Run The World: Kathleen Hassan On Women’s Power Source

By Jillian Martin, Editorial Intern
Photos: AMY RADER PHOTOGRAPHER

Last month, Teen Voices participated in NEDAwareness week, held by the National Eating Disorder Association. At the same time, the Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center mentor program held a self-esteem-building event featuring “Confidence Coach” Kathleen Hassan. The school’s gymnasium was packed with middle-school students, their parents, and their mentors and Beyonce’s girl power single “Run The World (Girls),” which kicked off the event.

Hassan teaches the girls where their power comes from: positive thoughts.

“There are girls in this room who feel like they’re not good enough,” Hassan began. “Some are starving themselves. Some would do anything to fit in.”

At this event, Hassan inspired the audience, teaching them where their power comes from—not from putting others down to build yourself up, and not from the media, which sexualizes women and portrays an unattainable image of perfection.

According to Hassan, 85 percent of women and girls have felt worse about themselves after looking at a fashion magazine and 86 percent of self-talk (thoughts) is negative. This happens because, to their detriment, many women and girls today tend to seek their worthiness and confidence from outside forces.

As a healthier model, Hassan teaches girls to get their power from within, instead of from the media, by choosing love over fear. She said, “Thoughts become things… wanted or not.” We emit energy with our thoughts; if they are negative, we will attract negative people and situations, and the energies will feed off each other, becoming more and more negative. On the flip side, if we emit positive and powerful energies, we attract powerful and positive people.

Negative images and energies infiltrate the thoughts of all young girls, but Hassan said we all have an emotional guide system that gives us the tools to “recalculate” those thoughts to something positive.

Hassan taught the audience two strategies to recalculate and achieve. Give them a try so that you, too, can feel confident and worthy and choose love over fear.

Soerny Cruz, a graduate from the program, "achieves" in the final part of the Body Prayer.

The first, Hassan calls a “body prayer.” She called four girls with big dreams to the stage to help out. The first girl was “dream,” and she laid her head in her hands. The next was “believe,” and she held her hands over her heart. The third was “receive,” and she held her hands out open to take in the positive energies. The final girl was “achieve,” and she flexed her arms, showing strength. Within minutes, Hassan had the entire auditorium dreaming, believing, receiving, and achieving.

The second strategy is the use of affirmations. Hassan suggested that everyone pick one affirmation from the list that she showed (these short sayings were accompanied by inspiring photos and the melodic voice of Bruno Mars singing “You’re amazing, just the way you are”) and repeat it every day for a month, as it takes a month to create a new habit. Here are just a few of the affirmations:

• I choose LOVE over FEAR
• I am fit, strong, and healthy
• Peace begins with me
• Happiness is a choice
• I am strong

Readmore about NEDAwareness week and Teen Voices’ Artist of the Month Contest and vote on the March art—March’s theme was “Beauty is More than Skin Deep.” Learnmore about Mother Caroline’s adult education, shining star, and mentoring programs, including events and how to get involved.

Scholarships, Adventures, and Coastal Studies

Guest post by Coastal Studies for Girls

Photos courtesy of Coastal Studies for Girls

Summer is winding down and there’s a nip in the air at dawn.  For most of us, the coming of fall means the heading back to school and restarting familiar routines.  Wake up, grab your backpack, go to school, take a test, write an essay, stare at the clock, and wait for the final bell. Repeat Monday through Friday.

Fall approaching may feel like the end of adventure after a summer of fun and freedom.  Or maybe you’ve worked really hard all summer and you are wishing you’d had more time for fun.  But what if you could do something really amazing and unusual for school this year?

Do you have a love for learning and discovery, an adventurous spirit, and a desire to challenge yourself?  If so, you may be a Coastal Studies girl.

Coastal Studies for Girls (CSG) is the country’s first residential science and leadership semester school for 10th grade girls.  Located in Freeport, Maine, students from public, independent and home-schooled backgrounds from all over the U.S. spend a semester at this unique residential program.  CSG features a marine science and leadership curriculum, while also offering classes in the core subjects of English, math, history and foreign language.

CSG has an unexpected opening for their Fall 2011 semester starting August 28 through December 17, 2011.  A full scholarship is available for this life-changing opportunity. Whether exploring the inlets and islands in kayaks, studying the rich natural history of Maine, or researching tide pools, CSG is for the adventure seeking and intellectually curious.

