Wednesday, February 25, 2009

National Leadership Opportunity

I thought some of you might be interested.  It's always great to do something on a national level.

Apply for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Youth Advisory Board for the 2009-2010 school year.

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is looking for young people from all across the country to serve. We’re looking for tweens and teens with unique experiences and opinions to shape the programs of our Kids’ Movement and generate fresh ideas on how to make healthy living the norm, not the exception.

Applicants must be between the ages of 8-17 years old when membership begins July 16, 2009 and live in the United States , including US Territories. To learn more and apply, visitwww.empowerme2b.orgDeadline to apply: March 31, 2009.

Daniel W. Hatcher, CHES, MPH

Youth Mobilization Manager

Alliance for a Healthier Generation

A partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation

1150 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 300  |  Washington , DC 20036

T   270-320-2209
www.HealthierGeneration.org

By Friday at 5pm - Share Your Public Policy Opinion

Hi Girls, 
I want to share an opportunity for you to provide public input on a topic that continues to come up in your meetings and your outreach. This is totally voluntary and should reflect your perspective.

The Monterey County Health Department Behavioral Health Division is looking for public input on some changes it's made to the Mental Health Services Act Plan. The Mental Health Services Act funds programs to support individuals either who have mental illness or to help prevent children and youth from having mental health issues.

Even though you haven't formed your Action Plan yet - there seems to be a consensus among the Girl Leadership Teams that girls need more support for their emotional health. And this is a chance to share. Below are the links to the plan.

I talked to a few of the groups and said I would draft an input statement and then you can use or modify if you want.  You can send an e-mail with input to:Alica Hendricks   hendricksa@co.monterey.ca.us. They will welcome your input and even if they don't make changes now - this input will be on their radar.

Sample E-mail

Re: Public Input to Mental Health Services Act

Hello,
I am a member of a Girls health action research project called Girls Health in Girls Hands.  We are girls talking with other girls (from ages 9-18) throughout the County to identify their health needs. This spring we will be developing an Action Plan  on how public policies and practices can better support girls health. (We'll make sure you receive a copy.)

It is clear that girls need more support to be emotionally healthy.  Many of the girls have said that they lack self-esteem; have difficult interpersonal issues with friends, individuals they date, and families; experience ongoing depression; and have other emotional issues that, when not addressed, often lead to the larger issues that are being faced by girls(like drugs and alcohol abuse, violence, pregnancy, unhealthy sexual practices, suicide...).

With the current economic situation - we are both hearing and seeing that girls are even more stressed and fearful.  Girls tell us "they just want someone to talk with." And they often don't want to talk with their parents - even when their parents are supportive. 

WHAT GIRLS WOULD LIKE...
1) Ongoing support groups (there are some support groups that are great - but they are not always ongoing).
2)  Counselors in schools that are free. Most school counselors are only available for talking about classes. Even in crisis situations - we have heard stories of girls being turned away from the school counselors.(Carmel High & Middle School recently added a counselor that is there to support the needs students and their families. We like this model.) 
3) Trained peer counselors within the schools. 
4) A pool of adult volunteer counselors (not therapists) that are available to the girls.   

They want these services to be easily accessible (maybe school based) from the time they are young through their adulthood to help them develop healthy self-esteem and positive mental health.  It is also critical that these services are free or low cost.

The girls also think that it would be great if their parents can have access to similar support for themselves and parent education so that they can better support their daughters.

The support of raising emotionally health girls is not funded or addressed in your plan and we would like it to be.  And even though we are only researching girls - we think boys would want the same types of support.

Thank you for your consideration.
(WRITE YOUR NAME)

http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/health/behavioralhealth/Prop63.htm 

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

College Scholarship Application for Young Women 18 & over

For those of you who are 18 - here is a scholarship opportunity.  

The due date has been extended to March 20th (even though it says Feb. 20th).  (If you're not 18 - keep this in mind for the future.)

Click here to go to our website to access information and the application.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Greenfield Girl Leadership Team

The Greenfield Girl Leadership Team practicing their interview skills and experimenting with a twisty icebreaker - the "Human Pretzel".  They unwound! YEAH

Useful Resources

We're hearing more and more about the stress girls are feeling in the current economic environment. Parents are losing jobs, families losing homes, and for some, basic need are getting more difficult to meet.

You asked for some resources to be able to recommend to others.  Here are a few.  (All free and anonymous.)

211 - A toll free, anonymous phone service (24 hours a day)  - with a live person who is able to help anyone connect with needed health and human services. (I tried it - they were really nice and very informative.) - Dial 211

California Youth Crisis Line - 1-800-843-5200 - Someone to talk with to support, offer encouragement, and referrals to youth needing assistance or in crisis situation.  Also provides information on-line at www.youthcrisisline.org. (I called  - a trained volunteer responded promptly and seemed very informed.)

YWCA Counseling - To arrange counseling in Salinas call 372-6300 and in Monterey call 649-8008.  

Research Progress and Survey Input

Hi Girls, 
How is your research going? Let me know. We want to be done by mid-March.

