Girls Coalition of SWPA presents our Third Annual Conference
The Future of Girls in Our Region: Negotiation. Advocacy. Mentoring. Entrepreneurship.
When: Tuesday, April 5, 2011; 8:00am - 5:00pm
Where: Doubletree Pittsburgh in Monroeville
Cost: $85; after 3/24/11 $100
Online REGISTRATION is now available!
The Girls Coalition is proud and excited to share the details of our third annual conference. This day-long conference is packed full of presentations that will help attendees positively impact the lives of the girls in our region. Every session is designed to provide important information, as well as concrete tools and resources that can be easily and effectively integrated into new and existing programming.
REGISTRATION
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9:00 – 9:30am |
CONFERENCE KICK OFF |
9:30 – 11:00am |
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
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11:15am – 12:15pm |
SESSION I |
12:15 – 1:15pm |
LUNCH
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1:20 – 2:20pm |
SESSION II
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2:30 – 3:30pm |
SESSION III
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3:30 – 3:45pm |
BREAK
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3:45 – 4:45pm |
SESSION IV
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4:45 – 5:00pm |
CONFERENCE CLOSING |
Session Descriptions & Speaker Bios(a complete listing coming soon)
Empowering Girls to Take a Stand Against Dating Violence presented by Diane Dahm-Martin
This workshop will focus on the impact of teen dating violence on girls and young women, with emphasis on how educational goals may be interrupted when a girl is involved with an abusive partner. When given the opportunity to become involved in prevention efforts, girls are able to access resources sooner and help to change the culture of their peers. Tools to empower girls to take a stand against dating violence will be shared, as well as educational activities that can be used in a variety of group settings, including classrooms, support groups or after school programs. Projects developed by teen leaders also will be discussed.
Diane Dahm-Martin is the Program Coordinator for the Expect Respect program, a teen dating violence prevention and intervention program. Diane has been active in the domestic violence and sexual assault fields since 1998, when she served as the president of the Student Sexual Assault Response Team at California University of PA. At Womansplace, her work has included providing services to women in the emergency shelter, counseling children, teens and adults, organizing community awareness events and coordinating the volunteer program.
Inspiring Girls to Take Their Place in Public Policy presented by Dana M. Brown
The workshop will explore the ways in which we can inspire girls (and women) to participate in the public policy process as well as why we should teach our girls the importance of public leadership.
Dana M. Brown began her tenure as the new director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy and assistant professor of political science at Chatham University in July of 2010. Ms. Brown is a doctoral candidate (ABD) in American Politics and Women and Politics at Rutgers University and recently completed a year as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Allegheny College. She has completed additional graduate work in political and social research at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and has presented research on women in politics, political psychology, political media, and political participation by women of color.
Entrepreneurs are Women TOO presented by Cathy Blanchard
This workshop introduces Entrepreneurship as a career path and a viable approach for building life skills to enable girls to achieve success. Workshop content will include brief overview of business ownership, tips for becoming an entrepreneur, women entrepreneurs past and present and an activity designed to give the participants an experiential look at skill development in the context of business ownership.
Cathy Blanchard is a native of Western Pennsylvania and Co Founder and Vice President of Entrepreneuring Youth, a nonprofit organization that partners with schools and community organizations to bring entrepreneurship programs to young people. Through its program pathway model Entrepreneuring Youth provides youth with the knowledge, skills and experiences relevant to achieving personal success in their career and life.
Why Mentoring, Why Girls? presented by Mila Yochum and Barbara Johnson
This workshop will share resources and information needed in creating a high quality mentoring program for girls of all ages.
Advocating for Your Clients: Legal Advocacy and the Court System presented by Beth Scagline Mills, Sandy Lee Steffan, and Susan Evashavik DiLucente
This workshop will provide information concerning protection from abuse, identifying abuse victims, legal advocay and how to navigate the court system. Legal procedures and sources will be discussed.
Beth Scagline Mills is the Magisterial District Judge for the communities of Elizabeth Borough, Elizabeth Township, Forward Township and West Elizabeth Borough. She was appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate on July 19, 2007; and began a six year term on January 4, 2008. Prior to becoming District Judge she was a trial attorney practicing general litigation in both state and federal courts. She is currently Vice-President of the Womansplace Board of Directors and is also a member of the McKeesport 20th Century Club, Round Hill Cemetery Board and Elizabeth Forward Student Aid Fund.
