BlackGurl Inc. support group sessions are typically 10 – 12 weeks. The programs take place during the school year and recently we have done several summer programs. Sessions are 60 – 120 minutes in duration, which allow enough time for participants to engage in all aspects of the sessions. 

Below are the variety of workshops available at BlackGurl Inc. For more information on any of the workshops, please contact us at info@blackgurlinc.org.

Support Groups
Participants had an opportunity to discuss and examine topics relevant to their daily lives while building positive peer support in a safe environment. Participants met for 10 – 14 weeks for 60 minutes with an established agenda of topics usually selected by the participants. The groups were concluded with a “graduation” and certificate of participation given to those who completed at least 80% of the sessions. Surveys were used to assess the program’s impact.

Workshops

Self Esteem
Participates were encouraged to re-examine their self-evaluations and to learn how to feel good about themselves through discussions, role-play, literature and music. Healthy self-esteem was defined, explored, and discussed during these sessions. The sessions also taught girls and young women how to analyze media images of African-American women and the impact that it has on self-esteem. These sessions helped girls and young women look at themselves less critically and to embrace their uniqueness.

Sisterhood
Participants learned the value of sisterhood and unity among girls and young women by establishing how African-American sisterhood has been the cornerstone to their survival as women. This session was designed to explore relationships between women and identify the characteristic of healthy female relationships. Self-love was examined and discussed as a key ingredient to the development of true sisterhood.

Sexuality
Participants were taught to realize within comprehensive sessions the importance of understanding their sexual reproductive system and offered positive information about sexuality. Discussions focused on the way society and culture impact sexual behavior. This session defined and discussed STD/STI’s with particular emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention. A pre/post assessment was provided for these sessions.

Social Activism
This workshop defined and discussed social activism and political involvement. Participants explored major movements Civil Rights, Feminist, Gay Rights, Political Ideologies and their impact on modern society. Young women face race, gender and class discrimination on a daily basis and these workshop have empowered them to change their world through non-violent resistance. Participants were also encouraged to consider leadership positions in school government, athletics, organized social clubs and even a future career in politics.

Safety
This workshop demonstrated the importance of critical and quick thinking in keeping one safe. In this workshop participants were invited to promote physical, mental, and emotional safety as a God-given right of every individual and encourage participants to use their voices and make choices that can ensure their well-being at home, school, and with their peers.

BlackGurl’s Read Too!
“Literacy is the cornerstone of human freedom and female literacy has an immediate and salutary impact on the quality of life for her family and community too! A woman or girl with a book in her hand is a catalyst, a pioneer. You never know how far she will go.” BlackGurl’s Read Too! was designed to introduce literature to African-American girls and young women that will inspire, teach, and broaden their horizons. The book club has :

• Created opportunities for girls and young women of every reading level to find meaning in literature by bringing their own ideas to it, discussing it, and connecting it to the world and their own experiences
• Increased the self-esteem of participants by expanding their knowledge base and promoting literacy.

Young Women’s Lives: Building Self Awareness for Life
Young Women’s Lives is a curriculum for young women working together to curtail destructive behavior, to support one another’s successes, and to connect to the ongoing struggles of women in this country for greater equality, opportunity and social justice.

12 Ways to Improve the Lives of African-American Girls Right Now! 

This practical resource guide  for parents and teachers by Lisa Butler reveals to readers various steps and techniques that can be used to reach and empower African-American girls and young women.

Butler, Lisa. 2010. Twelve Easy Steps to Help Girls Flourish: A How to Guide for Empowering African-American Teen Girls and Young Women.