Kids and Food

What are some important things to teach our kids about food? Rob Smart has a few suggestions. In his article (from The Huffington Post) are the 10 things he would integrate into our children's educational curriculum to give them a fighting chance at making the joys of sustainable food central in their lives.

Chase Giving

If you're a Facebooker, you've undoubtedly seen a ton of activity alerting you that a friend of yours has voted in the "Chase Community Giving Challenge." Now through December 11, charities have a chance to win awards ranging from $25,000-$1 million! Chase is giving away a total of $5 million to 100 worthy charities. So...

PLEASE VOTE FOR US!!

Of course, we thank you for all of your votes and support. Please forward and let your Facebook friends know, too!

And, please note:

1. You must have a Facebook account to vote.

2. Our 501(c)(3) name is The Institute for Labor & The Community, Inc. But, we are still The Girls & Boys Projects, as you've always known us. :)

3. We've heard that some people have encountered some issues with the Chase application - specifically, with whether their vote registered. If you do, please be patient and try to vote again.

We know you want to scroll down and read more entries, but go vote, then come back! Happy Holidays!!

Liberty And Justice For Some

In Arkansas, a ten year old boy has refused to stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance. Will Phillips, a fifth grader at West Fork Elementary School refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, specifically because that one phrase, "liberty and justice for all," he says, does not truly apply to all- especially the fact that gays can't get married. Now that's what I call sitting down for what you believe in!!! Any thoughts?

Does It Ever End??

Since 2007, Yeoman Warder Moira Cameron (42) has been the first (and only) female protector of the Crown Jewels, famously known as Beefeaters of the Tower of London, since the corps of Tower guards was created in 1485.

It was revealed Monday Nov. 2, 2009, that two male Beefeaters at the Tower of London have been suspended and a third is under investigation over allegations they bullied the first woman ever to join their ranks, an official has said.

It seems like her colleagues might benefit from viewing a few of the webisodes on the Stop Bullying Now website so they can (as the website's tagline states) Take a Stand; Lend a Hand.

Varsity Double Dutch

Beginning in the Spring of 2009, Double Dutch became an officially sanctioned varsity sport in New York City public schools. School officials say adding double dutch to the calendar should get hundreds of students participating in an enjoyable aerobic activity. Ruth Payne, a retired drug-prevention counselor who coaches double dutch, was a major force behind persuading the athletic league to add the sport to its roster.
"It's a great thing," she said. "Thousands of girls jump rope, but they do it as a recreational sport, just for fun. For it to be in the schools, that means it's getting good recognition as a sport."

Double dutch will officially be coed, though the great majority of participants are girls. "Jump In!" a 2007 Disney cable movie, starred Corbin Bleu as a high schooler who defies gender stereotypes by forsaking boxing for double dutch.

School sports officials hope to start with 10 to 15 double dutch teams spread among the five boroughs. Payne, who coaches Brooklyn's Jammin' Jumpers double dutch team, said young people who participate in the sport learn skills that will help them succeed in life.
They learn how to negotiate," she said. "They learn how to talk, they learn discipline. And they learn to work together."

Superwoman!

This past weekend at a "healthy kids fair" Michelle Obama truly inspired us all. She led by example and jumped double dutch (and hula hooped and jumped mini hurdles) at the event on the South Lawn. How can you resist kicking your shoes off and joining in with the First Lady? She shows us that we can have a little fun and get fit at the same time? Lets do it!!!

Seriously???

To promote its new Amp energy drink, Pepsi has released "Amp Up Before You Score," an iPhone app to help guys make advances with 24 "types" of women. Are they serious? What do you think?

F.Y.I. Pepsi pulled the app on October 24th. "We have decided to discontinue the AMP iPhone application," a Pepsi spokesman told AdWeek. "We've listened to a variety of audiences and determined this was the most appropriate course of action."

Shame On You, Polo Man...

From the, "You Can't Be Serious" department comes this story. It turns out that model Filippa Hamilton (5'10", 120lbs.) was fired for being overweight. And, to add insult to injury, her body was photoshopped nearly to the point of a caricature in what has to be one of the oddest looking ads from a well known designer...

Ralph Lauren has since apologized for the image (not for the firing - they're standing behind that decision). Hopefully, the young girls aspiring to this image of thinness and beauty heard the apology.

But, let's not delude ourselves. Even if they did hear the apology, the real message has already been sent...

Where It All Began

It's been 11 years since The Girls Project was first created. The program was developed in response to bullying and name-calling at The Neighborhood School. The school's principal Judith Foster felt that the overall culture of the school had to be addresses where such issues where concerned.

It is quite rewarding to see that after a decade, our program's value is still felt. Topics have since been expanded to cover a wide range of social issues, as well as to accommodate the demands of boys who wanted a similar space. And, schools and CBO's continue to contact us about training their teachers and staff and implementing our curricula into their organizations.

And, it is humbling to see that our pilot site is still running our programs. The teachers there believe in the effects of such an empowerment program on their students; as do we. Thanks to The Neighborhood School!

Evolution

Photoshop is an amazing tool . . . and, we should remember that.

