Join us for our
Holiday Celebration on Friday,
DECEMBER 4th!
Time:
5 PM - 7PM
Location:
Eastside College
Preparatory School
1041 Myrtle Avenue
East Palo Alto, CA. 94303
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Shapin' with Sunita!
We thank all those who participated in the "Shapin' with Sunita" event held on October 18, 2009 at the Foster City Recreation Center. A very speical thanks to Sunita Goldstein for organizing and delivering a very fun event. The event
was a huge
success! Proceeds from the event will benefit our photography project.
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"I am an example of what is possible when girls from the very beginning of their lives are loved and nurtured by people around them."
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* Educational computer games
* A seven passanger van.
Please consider making a donation. Thank you!
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Girls to Women
P.O. Box 50368
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone: 650-326-6431
Fax: 650-566-8553
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Welcome to the first issue of the Girls To Women newsletter! This newsletter is designed to keep you informed and connected with the latest news, events, and people at Girls to Women. We hope you enjoy!
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Summer program participants and interns learn while having fun
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![Chabot]() From growing flowers and vegetables, producing plays for Family Nights, swimming at the local YMCA, finding books to read at the East Palo Alto Library, to taking field trips to the beach and the Chabot Space & Science Center, the girls at the Girls to Women Summer Program had a busy schedule and they loved it.
Marquisa Hawkins, Program Director at Girls To Women, explains that the six-week summer program is an extension of the after-school program that provides physical activity through morning stretches and outside games, an hour of learning time, breakfast, lunch, snack time, various projects and field trips. This past summer each week had a theme allowing the girls to learn about different cultures, and different national holidays and events.
During the 2009 Summer Session the Girls to Women program was at capacity with 31 girls in attendance. This Summer Session continued its tradition of hiring high school and college students as interns, most of which have participated in another all girl program directed by Patricia Foster, Founder of Girls To Women. The interns took on leadership roles and were expected to be punctual, consistent, patient, precise, and active participants. They were provided with stipends for their participation as interns.
Yecica Urena, an 11th grader was delighted when she was offered the opportunity to be an intern. When reflecting on her experience Yecica says that it helped her grow in leadership. A leadership which she continues to develop today as Resident Advisor (RA) at her dormitory at Eastside.
Yesenia Guizar has done the intern program for two summers. She was honored by the responsibility that was placed upon her by the staff who believed in her ability to grow as a leader. Yesenia describes what the opportunity meant to her, she says, "They gave me the opportunity to have responsibility at such an early age. I realized that I can be really responsible and that all the other girls could look up to me. It was a really good feeling."
The Girls To Women summer program allows the girls, both interns and non-interns, to continue to challenge themselves academically, culturally and physically. They are able to gain valuable skills; all while spending time under the sun and having fun.
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Monique: An Effective Role Model
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![Monique]()
"Ms. Monique, I need help with my homework! Ms. Monique, can you come with me to play ball outside?" Constant requests are directed toward Monique Ellis as she calmly walks around the Girls To Women main room getting all of the girls situated for the day. With a smile on her face and with laughter on the horizon Monique explains that it is "homework time" and that going outside to play will be done once all homework is completed. As usual Monique sits down with one of the girls to help with the homework of the day.
Monique started working at Girls To Women during the summer of 2008 where she has become a valuable resource to the girls and staff. As an African-American attending predominately white schools in Palo Alto, Monique felt the scarcity of positive role models from cultural backgrounds like hers. By working with Girls To Women, she explains, "I'm able to provide younger girls of color with what I didn't have -- a positive, culturally-reflective role-model."
Monique attends Cañada College and intends to get her A.A. Degree in History before transferring to a 4-year college. Monique says she is fortunate to be able to balance school and work at Girls To Women, and that she appreciates the support of the Girls To Women organization.
![Monique]()
The Girls to Women participants are thankful to Monique. When asked what she appreciated most about her, Karina Cervantes said, "She helps me by not telling me the answers, by helping me with my homework and art projects. She's nice!"