Still not sure if CSG is for you? Here’s what one recent student said about her experience, “Being part of Coastal Studies for Girls allowed me to reflect on who I am, what I value, and what direction I want to take in life. I think in new ways and push my comfort zone to its very limit knowing that it is even ok to make mistakes.  I’ve learned about my own self-reliance and confidence, and it has given me a better sense of community. Living with other girls has shown me the value of respect, leadership, kind speech and other values that are necessary for living together.”

Any 10^th grade girl interested in applying must contact Contact Tara Treichel, education director, at 207-865-9700 or tara@coastalstudiesforgirls.org as soon as possible. You could be off on this exciting adventure in just 2 weeks!!  For more application information: click here!

Celebrating Teen Voices’ Fall Session

By Sarah Binning

Another session has come and gone. Time flies when you’re writing articles and creating social change through media! After three months of hard work, our teen editors handed their completed articles to Jessica, our fantastic editor—a moment worthy of celebrating and special recognition. At last night’s awards ceremony, we celebrated the accomplishments of our Fall 2010 teen editors and mentors!

The teens wrote special tribute paragraphs to their mentors, expressing their thanks and reminiscing on memories made this session. Mentors also read paragraphs to their girls, reflecting on the accomplishments of their mentees.

“One thing that I learned from you is while you are doing an interview be friendly, calm, and professional,” Chelsey (right), reads her paragraph to mentor Julia (left) with group member Marshea.

Mentor Megan (right) reads to Cynthia (left): “I want you to remember that the world needs you, that thoughtful, caring, loving inner you. I am privileged to have gotten under your skin to know the real you, and I hope you share that privilege with more and more people who will be lucky to know you as I have been.”

Megan tells mentee De’Shannah (middle), “One day we were having one of our chats … and I’ll never forget what you said: “day by day.” It’s a thought that’s stuck with me since then, inspiring me to keep going.”

“You and Gilesa worked very hard and I loved seeing a friendship form between the two of you that may never happened if it hadn’t been for Teen Voices. I’ll miss our adventures together and finding out fun facts about the two of you while playing the fruit snack game,” mentor Kathleen reads to Lakhala (left) and Gilesa.

But that’s not all. Saun Green, program director, and our six wonderful peer leaders have been carefully observing the teens this session. They created superlatives for each participant that best expressed the girls’ personalities and contributions to Teen Voices. Above, Saun presents superlatives to the Dear D section.

We laughed. We cried. We left with warm hearts and a greater love for Teen Voices!

Thanks again to our wonderful mentors! Front row:  Michelle, Rachel, Karen, and Julia. Back row: Jessica (Editor), Ashley A., Kathleen, Megan, Ashley M., Mary and Lydia. Missing from photo: Katie (feel better, Katie!).

The Case for Unaltered Celebrity Photos

By Sarah Binning
As unaltered photographs of Jennifer Aniston hit the Internet, airbrushing has again made headlines. The original photo shows Aniston’s freckled, lined face, while the magazine cover of Australia Madison indicates perfect skin sans freckles and wrinkles.
Most of the viewing public knows media images are edited. A recent study by the Good Surgeon Guide, indicates that nearly 90 percent of teen girls are aware celebrity images are edited. This leads us to an important question: If people know that these photos are unrealistic, why do is there so much interest in Photoshopped images?
Do you think celebrities would be less famous if media portrayed the “unedited” versions of them? The Merrriam-Webster definition of “celebrity” is the “state of being celebrated.”So what are we actually celebrating? Their talents? Accomplishments? Looks? It’s easy to focus on “celebrating” so much that we forget they are human. We all age, get wrinkles, and sport the occasional dreaded pimple!
Maybe if we all saw more unedited photos of these celebs, we could recognize them as “normal” and create a newer, more positive standard of beauty. And isn’t it possible that their flaws would make them more likable to us, not less?
Teens may understand that media images are unrealistic, but that doesn’t mean the images don’t affect their self-esteem. This summer, Teen Voices’ teen editors spent an entire week discussing and analyzing media representations of women. The teen editors also uncovered the types of females who are represented in film and TV, and, more importantly, which types are left out. Our girls discussed how easy it is to feel your self-esteem lowered, and to feel like a failure when you can’t reach impossible beauty. These standards might be unrealistic, but they can still deeply impact the way teens view themselves.
We’re always happy to see groups taking steps toward combating false representations of women. OneStopPlus.com, a top plus-sized retailer, will showcase only plus-sized models during their show at New York Fashion Week. The retailer is taking a lot of heat for participating in Fashion Week – but we’re looking forward to seeing these curvy women in the show!

What We Learned at Teen Voices This Week

Being a teen editor at Teen Voices brings with it a lot of experiences, togetherness, laughter, and learning. Our teen editors compiled a list of the things they have recently learned about relationships, hip hop, life, and each other. See if any of them sound familiar, and you may just learn something new!

