Activism Log #3

Activism:
This weeks activism was working with St. Matthews Episcopal Church.  On Saturday we played a lot of different activities with the children.  We had children from third grade and up which meant that we had to make sure that the games would not be to hard for the youngest children.  We had mostly girls in the group, but did have a few boys.  Sunday was a more structured event because we were helping the children make Advent chains which would have something for them to do each day before Christmas.  We also brought magazines, which we checked first to make sure there was nothing inappropriate in them, for the children to cut out what they thought was a leader and glue it onto a piece of construction paper.  Everything turned out pretty great and there was not any really issues that could have been approved on.  We had to leave way in the structure because the children could be leaving throughout the time with us on Saturday.  The Advent chains were the most important part that had to get done on Sunday which we were able to do, so really Sunday worked out good too.

Reflection:

The activities we set up for both Saturday and Sunday need both Transactional and Transformational leadership skills to really be able to accomplish the tasks.  The children all did really well at displaying these skills.  The children had to really use their Transactional and Transformational leadership skills when we had them make the decision on whom was going to have what jobs in the obstacle course.  Someone had to use “personal power’ to make sure that a decision was made allowing them “to move forward” (Linden and Fertman 19).  At the same time we wanted the decision to be agreed on by the group which meant that “the participation and contribution of others” was very important (Linden and Fertman 18).  There were many other moments which involved Transformational leadership skills, but that is usually the type of skills needed most often when doing group activities.

Reciprocity:

Both days were great learning experiences.  I have worked with children in many ways, but I have not done anything that was exactly like the two days.  I think my favorite part was just seeing how much fun the children were having and at the same time displaying great leadership skills.  Every experience a person has is an opportunity to learn something new.  It was also interesting to see the members of the group display their different leadership skills, especially when we had to move all the Church Pews back in the correct place at the end of the day on Saturday.  We had to work together to try to make sure that they were all inline correctly.

Word Count: 456
Work Cited:

Linden, Josephine A. Van, and Carl I. Fertman. Youth Leadership: A Gyide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolesents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.

Activism Log #2

Activism:
This past Sunday the group had an event with the Girl Scouts.  The event entailed making bags for Safe House.  We had the girls help us decorate the bags with different designs.  The big success of the event would be that we ended up being able to make a lot of bags.  My main pitfall would be that I got lost getting to Judy's house, but ended up getting there to help finish decorating the bags and spending time with the Girl Scouts.  My group also met on Tuesday to go over the plan for this Saturday which is are big event.

Reflection:
These girls showed that leadership skills are not just in the form of transactional leadership.  This type of work for the community is just as important as doing volunteer work directly with a community organization.  These bags give the women as Safe House a bag full of basic necessities which can be nice after what they have gone through.  The bags also being decorated will hopefully help them in someway.  Showing them that people do care and took their time to draw designs on every bag.  These girls showed that leadership is not just one sided and that many different skills and actions demonstrate leadership skills.  I would love to say that these girls all believe in themselves that they are leaders, but not knowing what each of their understanding is on leadership makes it hard to say that.  Even knowing were each girl stands on their understanding of leadership would still not define how they see themselves.  In the article "Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership" the study found that the biggest problem that girls face with leadership has to do with their "self-perception—a lack of self-confidence in their own skills and competencies" (Schoenberg, Salmond, and Fleshman 7).

Reciprocity:
It was nice to see the Girl Scouts working together to create these bags and when putting the items into the bags.  We formed a line which had each girl putting the product around them into each bag that came by.  I completely believe that girls are capable of working together, but it is amazing actually to see it in person.  I think there is a great possibility that these girls will go onto help the community more in the future.

Word Count:  388
Work Cited:
Schoenberg, Judy, Kimberlee Salmond, and Paula Fleshman. "Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership".  Girl Scouts of the United States of America. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA. 2008. Web. November 17,2011. <http://www.girlscouts.org/research/pdf/change_it_up_executive_summary_english.pdf>

Movie Quiz: Girls Rock!

This movie brought to light some of the issues that we have discussed in this class about the pressures that are put on girls by society.  It was interesting to see how in only a week these girls were able to evolve.  I would not say that they were better people after this week because all these girls are beautiful, but the camp helped them see better the beauty that they have inside themselves.  This camp gave these girls a place were they could be what they wanted and learn what they could do.

In many ways the girls in the movie helped to show that people do not learn the "Stages of Leadership Development" (Linden and Fertman 63), at the same pace.  The girls and women in the movie displayed different stages and how there were some areas at different levels.  For the most part the girls seemed to learn new things about themselves which appeared to build stronger leadership skills.  It is one thing to talk about the affect that society can have on girls when growing up, but watching a girl talk about how she hates herself is heartbreaking.  I think the greatest thing about the movie was at the end when that same girl talked about how she understands that she is amazing.

