[EDEQUITY WEEA Project Dialogues] Girls define equity

From: Beth Meyer (Bethm@etr.org)
Date: Wed Feb 13 2002 - 15:36:53 EST


Hi Everyone!

It is Beth Meyer from the Young Women's Leadership Alliance. I have not
been able to participate until now, because we are starting a new semester
of our program this week! I also enjoyed reading the article that Ann
Munro sent. It does feel like such a privilege to work with these girls on
developing their own definitions. In our program, they are challenged to
develop definitions of support, respect, leadership and equity. We
encourage them to think critically about how these definitions can be
different for each person, including people who are not represented in the
room.

Just yesterday afternoon at our first session, we started a conversation
about the definition of educational equity. The girls listed things that
they need in order to be successful in school (i.e. parent support,
computers, good grades, resources and information, friends). We then asked
them about barriers that might get in the way of getting these things and
they came up with some great ones: lack of money, time, access to computer
labs, libraries and certain classes, transportation, etc. I am looking
forward to digging a little deeper with them. It is always fascinating to
be what equity issue they choose as a group to do their research and social
action on.

I am interested in knowing how the girls in the Girls RAP program choose an
issue to take action on - do you have parameters for them? What kind of
activism skills do you teach them? What are other programs out there doing
around leadership and activism skill building?

Thanks for this interesting dialogue!
Beth Meyer, MA
Young Women's Leadership Alliance
ETR Associates
PO Box 1830
Santa Cruz, CA 95061-1830
phone (831) 438-4060 ext. 218
fax (831) 438-9651



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