Getting Girls Star Star-ted

You’ve learned something about Girls Star and want to learn more. You’re wondering how to get a group started at your school. Here are some ideas and steps to take…

Our information packet is a good place to start learning about our organization. You can also call one of women who facilitate groups, a teen mentor or a younger girl who has participated in the program to get additional information. We have written a book that describes our groups and what we have learned from the girls. Girls Star: Building Confidence, Courage and Community in Adolescent Girls, is available for purchase or on loan.

Administrative approval for the program is needed. Girls Star will attend a meeting of interested school personnel including administrators, teachers, guidance counselors and other staff. At this meeting we will describe our program and answer any questions.

One decision that needs to be addressed after learning about the programs is when to meet. Girls Star groups can be held during school if schedules permit, or after school. There are advantages and disadvantages to either model of delivery that we will discuss. When using the typical class period at school, it is advisable to schedule meetings, activities or events after school a couple of times each year in order to give the girls more time to have a deeper experience of community and bonding.

Schools will pay Girls Star for training and consultation in the program’s start-up year. At least two, but preferably three, women from the school who want to facilitate the Girls Star programs will be trained in the structured Girls Star model. This model has been refined and evaluated for the past nine years of delivery. It has been designed with education and prevention as goals; girls learn important problem solving, coping and life skills. Within the structure there is room for creativity and for group experience to be adapted to situations and needs of the specific group.

A senior Girls Star facilitator will be available for ongoing consultation to facilitators trained from the school. Once the formal training is completed, recruiting and training of the older teen mentors can begin. Girls Star provides a comprehensive, step-by-step training manual, as well as other support materials for all Girls Star groups and programs.

What makes Girls Star unique as a mentoring program is how the older girls help co-create and co-lead the group with the adult facilitators. It takes longer to get our programs started, however, the time invested pays off beautifully…just ask the girls!