One of the projects I’m working on through my internship is a youth group for high school girls. The goal of the group is to empower the girls, teach them leadership skills, help them balance their faith and their daily lives, and help them become voices in their communities (like a junior NCI). Each week, a girl takes charge and organizes an activity for the group, this puts that girl in a leadership role, she has the responsibility to teach the other girls and plan and execute an event.
Growing up, I hated these types of groups, but I see now how necessary they are- I wish that there were more groups like it when I was younger. It becomes so easy to find yourself being unintentionally silenced. Louder, more confident voices are heard over the quieter ones. But groups like the one at Khalil Center give girls a safe space to be heard and lead.
At the beginning of first meeting of the group, the girls were a little shy, but over the hour they were together making cake pops (as a team building exercise) they began to open up more and talk to each other. By the end, they all seemed to be hopeful about their group. It reminded me of that first week of freshman year— so many ice breakers!
Studies show that women are less likely to raise their hands in class even if they know the answer. Having been of those women, I believe that. But groups like this I think can really impact girls to do more than just raise their hands. Confidence and leadership building in spaces like the KC group can be influential in the way a girl carries herself.
At the group’s (which is in the process of deciding a name for themselves) second meeting, the girls were taught by one of their peers how to play tennis. Throughout that interaction it made it easier to see which girls were easy to give up or comfortable trying things out of their comfort zones, and how to better tailor the group to each girls needs.
Outside of my internship, I’ve also been exploring town a bit more. I went downtown in Glen Ellyn and stumbled on a sidewalk sale; I caught a showing of Southpaw and one of Inside Out (both great movies) in the historical theater I had mentioned in a previous post,
and one of the clinicians, who has now become one of my role models (seriously, I fangirl from afar and will probably mention her more in my next post) took me out to Eid Fest— a carnival at one of the Islamic schools nearby.
- The firework show towards the end of Eid Fest
Over all, the last few weeks have been amazing. I have met some wonderful people, had incredible experiences and learned so so much. It’s hard to be leaving Chicago and my internship having loved it so much.
—-Hafsa
I can definitely connect to this, being reserved often ends up hinders the chance to make crucial connections and advance, even though the shy kids are likely just as qualified. I’m excited to intern at an advocacy and referral center and research women health issues in the area, so I found your post very interesting!