For girls like Karina, Monique's individual attention and guidance can mean the world. That is why each day Karina and the other girls will continue to turn to Monique for help . . . and why Monique will continue helping the girls with that caring smile which she always seems to have.
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Eastside students volunteer to give back
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![Community Service]()
It is 3:30pm and the girls at Girls to Women are seated prepared to do homework. Marquisa Hawkins, Girls To Women Program Director, stands at the pin-board and calls off the names of the Eastside College Preparatory volunteers and the names of Girls To Women participants they are assigned to. Eastside volunteers are often greeted with hugs and hand-holding from the eager girls who look forward to their time with the volunteers.
"Our girls are able to connect with a group of volunteers, who are from similar backgrounds from their own community and who have gone to the same schools. The volunteers are motivated and serve as role models to participants. They help boost self-esteem and confidence. The volunteers also spark an interest in wanting to give back," said Marquisa about what the girls are able to learn from Eastside volunteers.
Since the fall of 2008, from Monday to Thursday a group of Eastside women students spend an hour tutoring the girls one-on-one. Yesenia Guizar and Yecica Urena, Eastside seniors, started the Eastside community service program for Girls To Women. The Eastside students volunteers tutor girls while also reinforcing their own academic skills by explaining concepts.
![Eastside Volunteer]() Yesenia said she volunteers because, "G2W helped me out so much throughout my whole life. I needed to try to find a way to give back at least a little bit of what G2W gave me."
Yesenia has known Girls To Women Founder and Executive Director Patricia Foster since she was six years old and over the years they have developed a strong mentorship/mentee relationship. Yesenia remembers Patricia's support while applying to Eastside. Although hesitant at first, Yesenia agreed to apply and is thankful for this: "I owe a lot to Ms. Foster. She told me that I had to apply to Eastside and I got accepted. I really like Eastside. Now I am going through my college application process and she is encouraging me again. She's like family."
Yecica first got involved with Girls To Women as an intern for the 2008 Summer Program. Yecica remembers tutoring a girl who was having trouble grasping concepts. Although it was challenging, Yecica was determined to find a way that would help the girl. She eventually used a white-board to explain concepts. Yecica says about her experience, "I was trying to find different ways for her to understand her homework. I even stayed longer than I was supposed to in order to help her because I knew she was getting stuff done."
Yesenia and Yecica who are both a part of the student council at Eastside are pioneers in the community service branch of the Eastside student council. Their desire to support a program that helped them has started a cycle of giving back. More than two dozen of Eastside's high-achieving young women now participate each week. Volunteers like Yesenia and Yecica who daily make the short walk from Eastside to Girls To Women are not simply tutoring the girls, but are also teaching them the value of changing communities one girl at a time.
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Hands-on project shows girls the connections between earth, good nutrition, and healthy communities
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![Gardening]()
In October 2008 Girls To Women began its collaboration with Collective Roots, a local urban greening group. Since then, all of the Girls To Women participants have taken part in gardening projects once a week. The girls grow their own vegetables in garden, while they learn about organic gardening and gain environmental awareness. The garden project gives the girls an education in good nutrition. The girls use the vegetables they grow to prepare and enjoy nutritious snacks. The garden project provides a hands-on experience while making the connection from start to finish.
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Birthday celebrations allow g2W girls to appreciate one another
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![Bday Celebration]() For the past year, volunteers from the Christian Women's Group from the First Christian Church of Palo Alto, have partnered with Girls to Women to celebrate birthdays monthly. This September all of the Girls To Women participants sat down in a circle while the three birthday girls sat in the middle. As is customary, each girl in the circle shared one nice comment about each of the birthday girls.
Thanks to our friends from Christian Women's Group, each of the birthday girls received a gift: a book and a gift certificate for a birthday cake. During this birthday celebration, volunteers not only brought cheese and crackers for the girls, but also brought treats including cupcakes for the girls to decorate themselves. The volunteers had a wonderful time with the girls and the girls had a fabulous time decorating their cupcakes. There are some extremely creative artists among our group of young ladies. The celebration wrapped up with everyone singing happy birthday to the birthday girls and then enjoying their cupcakes and snacks! |
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