PROJECTS
1
Introduction
The program began by conducting a survey to understand the demographics and needs of the teenagers we were going to work with. After several ice breakers, we introduced the program to help address the goals of the girls. We concluded by showing the "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are" Ted Talk to discuss the value of self-respect and how that relates to building up confidence.
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4
Humanities & STEM
Female minorities are often underrepresented in STEM fields; we wanted to potentially lessen this disparity by exposing the girls to the various types of fields avaliable to them. We took the group to Balboa Park to explore exciting discoveries in science as well as humanities. We began by visiting the Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum and there the girls discovered the use of technology within science, the effects of climate change and other man-made and natural phenomena. After, we toured the Balboa botonical gardens and explored careers in natural history and photography.
2
Education Week
All of the girls are first generation college students with minimal to no support to pursue higher education. With this in mind, we toured University of California San Diego and attended a student panel. A large concern was the cost of college and afterwards we had a financial fitness class and discussed the viability of financial aid. Following UCSD, we toured California State University San Marcos and had an empowering discussion about overcoming personal obstacles to achieve the dream of attending college. We asked Aida Camacho, a GATES Millenium Scholar, to speak to the girls and relate the challenges she faced and how she overcame that to become the first in her family to go to college.
5
Environmental
Conservation
At the Birch Aquarium, the girls gained a first-hand perspective of seeing how pollutants and trash affect underwater species. They got to put their knowledge to the test by partaking in a beach cleanup at Mission Beach. After an hour and two full bags later, they understood the importance of preventing litter and pollution as well as the need to protect the environment. However, we wanted to stress how environmental prevention needs to start at home. We went on a nature hike nearby their homes so the girls could see how their actions would directly affect their community and its biodiversity.
3
Cultural Exposure
Cultivating interest in international events and other cultures is a crucial part of becoming a worldly individual. We wanted the girls to learn the customs of other nations and began by exploring the biggest part of a culture: its food. Along with discussing the differences in European culture, we taught the girls how to prepare French Crêpes and Italian Meatballs. We moved on to discovering facets of other ethnicities such as the use of henna in the Indian and Arabic culture. While the girls drew henna designs, we discussed different cultural beauty standards and the beliefs held in Arabic/Indian cultures compared and contrasted to American ideals.
6
Envisioning the Future
The six-week program concluded with discussions of the girls' main goals and how they planned on achieving it. Coincidentally, the last day of the program was also their first day of school, so we discussed how doing well in school can significantly help to achieve their dreams. Ultimately, our goal was to inspire the girls we met to dream higher and aim to rise above their circumstances.