Spring Girls Inc. Workshops Focused on Media, Science and Fun

Girls Inc.^® at the YWCA of Minneapolis has hosted two all-day workshops on school release days this year and we are off to a strong, smart, and bold start to 2014!In January, we held a workshop called Media Smarts. Girls were engaged in conversations about how media impacts them every day. They examined how media messages are constructed and even participated in a fake reality show to demonstrate that reality TV is not always what it appears to be! One girl said she learned that "media doesn’t show a mirror image of real life" and another girl noted that "ads have a target audience and a purpose." It was an action-packed day full of critical thinking and, most of all, fun!

In February, the workshop was called Operation SMART, which focused on STEM (science, technology, math, and engineering). The girls worked in teams to construct gumdrop towers, then tested them to see how strong they were. They also made their own gum with chicle from the rain forest, and participated in a hands-on math activity that illustrated mean, mode and median. That afternoon, the Society of Women Engineers visited and made mini-vehicles out of spools and rubber bands, giving the girls opportunities to experiment, work together and tap into their inner engineers!

Both workshops ended with swimming in the Midtown Pool. The water slide and the hot tub are always fun, but the biggest highlights are the friendships that develop between girls throughout the day. We love meeting new girls and seeing familiar faces from previous Girls Inc. programming. Our next workshop is Monday, March 31. We invite you to come join us!  The theme will be Careers, and we’ll have professional women visit and share about what they love about their careers! View a printable flier with more information. Can't wait to see you there!