Harvest Fest 2012

The fall brings about a certain freshness at a time of year that is quickly coming to a close.  The color of the leaves change, the time falls back an hour and we begin to think of the approaching holiday season.  As the leaves settle, so does a feeling of gratitude.  We begin to look for ways to help and give, in honor of the season.

Recently, girls from our Northside Fort Worth program volunteered at the annual “Harvest Fest” held at the Northside Fort Worth Community Center.  Our high school girls spent the day running various game booths, painting faces, coloring hair, distributing candy and talking to girls about Girls Inc. programs.  There were hundreds of people in attendance and the girls were grateful to be a part of this annual event.  


Many thanks to Abel and his wonderful staff at the Northside Recreation Center for always giving us the opportunity to collaborate on events in the community.  Special thanks to Rosy for making the girls feel welcome.  It is always a pleasure to work with you all to help our community!

Participating in this event is something our girls look forward to each year.  They start asking about it at the beginning of each school year and they sign up early for a chance to provide fun games and activities to the youth and families in the Northside community.

The leaves have settled, the time has fallen back and our hearts are set on the season of giving.  What will you give this season?

"Brooklyn Castle"

The Girls Inc. Leadership group from Berry Elementary took a field trip to the Angelika Theater in Dallas to watch the documentary, "Brooklyn Castle".

 

“BROOKLYN CASTLE tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country. The film follows the challenges these kids face in their personal lives as well as on the chessboard, and is as much about the sting of their losses as it is about the anticipation of their victories.”

Many thanks to Time Warner Cable for making this possible for our leadership group.  The girls thoroughly enjoyed their time at the Angelika Theater.

 

Some of the lessons they learned from the film were:

 

Practice every day and that’s how you get better – Dejah, age 11

 

Never give up on your dreams – Joanna, age 11

 

If it’s something that you love try harder – Skyler. age 11

 

The queen is the strongest piece on the chess board – Kaitlyn, age 11

Thank you, Time Warner Cable!!

She Votes!

The presidential election only happens every four years.  It is a time in our lives when we watch every move of every candidate.  We watch debates, engage in our own debates, and we reflect.  We look into our future and we reflect on the past.  We analyze our mistakes, mishaps and regrets and we hope that our candidate of choice will build on previous successes, improve the shortcomings and lead our country to a prosperous future. 

On Tuesday, October 23 Girls Inc. held a mock election at all of our Tarrant County program locations.   The election is called “She Votes”.  We set up a “polling place”, created ballots and asked the girls to cast their vote.   Girls Inc. She Votes® is designed to give girls the skills and confidence to see themselves as future voters and as future candidates.


On Tuesday, 528 girls voted.  The votes have been tallied and the results are in.

463 – Barack Obama
48- Mitt Romney




There was another question on the ballot that the girls voted on.
Do you think your school cafeteria should serve food from McDonalds?

423 – Yes
105 – No

Passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted women the right to vote.  Today, women remain significantly under-represented in Congress, among Governors, in state legislators, and in local office. Our hope with Girls Inc. “She Votes” is that our girls will find their voice in their communities, as well as their local, state, and federal governments.  All 528 girls who voted found their voices in this mock election and while they don’t all agree on who the next president should be, there is one thing they agree on: Voting is important.