If you want to input the responses to the surveys collected - use the survey link on the home page of our website.  (Keep the paper copies to turn in to Kim.)  If you don't have time - just give them to me next time I see you.

We'll be setting up meetings for Seaside, Peninsula, and North County groups soon.

Be well!
Kim


Saturday, February 7, 2009

Girls Health in Girls Hands: Girl Leadership Team Retreat February 7th, 2009


Girl Leadership Team Retreat February 7th, 2009

Wow - what a wonderful day...beautiful weather,  beautiful location, with tremendously beautiful girls - to the core.

Check out the slideshow and let us know how the day inspired you... If you want individual photos - http://picasaweb.google.com/kimstemler/GirlsHealthInGirlsHandsFeb72009Retreat?authkey=N2koN2lQ1oc&feat=directlink
Thanks to all - 
Kim


Thursday, February 5, 2009

Congratulations Seaside Marina Team...

The Seaside Marina team gave a wonderful presentation on the Girls Health in Girls Hands project tonight.  The house was packed - at least 75 people - we'll just pretend it was because of us. 

Maraia was a smashing success in her presentation!!!!

THANKS!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Seaside/Marina Seaside City Council Rough Talk - for Maraia

Seaside /Marina Girls - 

Thursday 6:30 at Seaside City Hall

Maraia, 

Try this out....Change it so it works for you....And make sure it's not more than 7 minutes...Thanks

Thank you so much for making the time on your agenda to listen to girls.



Our project, Girls Health in Girls Hands, is a county-wide, girl-led action research project designed to develop a Girls Health Action Plan. This pretty much means that, with the knowledge we gather from researching girls across the County ranging in age from 9 to 18, we will create recommendations for changes to public policy and organizational and community practices. These recommendations will be made so that girls are better informed about health and receive better support and services - in ways that girls will both listen and use the support and services.



 

In addition to creating this Health Action Plan, we as youth leaders also gain leadership and civic engagement skills which prepares us to become community leaders like you. By doing this we claim a voice for ourselves and the rest of the girls in the community in the makings of public policy. 

Our mission is to see changes made in public policy so that girls can lead healthy lives and make positive decisions.

 

Ultimately we want to live in communities that support girls health and be healthier.

 

 

There are 5 teams throughout the county.  We are the Seaside / Marina Girl Leadership team and I would like to introduce the members that are here:

 

(Girls Names)

 

Girls Health in Girls Hands is a research project of the Women’s Fund of Monterey County (which is a program of the Community Foundation for Monterey County).  The Women’s Fund is committed to advocating for a community that is supportive of girls’ health. The program is funded by the California Endowment.

 

Each team began their time together this fall, learning about action research, public policy, and facilitation skills. Most importantly we learned a lot about each other and ourselves. We developed surveys and interview protocol.  We are beginning our research phase and anticipate having the Action Plan created by May.  We then plan on coming back to visit you to share the information in June.

 

 

 

We’re off to a great start and have had tremendous support from Seaside High School Administration and Coach Avila.

 

We have set up a website, a MySpace page, a Facebook page, and a blogspot so that our teams can communicate and other girls can reach us. We have an online survey available for girls to complete.

 

In December, Coach Avila invited us into all of the Seaside High health classes, to tell the girls what we were doing and to start our research. We set up games, ran focus groups, did surveys, and gave each girl a health promise bracelet. We also gave them an index card so they can write down anything they still wanted to know or anything they want to comment on. After the first period, students came rushing into class prepared and excited for what we were going to do. A lot of the girls LOVED what we did and wished they could’ve had someone do what we did for them in their earlier ages. Coach Avila, the Seaside High health teacher, has insisted that we come back for the second semester.

 

During one of our groups, Mr. Nunez, Seaside High’s Vice Principle, stopped by. He was so impressed by what we were doing that he invited us to the counselor’s meeting. The counselors were so impressed that they told us they wanted to be on our team and offered to work with us girls to help improve the girls of the community’s health and their behaviors.

 

We have also presented to the Girls Health in Girls Hands Steering Committee.

 

We will continue our outreach and research, in the schools, churches, and other community groups.  We are also starting to develop a strategy for gathering information from adult stakeholders – like parents, teachers and other adults with interest in and knowledge of girls’ health.  

We hope that you each would be available for a quick interview in the next month or so. And  - we hope that we will be able to come back and present our findings when we're done our research in June.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Countywide Girl Leadership Teams Retreat

Hello Everyone, 
Our 1st retreat is this Saturday, March 7th from 9:30 to 2:30 at Chartwell School in Seaside.  Click here to link to map.

Vans from Main Event Limo will be pick up the teams in Salinas, North County, and Greenfield.
1. Salinas: Meet at 9:00 am in the Safeway parking lot on Constitution 
2. Greenfield: Meet at 8:30 am in front of the High School
3. North County: Meet at 9:00 am in front of North County High

If you're in the Peninsula Group or the Marina/Seaside Group, you'll need to arrange for transportation.  Peninsula Group - contact Tori if you need help.

If you have any questions at all - please let me know.  
It will be really fun!!!!
Kim 
831.915.6621
kimstemler@gmail.com