Word Count: 216
Work Cited:
Linden, Josephine A. Van, and Carl I. Fertman. Youth Leadership: A Gyide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolesents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.

Activism Log #1

Activism:
This past weekend I traveled to Deltona to meet some of the members of the Girl Scout troop that are group  will be working with.  The successes were simply going and having a good meeting with the Girl Scouts.  I think the biggest pitfall this week was mainly that my whole group was not able to make it to meet the girls and that not all of the Girl Scouts from the troop were able to make it.  The other pitfall was that I did not bring a list with me to make sure that everything was covered.  I think next week it will be important to just make sure that everything is in places fo rthe first event witht he Girl Scouts.

Reflection:
This weeks activism very much related to material we have discussed in class because I had direct discussions with the girls that were there.  One of the main things that we discussed was the big event and tried to get the girls to come up with some ideas that they thought would work.  One of the big things we have discussed in class is that we should not be telling girls what they are going to do, but try to give them moments to come up with ideas themselves.  The girls that were there had some good ideas and were really excited for not just the big event but also the two smaller events we are planning.  It was great to see how passianete these girls were to help others.  These girls displayed that they could very much think for them selves when coming up with some affective ideas that could be done at the big event.  "Leadership involves helping people  transcend their own self-interest for the good of the group, organization, or society; consider their longterm needs to develop themselves, rather than their immediate needs; and generally become more aware of what is really important" (Lindon & Fertman 9).

Reciprocity:
I don't know if I nessacerily learned something new or just got my opinions backed up.  I think I believed that girls really could understand what is going on around them, but it was nice the here how these girls see things.  I think it was nice just seeing that these girls had opinions and tried to show support when the girls were have moments of not being as sure about what they were saying.

Word Count: 394
Work Cited:
Linden, Josephine A. Van, and Carl I. Fertman. Youth Leadership: A Gyide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolesents. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998.

Service Learning Proposal for Girl Scouts of America

Service Learning Proposal for Girl Scouts of America

By: Erica H, Ashleigh A, Nichole R, Abi R, Candace T, Jacqui C, Valerie T, Anna S. and Esteffani C.

September 29, 2011

Meredith Tweed

WST4021-0001

Community Partner Profile:

Community Partner: Girl Scouts of the United States of America, Florida Citrus Council, Troop #331

Contact Information:   Judy Williamson, Troop Leader

                                   

Our Community partner for service learning is the Girl Scouts of the USA, particularly Troop #331 of the Florida Citrus Council. They are part of the Florida Citrus council branch of Girl Scouts of the USA. The Girl Scouts program was formed almost a century ago in 1912 by Juliette Low, whose goal was to give girls the opportunity to explore their communities and to get out of the confinements of their homes.  Today there are over two million girls participating in the Girl Scouts, with almost one million adults participating as volunteers. The mission of Girl Scouts is to “…build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” (Girl Scouts of the United States of America). Through the numerous activities that the girls are able to participate in, ranging from field trips to community service, this organization aims to provide girls with the tools to develop themselves both socially and individually.

           

The organization gets their funding from an array of partners. These partners include individuals, corporations and government entities.  GSUSA acknowledges that girls have constantly changing needs. As a non-profit organization, the necessities in order to continue with their goals are to continue receiving funding and showing the world that they are making a difference in the lives of girls everywhere.

Second-Level Community Partner: SafeHouse of Seminole County

SafeHouse of Seminole is a shelter that provides a secure environment for women and children who have fallen victim to domestic violence. SafeHouse currently provides a variety of counseling and outreach programs for women coping with the trauma that domestic violence causes. SafeHouse also gives access to an emergency shelter, crisis hotline, and court advocacy for those who need it.

           

As the percentage of women who experience domestic violence continues to climb over 20%, establishments like SafeHouse have become a vital part of our society. SafeHouse not only operates to provide basic needs for the women and children at the shelter, but they also work in uplifting ways, such as hosting move nights and haunted houses.

           

Proposal:

Need for Action/Volunteerism

Girl Scouts of the USA Troop #331 needs assistance in planning and carrying out activities and events for community service. This includes not only smaller-scale service day activities for the girls in Troop #331, but also a larger-scale day of service for the entire Rainbow Lakes unit of Girl Scouts which Troop #331 belongs to. These service days must be appropriate for the age group of the girls, as well as addressing a specific community need, while also staying true to the fun spirit of the Girl Scouts.

