POWERFUL TOGETHER
BI-WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
February 18, 2021
Continued Partnership with Minnesota Department of Health
When COVID-19 began, Girls Are Powerful recognized that we had a role to play in helping our community. We partnered with the Minnesota Department of Health to deliver timely and factual information about COVID-19 to help keep people healthy and safe. These past months we have produced virtual events and delivered messaging that encourages physical and mental health. We are delighted that we will continue this important work with the Minnesota Department of Health and will soon be resuming our virtual events!
ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCEMENTS
Mother-Daughter Event Highlights
The Anchoring Our Love and Strength event kicked off on February 6. Our first virtual session brought together 42 Mothers and Daughters. We discussed vision boarding, family communication and ways to bond through dance! You can see the Welcome Video by Dawn Stevens here. Our next session is Saturday, February 20.
SAVE THE DATE: Girls Are Powerful Day May 22, 2021
We are putting together a full day of amazing Girls Are Powerful activities in partnership with Jamf. About Jamf helps organizations succeed with Apple. By enabling IT to empower end users, we bring the legendary Apple experience to businesses, education and government organizations.
More information is coming soon!
Summer of Power 2.0
This summer, Girls Are Powerful is holding Summer of Power 2.0. We are building off the success and learnings from last summer and bringing you all your favorite activities along with some new ones! This fun and engaging at-home alternative summer camp is for girls ages 5 -17. The camp aims to empower girls and young women through unique activities, challenges, and virtual connections that will help build confidence, self-esteem and self-awareness. We will have more information and open up registration soon!
Thank you for your interest in Board Service and Becoming a Volunteer!
To all of those who expressed interest in volunteering or joining the board of GRP, thank you! We are so lucky to have such a great network of motivated women, eager to support young women’s development and personal growth! We are eager to get started with this next round of volunteers and hope to introduce our new board members soon. If you missed the volunteer session, email us at volunteer@girlsarepowerful.org to learn more about how to get involved.
GRP in the News
- Thrive For[e]word, You Are Powerful! How to Use It to Empower Others with Shawntan Howell
- The Good Stuff host, Colleen Fuentes Interviews Shawntan Howell about Girls Are Powerful and the importance of affirmations, self-reflection, and positive self-talk.
- Hands on Twin Cities “Inspired to Act: International Women’s Day”
Returning to the Classroom
Good news! Yesterday, Governor Tim Walz updated Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan so that more middle and high school students can resume in-person learning! With increased vaccinations, decreased hospitalizations and new COVID-19 cases declining, it’s time to get our kids back in school! Beginning February 22, all middle and high school students can return to the classroom for hybrid or in-person learning. All schools will offer their students some form of in-person learning by March 8. Families who still aren’t comfortable sending their students back for in-person or hybrid learning can choose a distance-learning option.
Schools have implemented new health and safety protocols, students and families are encouraged to get a COVID-19 test every two weeks. Families can find locations for free COVID testing on the Minnesota Department of Health’s website.
“Thanks to vaccines and the hard work of so many people we are getting closer to the end of this pandemic,” said Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “Having more students able to be in the classroom is a positive step, and it’s up to all of us to protect that progress by keeping up our vigilance.”
The Vaccine Connector
The Minnesota Department of Health just shared information about how to sign up for The Minnesota COVID-19 Vaccine Connector. This is a tool that helps you find out when, where, and how to get your COVID-19 vaccine. All Minnesotans should sign up, regardless of whether they are currently eligible to get vaccinated. Go to mn.gov/vaccineconnector to sign up. You can also call 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 will be one of the best ways to protect yourself and everyone around you. The more people who get vaccinated against COVID-19, the better it is for everyone. By stopping the spread of COVID-19, we can keep businesses, schools, and other venues open. You can help stop the pandemic by getting a COVID- 19 vaccine when it is available to you.
COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. The requirements for COVID-19 vaccine are the same as all other vaccines. The manufacturers must present the study data that shows the vaccine is safe and that it works before it is approved for general populations. This data is closely reviewed by several scientific groups and they make informed decisions about the risks and benefits of using it.
Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines work very well at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Experts also think that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
The Vaccine Is Free
COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to people at no cost. However, health care providers will be able to charge an administration fee for giving the vaccine to someone. This means that you might be asked for your insurance information when you get the COVID-19 vaccine. You can still get the COVID-19 vaccine if you do not have insurance and/or cannot pay the administration fee.
Celebrating Black History
February is Black History Month, a time to recognize black people’s central role and contributions in history. Black history is so much bigger than just a one-month celebration. Take this month – and beyond- to recognize and celebrate Black history while embracing our own diversity, prioritizing equity, empowerment and inclusion.
March is Time for Hobbies and Activities
Have you started a new hobby or found a new activity lately? Did you know that spending time on a hobby or activity can actually improve your mental health and wellbeing? It’s hard to believe, but research has shown that people with hobbies they enjoy (that part is important) are less likely to suffer from depression and stress. If your hobby is a social one, it also allows you to interact and meet new people. Hobbies bring us joy and help us live a full, balanced life. If you haven’t already, maybe it’s time to try a new hobby or learn a new skill!
– “Make time to follow your passion and never let your hobbies and interests take a back seat.” Richa Dwivedi
Wonder Person
We can just not get over the amazing Amanda Gorman. At age 22, Gorman was the youngest-ever Inaugural Poet at the 2021 Inauguration of Biden and Harris. She read an inspirational and eloquent poem about light, bravery, and reconciliation. She also performed a poem at the pre-show of Sunday’s Super Bowl! If you haven’t read or seen her Inaugural poem, we definitely recommend that you check it out – it is truly breathtaking.
Meet our Brand Ambassadors
Our team is hard at work developing our Brand Ambassador Program. This program is a way for all to get involved as a virtual volunteer for Girls Are Powerful. If you possess a desire and a commitment to empower and encourage the lives of the next generation of girls, we’d love to get to know you. Your values include personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a passion for improving women and girls’ lives in our community. To learn more about our program, and nominate yourself today by visiting our page here at www.girlsarepowerful.org/brand-ambassador/
At the heart of Girls Are Powerful’s programming is, of course, girls and young women. We incorporate youth voices into our work to capture what is important to today’s young women. The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) consists of volunteers who have elected to play a leadership role in our organization. The YAB consists of eight girls, ages 13 to 17. During COVID-19, the YAB has been finding new and creative ways to share information with the community about how to be safe, secure and steady in today’s challenging times.
Meet the YAB!
If you haven’t already checked out the bios on these clever and motivated young women, now’s the time. You can learn more about our YAB members right here. If you or someone you know would like to join the YAB, sign up here.
Back to School #justwearit Edition!
YAB members are submitting their #justwearit photos to encourage and normalize mask-wearing, but this time it’s a back-to-school edition! Many students are currently operating via a hybrid system for school: they are at school in person for part of the week and online the other half. To make sure COVID-19 safety protocols are still in place at school, members share photos of them wearing their masks with a school theme – this includes posing with their backpacks, wearing their favorite back-to-school outfit, etc.