• People almost always want to be your friend and it’s almost always worth the effort to be friends with them.
• Giant companies own many radio stations and control what we listen to.
• Looks don’t always reveal what’s going on inside. Actually, it doesn’t reveal much at all.
• You don’t need to specifically need to have a conversation with someone to feel close to them. Just sharing experiences shows trust and trust can make you feel close.
• When guys take care of their children (like they should in the first place) it shouldn’t be especially looked upon or praised because that’s what is expected.
• Media has a major impact on our lives when it shouldn’t.
• All the girls here have a lot in common as far as what they have been through in life.
• The power of a group is the most healing, beneficial and cleansing. There are many things that are not achievable individually that are possible to overcome in a group.
• The moment you give in to being yourself and overcome your shyness in a new environment there is a feeling of liberation and extreme happiness.
• I don’t always think about the music I listen to.
• The girls who seem the meanest are often the ones who have been through the most in life.
• Women don’t have an independent role in the hip hop world as much as I thought, especially after seeing how Beyonce dances around Jay-Z.
• You have to pay attention to the things you say, because you never know how other people are going to take it.
• A positive community can bring the best out of people.
• Making a difference in the world starts with you.

Wow!

Civil Rights and the Young People’s Project: One Girl’s Trip to the SNNC 50th Anniversary Conference

By Deamonte Tibbs-Petty,
The Young People’s Project

The Young People’s Project is a non-profit group dedicated to raising math literacy and working for social change. Their mission is to change the quality of mathematics education for children. As part of that group, I traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, in April for the SNNC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) 50th Anniversary Conference. More than 1,100 people attended the conference, which was both a celebration and a documentation of those who fought for social change in 1960.

I learned about so many inspiring people in the civil rights movement, and saw what they have achieved by fighting against racism and fighting for equality. One powerful woman I learned about was Ella Baker, an activist and civil rights organizer who was a strong leader and speaker for her community. To me, she is the definition of a role model because she stood up to oppression and fought for equal rights for the black community. Baker once said, “Strong people don’t need strong leaders.” This quote stuck with me because it reminds me that we all have enough willpower to lead ourselves.

At first I didn’t understand what SNCC had to do with YPP, until our College Math Literacy Workers explained to us that Bob Moses was in the civil rights movement and the actions he took to get his daughter to learn math are the reason we now have the Algebra Project and YPP. We were very lucky to be able to hear the SNCC stories. I appreciate what Bob Moses and SNCC have done because if it wasn’t for them taking brutal beatings and disrespect to come together and march for what’s right, my high school wouldn’t have the diversity and love it has today. No one is being judged or discriminated against because of the color of their skin. We are all treated like human beings, and to me that is love.

Besides going to workshops at Shaw University to listen to the activists, we also met other YPP coordinators and staff from places like Jackson, Mississippi and Chicago. Meeting students from all the YPP sites was a good experience for me because I got to see that we all want to make a change in our communities.

At one workshop, we did an activity called “Neighbor Circle.” We formed groups and got to know each other like neighbors. We had to pick a major problem that happens in our community and talk about how our group would work together to fix it. Many of us found we share the same ideas when it comes to wanting school to provide extra help, clubs, and money for those who need it. We felt that the way math is being taught makes it difficult for kids to learn, whether because of bad supplies or the scarce amount of teachers.

I feel like I have grown from this trip. I now understand that if you want to make changes for the better, you have to stand up for your beliefs. My ancestors’ fight against struggles and abuse make the world a better place today. I learned that you can make a change without using violence. The civil rights leaders were the role models and leaders of that time and now they are passing down knowledge so we can be role models for kids in the generations to come. Everyone in YPP has high hopes and dreams that students will become powerful adults who will make a difference.

View photos from the SNCC 50th Anniversary Conference.

Anna Deavere Smith On Collaboration

Actress, author, and playwright Anna Deavere Smith performed at Teen Voices’ annual fundraising event, Amplify, on April 14. In this clip from her performance, she talks about a race riot that took place in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights, and portrays a Jewish woman who lives in the neighborhood. The message in this piece, Smith says, is that we can learn to solve problems when we collaborate, or “extend ourselves out from what we know.”

Anna Deavere Smith on Collaboration

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Saun Green Receives Unsung Heroine of Massachusetts Award

Today, the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women honored 100 inspiring women at the Seventh Annual Unsung Heroines of Massachusetts Celebration. Teen Voices’ program director Saun Green was one of the women who were honored.