Disparity in Sports

In spite of tremendous advances for girls in the area of sports, since the passage of Title IX in 1972, urban girls, in particular, are left behind. Only a third of urban girls are involved in some form of athletics, compared to 50% of suburban girls. And, unfortunately, in some families, although boys are able to pursue sports, girls are often relied on to help out at home, with cleaning and babysitting. Here's a look at one team's struggle to keep going in the Bronx.

She Hits Like a Girl

This past Sunday, Hannah Berner ended her season 16-2 after playing her final match for the Beacon High School team. A feat made all the more remarkable by the fact that she was playing with and competing against boys.

Hannah Berner is used to being one of the guys. During half of her junior and for her entire senior year at Beacon HS, she has played on the Blue Demons' boys tennis team because the school doesn't have a girls squad.

Here is a great piece about how she beat the odds and helped Beacon capture their third city title in 4 years.

Inspirational!

Gender Bender

We attended the New York premiere on Tuesday, May 26 of STRAIGHTLACED: How Gender's Got Us All Tied Up, the latest film from Debra Chasnoff, Executive Director of Groundspark. Our very own advisor, filmmaker Jacki Ochs, was among the many NY Hosts at this event. 

 

Fifty teen voices appear in this 65 minute film (soon to be edited to a more manageable short version for educators). Guest speaker, Mia Herndon of the Third Wave Foundation, said: "These powerful voices speak truth to the issues facing so many teenagers today." What an amazing resource for teachers and trainers out there who are examining the pressures on teenagers around gender and sexuality!

 

Contact: info@groundspark.org

Lead, Don't Follow

Sixteen year old Tatiana Tye blames the fact that she was a follower and not a leader as the reason for her getting into the business of recruiting and pimping out other teen girls.

Circumstances that brought Tatiana to this point are not clear but a question one might ask is, how did this happen?

At what point did she cease to (or did she ever) feel strong within herself to avoid making decisions to get her into this situation.

How can instances like this be avoided? What is our role in looking out for and making sure all girls (and boys) grow up safe, happy and confident.

We can't save the world but we can definitely reach out and help someone we think might be going down a rocky path.

Deal?

What a drag.

According to a new study conducted by the Department of Health in Helsinki, female teen smokers are more likely to experience obesity as adults.

The study also found that smoking during adolescence does not predict weight problems for men.

Who Wears The Pants?

An Indiana Girl (who is remaining unnamed) is suing her school because of their refusal to allow her to wear a tuxedo to the school prom.

The girl's attorney at the ACLU of Indiana argues that the district's policy violates the U.S. Constitution and the students First Amendment right to free speech. He also states that this is in violation of Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in school.

It seems like there really shouldn't be a problem here. A girl wants to wear pants instead of a dress. Is this really such a big deal? What do you think is behind the school not wanting her to wear a tux?

What if it was a guy that wanted to wear a dress ? One student in Wisconsin did, see image below and click on link to read his story.

What if the student wanted to wear a barely there outfit instead?

Do you think there needs to be gender specific dress codes for prom?

Have Dinner Ready!

In the May 13, 1955 issue of Housekeeping Monthly , a handy list was published on how to keep your husband happy. If this article is in fact real, it was probably written by a woman. Check it out and see if you agree with the tips.

In light or womens history month however, look how far we've come. Additionally, as part of the Women's History Month Celebration, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has launched the New York City Women's Resource Network, which is a free, online, searchable database of over one thousand nonprofit organizations and government agencies that provide a variety of services to women and families in New York City.

Sexting

One national study reports that as many as 20 percent of teens have participated in the practice of sexting, sending or posting nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves via cell phone.

Jesse Logan took her own life after a nude picture she took of herself was passed around through email. She originally sent to the photo to her boyfriend and he then sent it to other girls at their high school after she broke up with him.

Teens that might've usually felt invincible are now beginning to realize that there are consequences for their actions. Developmentally, at this young stage in life, some people argue that teens aren't yet able to fully comprehend the idea of consequences.

Gigi Stone of abc news points out that "the dangerous combination of teenagers behaving provocatively and impulsively is not new, but the accessibility to the technology is."

What do you think?

That's so ????

It seems like the trend of using the phrase "That's So Gay" is hopefully coming to an end. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) joined with The Advertising Council to launch the first national multimedia public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to address the use of anti-gay language among teens.

Check out one of the many ads in the campaign.

It's pretty much to the point.

Cyber Everything

The New York Times ran an article about Cyberbullying and how parents are often unaware that it is happening. The article also contains a link to an anonymous Web-based survey that was conducted, with one thousand four hundred fifty-four 12- to 17-year-old youth, by The Journal of Health.

They also listed an article about teens exposing themselves in cyberspace.

This article has great links to interesting studies about teen online behavior and tips on commonsense suggestions for teens.

Gender and Media

The sessions we have on Media always make for great discussions with the students. This is a link I got from the Program Director of Breakthrough New York at The Town School. She felt the site (Gender Ads.com) helped to take their discussion about media to another level. Gender Ads.com was launched a number of years ago (by its founder, Dr. Scott A. Lucas) to provide gender studies educators and students with a resource for analyzing the advertising images that relate to gender.

This is a great source for examples of different types of gender-related advertising materials. The adds are divided into categories such as women as dolls, nymphomaniacs, naggers, strippers etc.

The site also considers Males in Ads and looks at how males are typically represented in advertising. We should be equally concerned with how males are misrepresented in print ads.