly well and concluded with Madagascar 3. I forgot the simplicity of children's movies. It was actually quite enjoyable to watch. My day ended, and I fell asleep surprisingly early around 9:00 PM. I would need the extra rest for what was in store on the next day.

    I got back to Girls Inc around eight the next morning and started making a bead pet. I hadn't made a bead pet in probably ten years! That probably explains why I couldn’t remember how to make arms and legs. After a battle all day with the bead pets, I ended up with two complete. The legs and arm, well, they are a work in progress. Today at camp we were celebrating world cultures by learning facts about various nations like Mexico, China, Italy, Scotland, and India. We also were sampling a variety of different foods from the countries that were represented. I was working with the youngest age group of girls. Since my first day at camp, I had been noticing one particular camper whose attitude was not the greatest. Today didn't start off a good day for her.

My interview with the Girls Inc. Girl of the Year

    We were walking the kids over to the public library to do research on their countries, but she was persistent about wanting to wear her beach towel like a cape around her neck. When we told her that she had to take it off, her reply was simple: "I'm not going." It took a lot of convincing but she finally agreed to go. But she sure wasn't happy about it, and made that very clear to us. We got to the library after a short walk in the rain, and it is closed (figures, right?), so we start the march back. Everything was going fine until an hour later when I went to use the bathroom. I walked and heard crying. Then in a stall I see yellow flip flops with tiny feet in them. I call this camper out of the bathroom and try to get to the bottom of why she is upset. Eventually I was able to determine that because she had a bad morning, she knew we were going to give her dad a bad report when he picked her up so she was angry. Thinking on my feet, I sat down with her and talked to her about how turning her day around now would make her report better at the end of the day. We talked a lot about making the most in a bad situation. My parents have told me that countless time, but when did I ever think I would be using their words to give someone else advice? Once she finally emerged from the bathroom, she didn't have another problem the whole day.

     I was able to sit down with Karen and interview her for the research process for my project. We talked about different situations girls are in and how it affects their mindset. This particular girl with the towel who was crying in the bathroom has a mindset that she is a bad kid. She doesn't even try to make the right choice because she thinks whatever she does is going to be wrong. People like Karen have a very large impact on girls like this. By using positive reinforcement, the color system, and her non-judgmental approach, Karen is able to break down the walls these girls have built. As the day wrapped up, this camper’s step-mom came to pick her up from camp. She met with Karen, and I’m not sure how what kind of report this little girl was given for the day, but she came up and gave me a hug, saying that she loved me and hoped I had a good weekend. Little things like that have the power to make all the frustration and aggravation worth it. That simple hug made up for all the stress she had caused me that day.

Holy Banana-Rama!

Day One: Complete!

     On my first day at Girls Inc. we went on a field trip to a state park where we spent the day swimming in a lake. When I first got to Girls Inc. in the morning, I was a little intimidated. I didn't know any of the campers or the counselors. It felt a little bit like my first day of school back in first grade. I walked into the gym and just kind of stood there. (Awkward, I know!) But within a short 30 seconds, another counselor had already befriended me and we were hula hooping with the girls. The Girls Inc summer camp has girls ranging from 6 years old to 17 years old. It is weird to think about how some of the girls at the camp are my age, however, you can tell that the older girls definitely have more responsibility than the younger ones. Anyways, by the time we were ready to get on the bus and leave for the beach, I already had girls asking to sit with me on the bus! My sister, who has previously worked at Girls Inc, told me that there were definitely going to be girls who were more receptive to unfamiliar faces than others, and she wasn't kidding. With my first two days complete, there are still girls that haven't talked to me, but there are also girls who I feel have attached themself to me by the hip! Certain campers are always trying to hold your hand or trying to get a hug. Though it is very cute, it gets annoying kind of quickly. In the expectations for student learning discussed in my proposal, adaptability was a big thing I wanted to improve upon. I think that this experience has already made me become a lot more patience with children and started to make me "go with the flow" a little more rather than following a strict schedule. That is one thing I admire about my mentor; she doesn't let the little things throw her off. I tend to get annoyed fairly easily and am short tempered. Karen makes me realize that even with 32 girls in your face screaming, you can remain calm and still function without yelling and losing your cool.

     I sat on the bus on the way to and from the beach reading my book for my research, while jotting down notes. I not only was taking notes about what I was reading, but also on things I heard Karen and the other girls saying. One important thing that stood out to me in my book  was the message of the "box" most teenage girls find themselves in at one point of another: "The message of the girl box is to do more, be more, give more--because you are never good enough, never pretty enough, never smart enough, never sexy enough, never enough." This quote got me thinking about the potential that all of the girls in camp have. What if none of them we forced into this mental box? Life could be so much simpler if we along with our peers didn't put so much pressure on us to be perfect. I know that in my life, the message of the box has been the cause of tons of stress and anxiety. Think about how much more productive I could have been if I hadn't allowed myself to fall into the box. This summer, I want to help the girls at Girls Inc. feel good about themselves so they can avoid falling into the box like I did.