Sandy Lee Steffan is a legal advocate for Womansplace, specializing in police training, lethality assessment training, court room legal advocacy, crisis counseling, and victim early intervention program services. She has worked in the community development and volunteer management field for six years. Sandy is a house captain for Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, a "Big" with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh, and volunteer to help improve aquatic life and eco systems in Pittsburgh's rivers.
Critical Factors Impacting Economic Empowerment of Black Girls...Redefinition: Re-defining self, family and community through the power of cooperative economics presented by Michele Troutman, Ingrid Edwards, and Lakeisha Wolf
This workshop will explore four critical factors impacting the economic empowerment of Black girls, including: socioeconomic disadvantage, heightened exposure to violence, mental health stressors and education disparities. This dynamic workshop will look at African Women across the diaspora in the historical context of Ujamaa (cooperative economics). Additionally, the workshop will explore the present day struggles faced by girls of color in the context of the valuing of self, family, community and interpersonal relationships. Girls will understand how their individual power is made stronger through cooperative economics and bargaining. Participants will walk away with a framework for developing a viable model.
Michele Troutman and Ingrid Edwards are from Gwen's Girls. Lakeisha Wolf is from the Ujamaa Collective.
Preparing Girls for Their Place in New Media presented by Patricia Huettel
This workshop will discuss how new media is influencing how girls are receiving information, how they may use media well, and see past potentially dangerous messages being conveyed today. The speaker will suggest what the future might hold and how we can prepare girls to take an active role in shaping these avenues of communication in the short term, as well as for future careers.
Patricia Huettel teaches Web Design and Interactive Media at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. As a Producer, she has led the development of multimedia solutions for the University of Chicago’s CARA Project/NSF, CBS, and Fortune 500 companies in Pittsburgh. Her work has appeared in national magazines including Computer Graphics World and Computer Artist.
Engaging Girls Voices in Advocacy presented by Heather Arnet and Regional Change Agents from the Women & Girls Foundation
This session is designed as a train the trainer session, so that attendees will learn best practices and strategies for engaging in effective public advocacy and develop ways to engage and train teens in these strategies. Some topics to be covered: how to research relevant causes; how to build a coalition; how to develop a plan; how to engage with the media and legislators; special considerations for teen advocates; potential pitfalls and windfalls. How to make your voice heard! Participants will be given an advocacy tool kit to get a program started including: a resource list, sample letters, top ten strategies for engaging teens in advocacy, suggestions for education and trainings for board and staff members, and plans for action.
Heather Arnet is CEO of the Women and Girls Foundation (WGF). The mission of WGF is to achieve equality for women and girls in Southwest Pennsylvania. WGF advances advocacy efforts of women and girls in SWPA by making grants to support policy advocacy initiatives and by training women and girls to be powerful advocates in their communities through their Regional Change Agent and Catapult programs. At WGF, Arnet spearheads advocacy efforts to pass gender equity legislation and ensure women’s economic security is included in regional and state economic recovery efforts. Arnet meets with legislators, provides committee testimony, and often writes op-eds, and appears on radio and tv news, in support of WGF grantee legislative efforts. Arnet and the Foundation received National and International media attention in 2005 for their successful “Girlcott” of Abercrombie & Fitch. During this campaign Arnet and the WGF teens were interviewed on NBC’s Today Show, CNN, Fox News, ABC and CBS News as well as National Public Radio, and the BBC. Arnet is also a former elected Board Member of the Pittsburgh Public School Board.
Thank you to our 2011 conference sponsors:
Champions:
Advocates:
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Mentors:
Supporters:
Jewish Women's Foundation
itwixie
YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh
Benefactors:
The Midwife Center for Birth & Women's Health
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For Information on the Second Annual Girls Coaltion Conference (held on March 24, 2010 at the Sheraton Station Square), keep reading!