The event, held at the Massachusetts State House, brought together women who are making a difference, and who show determination, courage, and vision in changing their communities.

We are so thankful to have Saun in the Teen Voices community, and appreciate her for always being an inspiring, passionate, and supportive role model for the teen girls in our program.

Program Director Saun Green with First Lady of the City of Boston Angela Menino and Executive Director of the Boston Women’s Commission Marie Turley

Saun’s work with young women makes a huge difference in their lives. Here’s what some of Teen Voices’ teen editors have to say about her:

“One thing we love about you is how real and honest you are. We can come and talk to you about anything, even if it’s too much for you to take in sometimes. You listen to us and guide us as young women, telling us to come together not just as friends, but as sisters.” -  SaChe

“I came to Teen Voices when I was 16 with a lot of hurt and pain and shyness. I didn’t think much of myself. But because of your program and the way you run it, I have been able to build my self esteem as well as open up to others without being afraid to tell my story.” – Malisa

“Teen Voices has really impacted me in a good way. It is my home away from home.” – Lynn

“I would say how Teen Voices changed me faster than I ever thought. Teen Voices made me feel safe, loved and they made me feel as if I wasn’t alone in the world.” – Lina

“I feel that I can hold my head higher and nothing or no one can tear me down.  I feel that I can now walk with the confidence I never had. “ – Tatiana

“Teen Voices changed my life.  It increased my self-esteem, helped me escape problems at home and with friends while preparing me for the working world. “ – Nathalie

Congratulations on your well-deserved award, Saun!

Putting the ‘Fun’ in Funds!

As we ride out the economic crisis, everyone is responding in different ways. At Teen Voices, we directly impact the way girls live their lives as adults, so we decided to address the issue through teaching teens about responsible handling of personal finances. To do this, we teamed up with the Financial Services Forum at UMass Boston’s Department of Accounting and Finance. Teen Voices peer leader Anna-Cat Brigida, 17, attended the workshop and shares her thoughts on the event.

On April 21 and 22, Teen Voices’ teen editors attended a financial workshop at UMass Boston. I know, you’re probably thinking finances are so boring! But that is where you are wrong! The financial literacy workshop was a blast, and it was very informative.  The presenters gave us a ton of useful information about how to spend our money wisely and plan for the future.

The staff at UMass – including Kristen Callahan, Nicole LaPointe, and Annette Florczak — really managed to make it fun for us to learn about money. We played a board game that allowed us to see what expenses and obstacles we will have to deal with as adults. The teen editors became very competitive over the game, which made things more interesting. We also learned how to make a budget and keep a log, to keep tracking of how we are spending our money…this helps us see where we might be wasting resources. We talked about how we love spending our money, which was a fun part of the conversation, and something all the workshop participants  all had in common.

On Day 2 of the finance workshop, we talked primarily about credit cards and how to manage them. We learned how to use credit cards responsibly – which means only spending what we can pay back.  The presenters shared their own personal stories of financial mistakes they had made in the past, and showed us that it’s easy to accumulate thousands of dollars of debt in a short amount of time. Hearing that they (now financial experts!) had made mistakes with credit cards in the past showed us just how easy it is to abuse credit. Although it is important not to go over the limit, we also learned that it is good to have a credit card in order to establish some type of credit, because no credit is just as bad as bad credit.  We also learned the difference between debit cards versus credit cards: when you pay with a debit card, the money comes straight from your account, and paying with a credit card is like borrowing money.

The staff also taught us how to file taxes when we get a job.  We learned about certain forms, such as the W-2, W-4, and 1040EZ, which everyone all required to fill out when you have a job. While filling out these forms, we learned what information we need to include, and what tax returns actually are. Knowing how to fill out the tax returns was a very important part of the Workshop, especially because many of us didn’t even know about it beforehand. Now we won’t stress out about our taxes like so many people do. This experience was super helpful. Who knew that learning about money can be fun?!

Media and Expression: An Approach for Helping Girls Process Trauma

Teen Voices Editor and Publisher Jessica Moore wrote an article for Youth Media Reporter about using media to help teen girls process traumatic events in their lives.

When the earthquake struck Haiti in January, many of our teen editors received devastating news about family members that had not survived the disaster. Teen Voices reached out and provided a space for our Haitian teens to recount their memories and emotions in the aftermath of the earthquake. Later, some of those teens told their stories on radio shows in the Boston area.

In her article, Jessica discusses the ways that providing opportunities for teens to share privately and publicly can help them to process difficult emotions surrounding traumatic situations.