Press Release

May 19, 2015Contact:Jillianne Crescenzi (410-313-7970) or jillianne.crescenzi@hclibrary.org

Location: Central Branch of the Howard County Library System

Girl power!If you're between the ages of 9-12, come discover your inner power and power up your self esteem with fun, girl-fueled activities like Girl Power Trivia, Stereo-type Smack-down, and decorate your own super-hero cape and mask.

Did you know? Self esteem for girls peaks at age 9, then begins to decrease.

Over 40% of girls 1st-3rd grade want to be thinner.

By age 10, 80% of children are worried about how they look, and almost 50% of them want to diet.

Teen girls are TWICE as likely to be depressed as teen boys.

Studies have shown that girls have the aptitude for STEM subjects, but lack the self confidence. Lack of self confidence affects how girls learn, perform, and make decisions. Which is why women only represent 25% of STEM careers.

EMPOWER GIRLS. CHANGE THE WORLD. This class is offered once for tween girls between ages 9-12 for 45 minutes.Registration is required and will be limited to 20 participants. For more information, call 410.313.7970 or visit www.hclibrary.orgVisit our facebook page for announcements about this class and other great events at the library!(To be printed in Source (HCLS's quarterly print catalog of classes and events), posted on the HCLS website, HCLS Twitter Facebook pages, and advertised through a flier at branch.) This program is scheduled at the HCLS' Central Branch in August. Girl Powered Mission: Howard County Library System is committed to providing education and enhancing quality of life, which is the specific goal of this class for tween girls. Through open-ended discussion, fun activities, and a little bit of STEM, I hope the girls leave the program feeling like superheroes- ready to conquer their dreams. The need for the program: Starting around age nine, self esteem in girls begins to wane. There are many reasons why this happens, including, but not limited to, media, hormones and body image, and peer pressure. Poor self esteem can have a tremendous affect on academic confidence and performance, which can later have an influence on career choice, where women are already underrepresented in the STEM field. Therefore it is important to build girls self esteems through activities that empower them. Since the 2015 Summer Reading Theme is Superheroes, my program attempts to empower girls through superhero themed team builders, activities, and discussion on past and present real-life superheroes that promote higher self confidence in tween girls.PR: Girl Powered will be advertised in HCLS' quarterly catalog The Source, HCLS' online calendar, Facebook and Twitter pages, a flyer produced by the PR department and displayed at my branch, and through my branch's children's calendar. Potential Community Partners: American Association of University Women, Womens League of Voters, Howard County Public Schools System, and Homeschool networks. Steps necessary for setting up the event:

Will need a meeting space with tables and chair..

Room will be decorated with pictures and quotes from/about heroic women, white board will be filled with positive describing words and phrases (to be later used for craft), book--fiction and nonfiction--promoting self-confidence and personal growth will be displayed around the room as well.

Will need cd player, cds, laptop, projector, and speakers.

Hope to receive donations of solid color fabric gently used sheets for craft.

Supplies: Superhero capes and masks, paint markers, 2014 leftover SRC journals, and pencils.How you will evaluate it: Written and verbal customer feedback.Lesson Plan: Self Description ice-breaker: In five words, describe yourself using creative adjectives unrelated to physical appearance.

Stereo-type Smack-down: Girls name and address common stereotypes and negative images of girls, including negative behaviors girls have towards each other such as gossiping, have them toss into trashcan using a home-made catapult.

Discussion on qualities and imperfections of well-known superheroes and what makes them heroic, transitioning into a discussion on real-life female superheroes, or role models, and their own heroic qualities.

Craft: Decorate masks and capes that include a super-hero slogan of their own (e.g., intelligence IS a super power or I DO run like a girl!) and filling one side of their cape with great qualities they possess and the other side with qualities/goals they hope to gain or strengthen. Group picture in masks and capes.

Importance of journaling discussion and hand-out journals to take home.There will be a follow up 6 class series in the fall that offers the following: 1. i-Power: Learning about what self-esteem is and things that affect it.

2. Word power: Words that build up self-esteem and words that can destroy it.

3. Body Power: How to living healthy and have a healthy body image.

4. STEMpower: Speaker and stem-related activities.

5. M-Power- Story board Me Commercial.

6. Filming and family viewing of Me commercial. Press Release