Girls voices matter in Chicago and abroad

Our 12^th annual Youth Performance Camp was phenomenal! 42 girls learned acting, dance, film making and social emotional skills over seven weeks in sessions Monday thru Friday from 9am until 3pm. They performed in the community at several daycares and senior centers, went on field trips and even performed for two other community-based summer camp programs.

 The finale was a sold-out show at the Reva and David Logan Center in Hyde Park for a standing room only audience of parents, partners, and friends. The girls, ranging in age from four to 14 love performing and it shows from the time they hit the stage until the final bow. The audience loved it and the girls felt empowered knowing that they had worked hard, and their efforts were appreciated.

 In early August, Ms. Penn and Ms. Ryonn traveled to our Mounds, IL chapter to have one introductory session and one rehearsal. 22 girls and three parents participated in the session Two weeks later, the Global Girls performance company, eight girls ages six to 14, joined 12 members of the Mounds chapter on stage in a skit called "Be Careful What You Wish For". They performed for an African America Women's Health Conference at Shawnee College.

 Now that schools are back in session, Global Girls is open for business and ready to engage girls not only in Chicago but also in our chapters in Mounds, East St. Louis, Springfield, and Champaign, Illinois once again. We’ve partnered with three Chicago Public Schools to offer onsite dance and theatre training. We are also hosting girls in our afterschool and Saturday program at the Global Studio.

 Global Girls will soon have chapters in Los Angeles, California, and Washington DC thanks to two loyal alumni members, Ryonn Gloster and Nailah Harris. In October, we’ll start a third out-of-state chapter in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

 We believe there can never be too many girls learning to use their voices, building agency, and advocating for themselves and other girls as they take the stage to tell their stories. And, we say, “Global Girls are blossoming everywhere” as an aspirational idea that we know in our hearts based on our trajectory, will become a reality!

Links:

• Global Girl blossoms