Day Two:

     "Holy Banana-Rama!" That’s what one camper said to me to describe a fairly insignificant event that had just taken place. The girls tend to exaggerate a lot of things. One girl pointing out that she is 8 to a girl that is only 7 years old turns quickly into "so and so hates me because I'm younger than her and they were making fun of me for it." Little fights like this leave me saying "Holy Banana-Rama" at the end of my day as I walk to my car. The girls certainly have a lot of energy and know how to wear me out! It's only 8:45 PM and I'm ready for bed! Today we did a lot of small group activities at camp, consisting of everything from making squawking chickens out of plastic cups and sponges  and playing in the hose outside, to creating cheers about this week’s theme of "Strong, Smart, and Bold." Although the majority of activities don't directly talk about the mission of Girls Inc, they all force the girls too interact with each other and work on skills like listening, teamwork, and helpfulness. Most of the girls probably see camp as a fun place where they get to hang out with friends all day, but unknown to them, Karen and the other staff are teaching them valuable life skills.

    We had a long talk today at camp about the seven colors you can earn in a week at Girls Inc. A color is earned for displaying good character in areas like respectfulness, responsibility, honesty, attitude, ect. However the in order to earn the color orange, the campers have to do something special: a personal challenge. Early on in the week they need to approach their counselor with something they want to learn. If they can do it by Friday, they earn their color (and the added bonus of CONFIDENCE!) For example, a camper could set their goal as tying their shoes if they did not already know how. Small victories like learning to tie your shoes on your own and positive reinforcement for those are great confidence builders.
     I can tell that some girls are really starting to see me as a role model. When one girl was getting picked up by her mother today, she ran up to me and gave me a big hug saying how she was sad she wouldn’t get to see me next week because she was going to a difference camp. It made me feel good knowing that in two short days, I was able to develop such a strong bond with a camper.
     In the time I have been at Girls Inc. so far, the staff has all been great! My project is all based around having positive role models. I can tell that all of the campers look up to their counselors and to Karen. Girls Inc. has small rules for the staff, like not wearing two piece bathing suits, that actually can make a bigger impact than initially imaginable. If the girls see their counselors (role models) wearing sport-cut, one piece swimwear, less importance will be places on physical beauty in their minds. So, although I did get a little annoyed having to buy a one piece bathing suit, I totally can see how it is worth it. Being a positive role model for the girls is very important, and so far in my two days I have tried my best to learn from the counselors and Karen about displaying a positive image for the young ladies. I have also learned a lot from the campers. On this journey, it is important for me to remember to, as stated in the book I am reading for research, "Be amazed at what powerful teachers little girls can be." I am learning a lot from this experience about myself and my own self-esteem and confidence. How can I be a good teacher for them, if I am not confident in myself? I am addressing some of my own issues in order to be better for them. So far, this has been a great experience, and I'm sure the best is yet to come!

Winning the Battle One Girl at a Time

     My name is Suzanne Barry, and I am going to be a senior in high school this fall. Like many high schools across the country, my school requires a final seminar type of credit for all seniors. Ours consists of a large project. This kind of sounds like it wouldn't be too fun, right? 35 hours of research, 35 hours of service, and countless other requirements...Well, it surprisingly isn't that bad. The project is extremely open-ended; you can basically choose any topic you can think of to base your project around. But that didn't necessarily make it easy for me to decide. I had thousands of ideas running through my head. Finally, I was able to focus in on something that I feel had a very significant impact on my life thus far: Self-Esteem and Confidence. I remember countless times when I came home from school crying because I had been made fun of due to my appearance or because I idolized athletes rather than supermodels. I wasn't your typical girl. I would have rather played with a basketball than a Barbie doll, and it took me until recently to realize that it was okay to be that way. For my project, I really wanted to look at what caused me and other girls like me to lack self-esteem and confidence. For my community service aspect, I knew just where to go.
     Karen, my mentor, has been working with kids for many years through Girls Inc. and the city's Recreation Department. Immediately upon my expression of interest in helping out at her Girls Inc. Summer Camp, Karen has taken me under her wing to help me make my project special and impactful not only in my life, but in the lives of the girls she sees on a daily basis. In my proposal for my project, I talked a lot about "winning the battle one girl at a time." Confidence is a tricky concept to address and measure an impact, but if I can make a difference to one girl I meet this summer and be a positive role model to her, I will feel as if my project was worthwhile.



The motto of Girls Inc. is to empower young girls to reach their full
potential by being strong, smart, and bold.



   So all summer starting on June 21, I will be volunteering at Girls Inc. on Thursdays and Fridays. Thursdays are field trip days, so it looks like I will be making a lot of trips to the beach. And as for Fridays, I will be helping organize "camp activities!" I will also being doing a lot of research hoping to answer the question of "how does having a positive role model impact the self-esteem of young girls?" You can expect to see posts from me up on here every weekend so that all of my wonderful readers can follow me on my journey to win the battle one girl at a time.