Help The YWCA's Mosaic Movement support a middle school girl's journey to becoming a strong and confident teenager. Your $100 donation will provide one middle school girl with access to leadership training, support groups, financial and computer literacy, and creative expression classes and workshops for the 2010-2011 academic school year! You will also receive a special invitation to and be recognized at the Girl Central Showcase in June 2011, where you will see firsthand what your donation has helped to achieve! Plus, your name will appear on the YWCA's website donor page and in our end-of-the-year Annual Report Newsletter. Click HERE to make a donation right away.

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WHERE THE MONEY WILL GO

Your $100 donation will give a middle school girl the opportunity to:

• Attend daily workshops in leadership, computer/financial literacy, and creative expression that will help them to get ahead in school – personally, academically, and socially.
• Help to plan and participate in an all-day Girl Power Leadership Conference where 100 middle school girls come together to get educated about college, develop public speaking skills, learn about boy/girl communications and relationships, and practice defending themselves.
• Meet women leaders in our community and find out more about their career journey and how they can plan their own.
• Launch the YWCA’s Girl Central Bake Shop, a fundraising campaign to raise their own funds for the program.
• Strengthen the bond they have with their moms through “Girls Night Out” where moms and daughters participate in fun, educational and important activities that give them invaluable time together.
• And more!

LEARN MORE

Research shows that girls experience an increased amount of social and personal stress during puberty, which tends to begin in middle-school. Before the onset of puberty, there is no difference in depression rates between boys and girls; but by age fifteen, teenagers’ statistics indicate that girls are twice as likely to become depressed and ten times more likely to develop an eating disorder than their male peers. While self-esteem for both girls and boys is strong when they are young children, there is a significant drop in girls' self-esteem around the age of twelve. In addition, by middle-school, 30 to 40% of American girls say they feel too fat, and 20 to 40% are dieting—many by the age of ten.

Girl Central, a YWCA Santa Monica / Westside leadership program, helps middle school girls respond to the challenges in their daily environment. Its six core components aid in building self-esteem and confidence, heightening cultural awareness, facilitating community connections, strengthening communication skills, nurturing career development, and practicing healthy lifestyles. Through individualized workshops and classes that focus on leadership, computer literacy, financial literacy and creative expression, a group identity forms in Girl Central that enables girls to learn about themselves and communicate in a clear, honest manner. As they gain skills, their self-confidence increases as does their motivation to succeed in personal, social, and academic arenas. What makes Girl Central particularly unique among middle-school leadership programs is its focus on girls only. Research shows that all-girls settings provide girls a certain comfort level that helps them develop greater self-confidence and broader interests, especially as they approach adolescence.

Middle school girls who participate in Girl Central say that the program makes them feel:

• “Important”
• “Proud, confident and happy”
• “Like all of my problems go away”
• “I can accomplish anything”
• “Better about who I am”
• “Safe to speak, and to have fun”

Your support will make a true difference in the life of a middle school girl. Join us TODAY!