Rosie's girls

Why is Rosie's Girls so effective?

The Rosie's Girls Summer Program design is grounded in solid research on adolescent girl development and theory. Program elements are structured to ensure the most holistic experience that results in increases in self-efficacy and self image. Each program element plays a crucial role in the girls' overall experience.

 

Why does Rosie's Girls include arts, games and the other activities? Why not only trades and technical activities?

Whether learning to operate a power saw, wire an extension cord, or conquer a high ropes course, engaging in these transforming experiences gives girls the chance to strengthen their belief in the possibility of success in a variety of ways. Climbing to the top of a telephone pole while one's friends are cheering you on may allow a girl to see herself engaging in activities and occupations that not just require climbing poles, but could include any occupation that involves not only physical strength but mental strength and fortitude as well. By participating in a "transforming experience" a girl may have her belief strengthened about the possibilities of success in a challenging area that she previously had never even considered or was too afraid to try. The possibility of success in challenging areas may even be unrelated to the task accomplished.

The girls in Rosie's Girls are given real hand-tools and learn how to use real power tools. They use those tools in a safe environment to create something of their own. The results of this project are not only the skills that the girls have gained by doing the project, but the way they feel about themselves and about what women are capable of doing in general. These feelings of accomplishment are reinforced when parents and friends view what the girls have done and provide lots of positive feedback to the girls about their accomplishments.
Further, the program's activities explicitly address issues of peer relationships, conflict management, sexism in the economy and the media, and perceptions of self. These activities build girls' self-confidence and self-efficacy and encourage them to believe they have the ability to be successful in a wide variety of tasks and STEM-related occupations.

 

Why is it important to expose girls to educational and career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)?

In the United States, not enough students are adequately preparing for and choosing careers in high growth areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). In order to stay competitive in our global economy, it is imperative that more young people enter these careers.

 

Why does Rosie's Girls center around activities in the skilled trades?

Carpentry and other skilled trades offer an unusual and powerful vehicle for trying new things, boosting self-esteem, and encouraging collaboration. While often considered activities appropriate to older - usually male - students, this work is well suited to a young adolescent's temperament and to the particular needs of adolescent girls. Building, in particular, is inherently collaborative, requiring the hands, strength, and minds of many.

Girls in early adolescence have few, if any, opportunities to explore the skilled trades and related careers. These career areas offer significant earning potential and opportunities for professional advancement and satisfaction. Notably, parents and teachers are not always aware of these options for girls. Fewer than 5% of all students enrolled in high school construction or technical programs are girls.

 

Why does Rosie's Girls target middle school girls instead of high school girls?

Girls in early adolescence are at a critical juncture in their lives. While our society has lowered many of the barriers to achievement that once hindered female success, many adolescent girls on the verge of womanhood face a different struggle - a struggle to maintain a strong sense of self and self-confidence at a time when pressures to conform are most intense and least forgiving.

Further, research shows that it is during their middle school years that students begin to explore occupations, and develop occupational aspirations and expectations. Activities and events that occur during adolescence can determine their views of career options that are accessible and interesting to them.

The challenge for educators and parents is to find ways to arm girls -- at an early age -- with a powerful voice and sense of self and with an understanding of the full range of educational and career options that are open to them. This decline in self-esteem, combined with subtle and not so subtle societal expectations for women and girls, can have a significant impact on the choices girls make and can affect their emotional and intellectual well-being. The various activities in the Rosie's Girls program are designed to do just this.

 

What evidence do you have for Rosie's Girls' positive impact?

Since the first session of Rosie's Girls in 2000, we have administered a series of pre-and post-tests to program participants and the adults in their lives.
The evaluations include both quantitative and qualitative methods and seeks to understand both concrete aspects of the girls' experience - such as whether they have learned how to use a hammer and saw, measure a length of wood, - and more ephemeral concepts such as whether they have an enhanced perspective of themselves and their abilities.

 

What is self-efficacy and why is it important?

Self-efficacy is the sense of what one believes she is capable of doing. During middle school, youth form strong and long-lasting ideas about their self-efficacy. Self-efficacy has been recognized as playing a key role in developing career interests and attaining the education to pursue them.

 

Does carpentry need to be the main trades activity in the program?

While most sites have included carpentry as the centerpiece trade of their Rosie's Girls program, VWW is open to making arrangement with sites that wish to emphasize a different trade.

 

What is the typical staffing arrangement for a 3 week long Rosie's Girls program?

The staffing arrangement for your program will depend, in large part, on the skills and availability of members of your team. Typically a team of administrators works together in the early planning phases of the program. Once the groundwork has been laid, and several months before the program's launch, you might hire a program coordinator to oversee aspects of program design and camper recruitment. Typically, the staff for a three week summer session includes: a head counselor, 3 general counselors, a carpentry instructor, additional trades instructors and instructors for the arts and "girls world" activities.

 

Do I have to run the program for all 3 weeks?

In our experience, the program's 3 week length is one of its strengths -- giving girls an opportunity to develop skills, to delve more deeply into discussions of their options and to learn to work together as a group. Sites have run 2-week and 1-week long versions of the program, and we are happy to work with you to find a model that suits your needs.

 

Do we have to do it just the way you have done it?

VWW believes that the best programs play to the particular strengths and resources you have in your community. While we have some broad parameters of what it takes to call a program "Rosie's Girls" we encourage program sites to be creative in putting the program together. For example, one site may do a ropes course as a physically challenging activity, while another may go whitewater rafting and another may go surfing. Each activity meets the general goal of providing an opportunity for girls to push past preconceived notions of what they are willing and able to do.

 

What information is in the program materials?

As a Rosie's Girls site, you will have access to the "Administrator's Toolbox" and the program curriculum. The Administrator's Toolbox contains a wealth of information, forms and sample documents you can use to plan and design your Rosie's Girl program. Specifically it includes: sample grant applications, sample marketing pieces, sample application and financial aid forms, a timeline of activities for administrators to follow, a sample three week schedule, a sample daily schedule and more...

The curriculum contains over 300 pages of information and sample activities that your staff can use in planning and implementing the program. There is a chapter about each component of the program -- trades activities, arts activities, physically challenging activites, and girls' world activities. Further, it contains the evaluation tools we have developed to assess the program's impact and instructions for their use. The curriculum also has an extensive bibliography to help you find additional resources for each aspect of the program.

 

How much funding is necessary to get the program planned, implemented and evaluated in each site?

The average cost of running Rosie's Girls is approximately $35,000 for a 3 week session for 24 girls, but a site's individual costs may vary greatly depending on the pay scale in your area and your ability to secure (or not secure) in-kind contributions for materials, location, transportation, etc.

 

How much is the tuition?

Sites are free to set the tuition at whatever level fits their budget -- ranging from free (at a site that serves primarily disadvantaged girls) to about $900 for the three weeks. Generally, sites that charge a fee offer scholarship support for those who cannot affort the full tuition.

Factors to consider in establishing your tuition include: costs of other summer programs in your area, the success of your fundraising efforts, the population you are serving. We strongly encourage sites to find ways to make the program financially accessible for families of varying means.