| Get Connected!
|
 |
Join the Girls Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania today! View a list of current members!
|
The Girls Coalition is supported by a
grant from the
FISA Foundation.
|
|
The Girls Coalition is supported by a
grant from the
Heinz Endowments
|
|
|
|
Dear ,
Welcome to the July 2010 Girls Coalition Newsletter!
This summer is going so fast we can't believe it! There are so many exciting things going on and now is the time to get involved--learn more about participating on a Girls Coalition Committee. We need your time and talent to help make a difference in the lives of girls and young women in our region.
Sincerely,
The Steering Committee Girls Coalition Southwestern Pennsylvania
|
Girls Coalition Events and Announcements
|
Join a Girls Coalition Committee or Work Group TODAY!
Check your inbox for a message from our Membership Committee if you have previously expressed interest in getting more involved with the Girls Coalition. There is no better time to get involved and we would love to have your participation.
Please consider contacting a committee chair or attending an introductory meeting!
Programming Committee--creates and implements one or two main annual events for GC members
and others who care about girls to encourage networking and provide
professional education about the latest trends, research, best practices, etc.
Committee Chair: Mell Steven Cosnek,
YWCA Greater Pittsburgh
Center for Race and Gender Equity
Gender Equity Work Group--brings together girl-serving
agencies and organizations to identify ways to promote gender equity throughout
the region.
Committee Co-Chairs: Rebecca Gaynier, Founder and CEO, iTwixie and
Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Executive Director, Women for a Healthy Environment
Introductory Meeting: August 13, 2010 from 11:30 a.m. -1:30
p.m. (brown bag lunch) at The Children's Institute in Squirrel Hill.
Membership Committee--recruits and manages the membership for the Girls Coalition, including membership renewals, outreach & communication.
Committee Co-Chairs: Monique McIntosh, YWCA, and Emily Sturman, WQED
Introductory Meeting: September 1, 2010, 10-11:30am, Downtown YWCA
Conference Committee--is responsible for the planning and execution of the annual Girls Coalition conference. This committee consists of three groups: logistics, programming, marketing & fundraising. This committee is assisted by other committees, as well as the steering committee.
Committee Co-Chairs: Ingrid Edwards, Gwen's Girls, Fran Trimpey, Womansplace, Tara Ellison-Jones, YWCA
Economic Empowerment Work Group--will work to develop a plan to assist the Girls Coalition in positively impacting economic empowerment for girls and young women in Southwestern PA.
Committee Co-Chairs: Ayana Ledford, PROGRESS
Melissa Swauger, IUP
|
|
Member Events and Announcements
|
Catch our Savvy Cinderellas at the Three Rivers Storytelling Festival!
The Savvy Cinderellas are a storytelling troupe consisting of six, 6th grade girls from Shaler Area School District who participated in the Savvy Cinderellas Storytelling program offered through Anchorpoint Counseling Ministry. This year they have been invited to perform at The Three Rivers Storytelling Festival which is sponsored by Northland Public Library. This festival consists of two days of storytelling on August 6 & 7 this year. The Savvy Cinderellas are scheduled to appear on Saturday, August 7 at 1:00 pm.
Festival takes place at Northland Public Library.
www.northlandlibrary.org
The Jewish Women's Foundation announces its Request for Proposals for the 2010 grantmaking cycle. JWF is interested in funding innovative programs that address the educational needs of women and girls. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), early childhood education, excellence in teaching, self-esteem/bullying, leadership, anti-Semitism, dating violence/domestic abuse, physical and mental health, mentoring and facilitating the educational and economic advancement of women and girls.
Signature Grant Program
JWF is seeking to fund a signature program and will consider requests up to $25,000 for this endeavor. Successful applicants will be eligible for multi-year funding. There is no guarantee that a signature grant will be made in 2010. A project selected as a JWF Signature Grant is one that is closely aligned with the JWF mission to support innovative educational projects that will have demonstrable impact on the educational and economic advancement of women and girls in Allegheny County. Other crucial factors include clearly defined outcomes, well-defined implementation strategies, plans for long-term sustainability and capacity for inter-agency collaboration to promote program goals.
Standard Grant Program
Most JWF grants have been in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 and the average amount funded is $7,500. Standard Grant Program requests for 2010 should not exceed $7,500. Organizations will be considered for funding on a year-to-year basis. Previous funding will not guarantee continued funding or prevent future funding. The Foundation will entertain requests for renewal funding.
