Members of the Soroptimist International of North West Vancouver are launching a workshop program intended to arm young girls with tools to help them make positive choices and responsible decisions.
"Soroptimists strive to improve the lives of women and girls in local communities and around the world," says Gillian Santo, director, Soroptimist International of North West Vancouver. "Soroptimists have been on the North Shore for over 60 years, working to improve the lives of women and girls within the community. We strongly believe that by educating, inspiring and motivating teens through this series of workshops provides a perfect fit for our mandate."
Starting this week, the Soroptimists' Empowerment Girl Talks program will see interactive workshops held on a monthly basis through to May 2015 in both North and West Vancouver.
Workshops, offered for free, are geared towards girls in grades 8 and 9 and will be held after school.
The program was designed following extensive consultation with a crosssection of school counsellors in school districts 44 and 45, and workshops will be presented by experts in a variety of fields - educators, counsellors and trained specialists included.
Examples of upcoming workshops include: Teen Alcohol and Drug Prevention; Respectful Relationships; and Stand Up. Speak Out. Lead.
The November lineup of Empowerment Girl Talks includes:
- Stress Busters, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 5-6 p.m. at West Vancouver United Church. Led by Fit4Defense, the workshop will examine the causes of stress, identify personal triggers and introduce stress relievers.
- Safe Online, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 4-5 p.m. at West Vancouver United Church; and Thursday, Nov. 20, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at John Braithwaite Community Centre. Representatives of the Safe Online Outreach Society will teach Internet safety and responsibility.
- Better Without Bullying, Thursday, Nov. 20, 4:30-5:30 p.m. at John Braithwaite Community Centre. Counsellor and educator Jan Bryant will help students deal with and minimize their stress in a safe environment.
Registration: 604-913-6690 or [email protected].
For full schedule and more information, visit soroptimistnvwv.org.
