Conference Empowers Middle School Girls

Ten middle school girls from Lowell joined 40 other middle school girls from area schools—Stone Ridge, WIS, Green Acres, and Georgetown Day School—at a leadership and empowerment conference on Friday, December 2. The day featured a panel of seven high school girls who offered words of wisdom and support, as well as two workshops—one on body image and one exploring identity and the masks we wear. The event was organized by Malikkah Rollins, Lowell’s Middle School counselor, and colleagues from the other participating schools.

The idea for the event was born out of the counselors’ desire to bring the middle schoolers together to share their experiences as adolescent girls, give them experiences that would build self-esteem and feelings of connection, and empower them to interact positively with each other and their communities. The conference format was inspired by a highly successful regional girls conference at Brentwood High School in California.

 

Malikkah knew the conference had been a success on the bus ride home: “One girl looked me in the eye . . . held my gaze for longer than your average middle school student would feel comfortable, and said, ‘Thank you.’” It was a powerful experience for all of the participants, and the girls from Lowell are excited to bring back what they learned and share it with classmates at a gathering in January. Malikkah said that the girls had so many ideas, she “could not type fast enough!”

 

The conference caught the attention of NBC4. For a glimpse into what the girls experienced on Friday, see Aimee Cho’s report here.

 

Malikkah and the other counselors are already talking about the next girls conference and ways they can encourage their male counterparts to organize a similar experience for middle school boys. The conversations have just begun!