The Week's Girl Links

Study: The presence of female politicians boosts aspirations, educational achievement of young women - This recent MIT study confirms what we've observed for years.  Of course, the next step is to make sure to Respect Women In Politics, Shall We?

Find Our Missing Shines A Media Spotlight Where It’s Sorely Needed - Racialicious profiles a great site looking to remedy the disparity in media coverage when those missing are children of color.

Teen Relationships - While a recent study from the CDC confirms the lowest teen birth rate in two generations, they also found that many teen girls didn't know Sex can cause pregnancy: Many teens unclear on the concept. Why?. Also, the new way to be Young, in Love and Sharing Everything, Including a Password. This mom sees her daughter learning early how to deal with Heart Startles.

Girls at home - This week, we're sharing advice on parenting topics such as Grandparents Raising Girls, Sorting out Stepdaughter Snarls, Story-Telling: The Perfect Cure for the Winter Blues, and Tips for Kid Procrastinators or Dawdlers.  We'll also wrangle with questions on whether obedience is a sign of good parenting and What to Do When Your Daughter Is the Mean Girl?

Speaking of bullying, you might have noticed that the Supreme Court decided they would give No clarification in anti-bullying constitutional question. Not sure it gets at the legal issues or more challenging aspects of relational aggression, but we'll still celebrate how this Mill Creek Middle School Student Inspires Classmates Through Posts on Lockers.

Body Image - Yes, it's getting worse for girls both in the media and on the inside, as well.  In fact, Concerns over body image outrank school and stress for girls in Australia. As we looked at last week, part of the impact is through Stereotype Threat.  Some suggestions for intervening: The Right Way to Talk to Young Girls About Beauty and ideas specifically on Media and Tween Girls: Creating a Positive Influence.

The Girl Gamer Perspective: Marketing Messages Miss The Target - Lego isn't the only company off the mark in their assessment of girl audiencies.

The Week's Girl Links

In an effort to keep you informed about what's happening in the world of girls, we will be bringing a weekly set of links to media around the web.  If you see one we miss or there's a topic issue you'd like to see us cover, let us know @NWGCoalition or by email.

Science Fair Winners - The young women that swept Google's Science Fair were on a panel at Tedx-Women and also were interviewed offstage by Global Girls Media.  Then there's this story of one of the Intel Science Competition finalists, who is not only inspiring for her work with shellfish but also for persevering even as her family became homeless.

“Mom, I’m Fat:” One Mother’s Inspired Response to Her 7 Year Old

Princess Possibilities - One article wonders about the rise of princess-themed businesses while another offers Six Princess Books for Parents Who Really, Really Hate Princess Books.  Also make sure to check out Peggy Orenstein, author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter, when she comes to Town Hall on February 15th.

Girls and Math: Busting the Stereotype - Last month's study took an in depth look at test score data, and once again, determined it's not about ability - It Doesn't Add Up.  What's more - Surprise! Gender equality makes everyone better at math!

LEGO Friends vs. LEGO Education: What’s the lesson here? - A great roundup of the firestorm Lego ignited with their new Lego Friends minifigs and marketing campaign for girls, including a summary of last week's Tweetup sponsored by Nancy Guver from New Moon Girls and commentary on the disconnect with the Lego Education division.

Tech Tips For Parents and Teens - First, Facebook, Nice Girls and Self-Worth gives a good look at how offline and online issues with image collide for girls.  Tech challenges cut both ways and some wonder are Parents Too Plugged In? That’s What Our Kids Say.

Is Boredom Good for Children?

Girl Scouts of Colorado Support Transgender Youth - Enough said (unless you really want to want to give the controversy more attention).

NWGC Annual Resource Fair

Join the Northwest Girls Coalition for our 1st Annual Resource Fair!

