Body Image

I thought that today went very well with the girls. Our topic was body image. We discussed what the girls thought this meant. We also talked about girls in magazines and on TV and how it made them feel. They talked a lot about how they wanted to be like the girls that they saw in these places and how it lowered their self-esteem when they saw them. But we discussed about how what they're seeing isn't always as glamorous as it appears since lots of things are done by computer. And the girls were very positive in saying that our image inside is more important and that we should look for the positive things about ourselves. They made cards to hang in their lockers that said something positive about themselves so that they are always reminded. This is a hard issue to deal with sometimes. I remember being the same way when I was younger. I have finally learned that the most important thing is feeling good about yourself on the inside. I think a lot of the girls are already starting to realize this. We made a collage from magazines of positive things on one side and negative on the other. They were able to put the things that they really liked and made them feel good on one side, and on the other they put the things that didn't make them feel as good. These were important exercises for the girls because so many girls deal with this topic. I think it will really help them to feel better about themselves.

What do you do well?

Today was my second day mentoring at Westside. Overall, it went pretty well. We did some activities to get to know each other better. Everyone had to say something they were good at and then introduce someone else and tell something about that person. We also had journal time and they wrote about something good that happened to them that week, something that went bad for them that week, something they were looking forward to, and an act of kindness they did. This went really well and everyone was excited to share stories about themselves. The girls were very hyper today though. We had to give them a couple warnings and take a star away because they were disrespectful. This is something that we will need to work on in the future. I feel like we are really starting to connect with the girls. I'm excited to meet with them again.

First Day

Yesterday was my first day with the girls. Clare and I met the program leaders at their office and then one of them came with us to Westside. I was nervous to meet everyone and see how everything went. But I think it went pretty well the first day. We played games so the girls could get to know each other better and they decorated their journals that they will be writing in every week. It was fun to meet the different kind of girls that were there. I think this experience will be good for them, but also for me. I'm excited to see how everything goes.

Orientation

On Monday night I attended my orientation for the Empowerment of Girls program. I wasn't sure what to expect or exactly what I would be doing as a mentor. In the meeting we went over the mission of YWCA and the roles of the mentors. This gave me a little better understanding of everything. I signed up for mentoring at Westside Elementary on Tuesdays. They told me the program started the next day so I agreed to go with. I was a little nervous at first but also excited. I went home and told my roommate about it and she decided she wanted to come with me too. This made me happy because so far I was the only mentor at that school.