Project Exploration Blog

Manager of Girls Programs, Jameela Jafri, welcomes everyone to Girls' Health and Science Day

What do 86 girls from six Chicago Public Schools have in common? They all were able to interact in a day that was fully dedicated to learning more about their bodies, self-esteem, relationships, and health. Thursday, March 25th marked the ten-year anniversary of a great conference for 7-10th grade girls to gather together in a safe space to learn and ask those uncomfortable questions that they normally would be embarrassed to. While the girls participated in sessions learning about self-defense, health, and reproduction; their teachers were involved in a professional development workshop on how to address the needs of their female students.

The day officially began with a rousing welcome from Mama Brenda Matthews of  Imani Nia ministries. She delivered a wake up call to all the girls questioning the music that they listened to everyday. In an original poem, Mama Brenda recited lyrics from several popular rap songs where demoralizing women was a standard.  She then made each girl make a promise to treat themselves and each other like the queens they truly are. After the morning welcome concluded, the girls were separated into five groups and group leaders departed for the adult track.

While the girls would spend their day learning more about themselves the adults really got a chance to focus on how to better serve the girls. The adult track sessions were facilitated by independent consultant, Jessica Palmert. After allowing attendees a few moments to focus on Mama Brenda’s moving welcome, Jessica introduced Eva Ball from Rape Victims Advocates as the morning presenter. Eva began by educating everyone on the difference between sexual assault and sexual abuse; and the startling statistic that 1 in 3 girls are a victim of sexual assault by the age of 18. Her main focus on the day was how young girls self-image, self-esteem, and the role the media played in this development.

Eva Ball from Rape Victims Advocates leading a discussion on sexual assault.

Participants viewed a clip from the 2006 documentary Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture where four pre-teen girls spent two hours to put on make-up and curl their hair for an afternoon at the mall. After the clips were viewed many participants marveled on the emphasis that the media played on broadcasting overly sexualized women in entertainment and how that related to larger issues of anorexia among girls.

After lunch, Vivian Barrett from the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health (ICAH), would discuss how to implement sexual education inside the classroom. Vivian provided tons of resources for participants on where to procure information to better talk to youth about sex and how to practice safe sex. One of the hands-on activities presented was a timeline starting from birth and ending at 18 years old. Each attendee was given a description of sexual development and had to place along the timeline where in the child’s life this would occur. It really surprised several people that empathy for others did not develop in students until about 18 years of age. This really helped everyone understand how to better tailor these difficult questions to where their students were developmentally.

Girls excitedly look through their gift bags at the end of the day.

At the end of the day, the girls and adults regrouped for a question and answer panel facilitated by the University of Chicago Medical Center. Before leaving all participants received gift bags with resources that would help to them continue their conversations from the day. The information that was given was invaluable for so many people and will hopefully change the lives of all for the better.