Tuesday, February 7th    4:00-8:00pm
Lake Washington Girls Middle School
810 18th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122

Featuring performances by Rain City Rock Camp

4:20pm: Dr. Shirin Sherkat, Create Happy Kids - Dr. Sherkat is nicknamed, "the child whisperer" by many happy families who value her gift to see each child's perspective as they use her methods to bring harmony to their formerly conflicted families. She teaches parenting workshops and shares keynote presentations to parenting groups that put prevention strategies center stage. The MAGICAL Sentence!! (How to motivate your kids successfully!)

and quick talks by the Unfrazzle Speakers:

5:00pm:  Kathy Slattengren, Priceless Parenting - Kathy works with parents of kids of any age. From toddlers to teens she'll make your parenting life a breeze. How to Turn Anger Into Empathy

5:20pm:  Mary Karges, Moonjar - Mary teaches families how to start the conversations about money. She helps you talk to your kids about saving, spending and Why Teaching Kids About Money Will Make YOU Rich - part 1 and part 2

6:00pm:  Kim Estes, Savvy Parents Safe Kids - Kim works with parents of preschoolers to tweens. Non-scary tips and tools to keep your kids safe from sexual abuse and the big, bad world. Why Stranger Danger is a Myth

6:20pm:  Amy Lang, Birds + Bees + Kids - Amy works with parents of kids age two to twelve. She helps you confidently and effectively talk to them about the birds and the bees.  Why Puberty Doesn't Need to Make You Nervous - part 1 and part 2

7:00pm:  Margit Crane, Gifted With ADD - Margit works with parents of tweens and teens with ADD. She provides simple, effective strategies to keep them focused. How To Raise a Motivation Machine!

7:20pm:  Sara Eizen, Nest - Sara works with moms to help them reclaim their homes. Clutter goes away and calm reins. How to Turn Clutter Into Calm

Adults & kids alike are invited to visit tables hosted by many local girl-serving organizations, including:

Bike Works

Create Happy Kids

Deborah Reber

Dot Girl Products

EdLab Group

Future of Flight

Her Best Self

Mamacon

Metrocenter Y GOLD

Monkey Fist Facilitation

NatureBridge

Rain City Rock Camp

Reel Grrls

Salish Sea Expeditions

Seattle Girls School

SHINE

US Dept of Labor, Women's Bureau

Free Raffle!  Fun Activities!

Resources From Sugar and Spice But Not Always Nice

If you didn't make it to last Thursday evening's talk by Rosetta Lee on Alternative Aggression in Girls, you missed a fantastic presentation chock full of great information for those who work with girls.  Fortunately, she's provided the slides from her presentation (embedded below) along with a slew of other resources including some specifically for parents, teachers, and girls themselves.  Thanks again to those who made it out and especially to Rosetta for her good work in the community and to Seattle Girls' School for supporting that work.

Northwest Girls Coalition Alternative Aggression Workshop

View more presentations from Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Sugar and Spice But Not Always Nice

Join the Northwest Girls Coalition for a special upcoming Supporting Girls in the Teen Years event...
Sugar and Spice But Not Always Nice: Gender, Bias, and Aggression in Adolescent Girls
A talk with Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Odd Girls Out. Queen Bees. Girl Bullying. When did we lose our sweet little girls? Examine the cross-section of socio-emotional development, gender bias, and adolescence in the emergence of the “Mean Girl” phenomenon. What can we do as parents, educators, and supporters to promote healthy relationship among girls?

November 10, 6–8pm
Hosted by Lake Washington Girls Middle School
810 18th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122

Register today!
Free for NWGC members
$7 suggested donation for non-members.
If paying at the door, please bring cash or check payable to NWGC.

Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee is a faculty member at Seattle Girls School, as well as an experienced educator and diversity consultant whose passion and expertise ranges from science and ethics for middle school students, gender equity in STEM education, cross-cultural communication, gender bias, relational aggression, identity development, anti-bullying, brain and learning, and more. Driven toward empowering youth to make a better future for themselves and their communities, and at the same time working with adults to help create inclusive communities that will help empower youth of all races, ethnic origins, genders, abilities, sexual orientations, and other identities.

Organizations Rosetta has worked with include the Junior League, Washington State Association for Multicultural Education, Seattle Public Utilities, and numerous nonprofits and schools. She has served several years on the faculty of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Summer Diversity Institute, as well as its diversity think-tank cadre, Call to Action.

Become a member for only $25 at nwgirlscoalition.org and attend networking events and educational programs all year long at no charge!

The mission of the NWGC is to strengthen the girl-serving community by fostering education and collaboration in the Puget Sound region. We do this by building a knowledgeable, connected network of organizations and individuals who support girls.