Due Date for Proposals: September 20, 2010
Please see the Jewish Women's Foundation website for further information: www.jwfpgh.org
Addressing the Influx of Girls in the Allegheny County Juvenile Justice System
In late 2008, at the urging of Jim Rieland, the now-retired Director of Probation for Allegheny County juvenile division, the United Way of Allegheny County convened a group of service providers to discuss, brainstorm and eventually develop a plan to address the influx of girls into the County's juvenile justice system. Over the past 18 months, this group has worked passionately to research and understand the issues, examine root causes, and to vet potential solutions. Although policy changes appear to be the primary contributor to the increase in arrest rates for female juvenile offenders in Allegheny County-with most frequent violations (outside of nonpayment of fines) consisting of simple and aggravated assault (2007 Allegheny County Juvenile Probation Annual Report)-action must be taken to prevent delinquent behavior among girls, deter recidivism, and to ensure that service providers understand and are equipped to provide services tailored to the needs of girls in our communities.
Currently, two initiatives are underway. The first is the provision of local training on gender responsive programming for girls, which will increase local capacity to better serve girls-particularly girls that are in the juvenile justice system. Participants will leave this training with an understanding of-and an individual plan for-developing the environment and appropriate care that will promote healthier outcomes for girls and their families. United Way of Allegheny County will also provide seed funding to pilot Family Group Decision Making with families of girls involved in the juvenile justice system for first time violent offenses. Family Group Decision Making has been extremely successful within the Allegheny County CYF system, and it is our hope that this evidence based practice can lead to positive outcomes in juvenile justice.
Please contact Jada Shirriel at jada.shirriel@uwac.org if you would like to be placed on the registration list for one of the Gender Responsive Programming for Girls training dates, or if you would like more information on the Family Group Decision Making pilot.
The Womansplace 17th Annual Golf Outing to End Domestic Violence
Our mission at
Womansplace is to end the cycle of domestic violence and change social norms
through education and systems advocacy. In order to fulfill our mission, we need your support!
The 17th Annual Womansplace Golf Event will
take place on Friday August 27, 2010 at Youghiogheny Country Club in
McKeesport, PA. The event raises
awareness to the pervasive epidemic of domestic violence and the urgency to
bring communities together and fight against this crime. It also raises the much needed funds so
that we may continue to provide programs and services to the community.
Sponsorships and individual contributions
play an important role in the success of this event. Without your support we would not be able to continue the
important programs and services that we offer to victims and to the community.
Your
participation can help end the cycle of domestic violence and save lives!
Register online at www.womansplace.org or contact Fran
Trimpey at ftrimpey@womansplace.orgor (412) 664-7146 x200 for individual and corporate sponsorship opportunities
by August 1, 2010.
|
|
Resources
|
Training based on the OJJDP Gender Responsive Programming for Girls curriculum
This training on gender-responsive approaches to interventions for girls is particularly suited for girls involved in the juvenile justice system and is ideal for juvenile probation officers and other staff who work with at-risk youth. The training will be conducted by Marian Daniel, who is the former Area Director for the Baltimore City, Maryland, Department of Juvenile Justice and founder and Director of the Female Intervention Team (FIT)-the award winning, nationally known all-female probation unit. Ms. Daniel also serves as Vice President of the National Girls' Caucus; is a board member of the Baltimore Council on Pregnancy, Parenting, Prevention, Inc., and the YMCA of Central Maryland; and is a member of the Black Mental Health Alliance.
These one-day trainings will be offered FREE OF CHARGE on four dates, 9/8, 9/16, 9/17 and 9/24 from 8:30am-3:30pm at the Eat and Park Corporate Training Center in the Waterfront. Please contact Jada Shirriel at jada.shirriel@uwac.org if you would like to be placed on the registration list for one of the Gender Responsive Programming for Girls training dates.
How to Make the Workforce Investment Act Work for Women
Check out this great articel at the Center For American Progress
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/07/women_wia.html
Help Us Help Everyone Who Works with Girls!
If you come across a valuable resource that could help people be more successful in their work with girls and young women, we want to know about it. Please pass along the information to Heather Mediate and we will share it in a newsletter or online.
|
|
|
|
|
