HERstory is a leadership program for middle and high school girls. This
preventive intervention program is composed of 50-60 interactive
sessions that address social emotional learning, leadership, and Common
Core standards and that provide opportunities to link to the school day
curriculum. Designed to be facilitated over the course of a school year,
the curricular framework is scaffolded by three components:
- - COMMUNITY BUILDING--Team-building establishes trust within the
group.
- - WRITING WORKSHOP--Enhances literacy skills and fosters individual
identity through writing on seven core themes: Identity, Those We Are
Closest To, Body Image, Love & Relationships, Dreams, Heritage or
Tradition, Legacy.
- - CREATIVE OUTPUT--A culminating ethnographic theater or artistic
literary journal project provides a platform for self-expression
within the wider community.
Participants report improvements in key areas targeted by HERstory,
including peer connectedness, academic achievement, and a range of
protective factors such as future orientation and goal setting.