Tag: #bringbackourgirls

3-12, Education, Motivation, Parenting, Teaching Tools, Videos, Websites

Smart Girls at the Party

Terri Eichholz
Smart Girls Pledge
Smart Girls Pledge

In one of my recent posts, #Bring Back Our Girls, I referred to a site called, “Smart Girls at the Party.”  This site is part of a movement whose “aim is to help young women and the young at heart with the process of cultivating their authentic selves.”  One of the members of the team spearheading this cause is Amy Poehler – yes that Amy Poehler.

Smart Girls Team
Smart Girls Team

There are all sorts of resources on this site that encourage the empowerment of young women.  You can find inspirational videos, downloadables, interviews with notable women, and even a collection of Pinterest Boards (my favorite board is “They Changed the World“).

The site isn’t just for girls.  The other day I showed one of the “Ask Amy” videos on “Courage” to my students as I felt that it really tied in with a discussion we were having.

Smart Girls offers contests, and is even hosting a summer camp in Austin, TX this year for girls ages 14-18.

If you have a moment, explore Smart Girls at the Party.  It’s a great site for bringing together anyone who is interested in making the world a better place.

amy-poehler-quotation

Education, K-12, Parenting

#BringBackOurGirls

Terri Eichholz
Malala Yousafzai participates in the #bringbackourgirls social media campaign
Malala Yousafzai participates in the #bringbackourgirls social media campaign

I’m taking a break from my regularly scheduled programming to ask all of you to get involved.  That over 200 girls could be kidnapped from their school in Nigeria, and the entire world calvary hasn’t been sent out to rescue them is unconscionable. We would never allow this to go on for so long without appropriate action in the United States.  However, it has been over two weeks, and either the Nigerian government is unable or unwilling to do its job adequately and aid from other countries is needed.  The Boko Haram terrorist group who has taken responsibility for this horrific crime has threatened to sell the girls into slavery and/or as under-age brides.

This violent campaign against “Western education” (particularly for females) must stop.  I can’t think of anything that makes me angrier than committing heinous attacks against women who are trying become educated.  The assault of Malala Yousafzai and her classmates in Pakistan brought the world’s attention to these horrible crimes, and we cannot allow them to continue.

What can we do?