           

Many women who are seeking refuge at SafeHouse do so without any material possessions, as well as a lack of resources to provide themselves with items such as hygiene projects. Similarly, the organization needs volunteers in assisting with gardening and other maintenance services.

Plan of Action Proposal:

We have several plans to help the girls understand the influence they can have on their community.  One of the events we are planning will be with the SafeHouse of Seminole. We will be doing direct service by performing any service needed by the organization. We are also going to be doing indirect service by making bags which will contain personal hygiene products. This will help the girls to understand that both indirect and direct service with organizations can be beneficial to themselves as well as the community on the whole.

The second, larger event is still in the planning stages. The tentative plan is to have a “Fun Day” that will join the girls from YWLP and the Rainbow Lakes Girl Scouts unit together to help the girls develop leadership. During this event, the Girl Scouts will collect cans and non perishable items to donate to a non-profit organization, and also participate in Fun Day activities at a local skating rink (or similar location). Each troop will be responsible for creating or bringing something to the event, such as a holiday basket for donation.

Rationale

Working with the Girl Scouts definitely relates to our Girls and Leadership class.  It will be helpful to see what stage these girls are each in on the Stages of Leadership Development.  More than likely they will fit into either stage one or stage two.  Trying to help these girls develop stronger leadership skills while in the process of helping the girls have a more internal locus of control is really what I hope the girls get out of the events we are going to do.  I hope also to learn new from this experience because everything a person does in life can teach them something.  "Leadership is a social process: it happens among people" (Linden and Fertman 46).

Action Steps Taken Thus Far

Our team member Jacqui has already contacted Judy and Tracy, the GSUSA troop leaders regarding our interest in volunteering with their troops this semester. We have presented them with all of our possible volunteer opportunities, which they have confirmed their interest in. We are currently working out definite dates. We are making plans to contact several companies to solicit donations of sample products.  Erica has already acquired one case of face wash for these bags.

Each group member is responsible for an equal share of their time and work in order to accomplish both of these goals. We hope that each member of our team will be able to attend all of the events, but each member is required to help plan and coordinate at least one event.

Timeline for Action

October 1: Contact Judy Williamson with proposed dates

October 9: Possible meet and greet with Troop 331

October 29: Fun Day event

TBD: Volunteer Day at SafeHouse

TBD: Troop 331 event - Making care packages to be donated (Saturday in October)

Disclaimer: All dates are subject to change depending on the availability of Troop 331 and the approval of Troop leader, Judy Williamson.

Work Cited


Girl Scouts of the United States of America. Who We Are. 2011. 28 September 2011.
<http://www.girlscouts.org/who_we_are/> GSUSA. 2010 Annual Report. Annual Report. New York: Girl Scouts of the USA. 2010.


Linden, Josephine A. van, and Carl L. Fertman. Youth Leadership: A Guide to Understanding Leadership Development in Adolescents. California: Jossey-Bass Inc., 1998. Print

Word Count: 1075

Girls and Leadership Introductory Letter

I am from the Central Florida area or more pacifically Narcoossee.  Narcoossee is located in Osceola County which is the county right below Orange County.  I am getting my minor in Women Studies.  I got my AA from Tallahassee Community College and went a year at Florida State University before coming to University of Central Florida. I am a psychology major and want to be a child psychologist.  I am a senior, but I do not know for sure when I will graduate.  

 There are many reasons I am interested in girls and leadership, but probably the most prominent reason would be because I want to be a child psychologist.  This class will add to the foundation I already have for boys, girls, and children in general.  I have for as long as I can remember always been more of a leader and never had a problem taking charge, but I remember seeing many girls when growing up that did not use the skills they had.  I think this is another reason why I am interested in girls and leadership because I want to know if there is a reason that some girls have a harder time being leaders or using leadership skills.  I of course have ideas about why this might be, but they are just speculation made from my existing knowledge base.

 I think girls study is about understand who girls are, what they go though, what disadvantages they may have, what they have accomplished, understanding what kind of power they may or may not have, and really so much more.  It is like trying to describe women studies in a few words without leaving anything out.  Girls studies could also be understanding how race, age, ethnicity, religion, and what country they live in have an affect on who they are and what challenges they may face in life.  I could probably make a long list of what could possibly fall under girls studies, but I think those are some of they bigger things.  I would say that the biggest difference among girls studies and women studies would have to be the age that is looked at for girls studies.  There will be a range with girls studies, but women studies would include all ages.

The main thing I would like to learn about girls and leadership is just a better understanding of what girls views on leadership actually are and to know if they are getting opportunities to implement the leadership skills that they have.  I think in general everything I learn from this class will be beneficial and help to expand my understanding on not just girls but people as a whole.