"From Imagination to Realization: Equity and Economic Empowerment of Girls"
| 8:30-9:30am | Conference Registration, Coffee, Networking, Economic Empowerment Expo |
| 9:30-10:30am | Conference Kick-off & Welcome Session |
10:45-11:45am |
SESSION I (Panel Discussions) |
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Innovative Ways to Engage Girls Moderated by Jennifer Stancil |
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Beyond Race: Addressing Socioeconomic Issues When Working With Girls Moderated by LaVerne Baker Hotep |
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Addressing Violence Among Girls and Young Women Moderated by Sara Goodkind, Ph.D |
| 11:45am-1:00pm | Lunch, Networking, Economic Empowerment Expo |
1:10-2:10pm |
SESSION II |
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Finding Power by Finding Your Voice: Advocacy and Equity presented by Allyson M. Lowe, Ph.D. and Rachel M. Furman |
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Pop Culture Dilemma: Is it Empowerment or Objectification presented by Tracey Reed Armant |
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Stress in Adolescence presented by Deborah Ciocco |
2:15-3:15pm |
SESSION III |
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Daddy's Girls: Effective Interventions for Girls Living with Fatherlessness presented by Ingrid Edwards |
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Empowering All Girls to Reach Their Full Potential presented by Dori Ortman and Mindy Payne of UCP Kids |
Title IX: Key Components of Girls' Economic Empowerment presented by Susan Frietsche |
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| 3:30-4:30pm | Keynote Speaker: Dr. Bertice Berry |
It is with gratitude that we thank our 2010 conference sponsors for their generosity.
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SESSION DESCRIPTIONS, SPEAKER AND MODERATOR BIOS
SESSION I
Innovative Ways to Engage Girls Moderated by Jennifer Stancil
Jennifer Stancil is the Executive Director of the Girls Math and Science Partnership (GMSP), a program of Carnegie Science Center. Her career started in Alabama and then North Carolina, working to engineer the programming for two new museums – McWane Science Center and Marbles Children’s Museum (previously Exploris). Her start-up savvy helped build and solidify the reputation of those institutions and their educational program excellence in those communities. Jen’s consulting work has taken her across the country to speak, train, and motivate those in the museum, educational, and corporate worlds as well as help design and build the capacity of non-profits. As the primary steward of the GMSP brand and the relationships that ultimately make it successful, Jen spends as much keeping pace with today’s tween and teen girls as she does in foundation board rooms. Jen is also charged with developing affiliates across the nation that allow the GMSP model to spread to new communities, the first of which is GMSP:Southwest, in Phoenix, Arizona. In January 2006, Jen moved to Pittsburgh to take the helm of the Girls, Math & Science Partnership, mobilizing her training as a biologist and her passion for and experience working with teen girls. She was named an Emerging Leader in Pittsburgh in 2007 by the Junior League for building better communities for women and girls. In 2008, Jen was recognized as one of Pittsburgh’s “Top 40 Under 40,” an award for Pittsburghers who demonstrate the passion, commitment, visibility, diversity, and overall impact on the region.
Beyond Race: Addressing Socioeconomic Issues When Working With Girls Moderated by LaVerne Baker Hotep
LaVerne Baker Hotep is the director of community education and outreach at the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime, where she oversees school and community-based violence prevention programs. She and her staff develop community training and education programs unique to the violence prevention landscape, which include producing and hosting “Peace It Together Pittsburgh,” a radio talk show focusing on issues of peace building. Over the past 16 years, Hotep has served as minority outreach specialist for the American Cancer Society, and on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation's National African American Advisory Council. In 1998, she founded SisterTeach Council, an organization that designs and publishes culturally relevant health education materials and programs for women of color. In addition, she is creator, producer and host of “Well Woman Radio Retreat,” a program which focuses on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of women. She currently sits on the board of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, the South Pittsburgh Peace Coalition, and the steering committee of the Girls Coalition of Southwestern PA. Recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier as one of Pittsburgh’s 50 African American Women of Influence, Hotep has received numerous awards including the coveted Women in Communications Matrix Award and the YWCA 2004 Racial Justice Award for her work as a community outreach specialist and educator.
Addressing Violence Among Girls and Young Women moderated by Sara Goodkind, Ph.D
Dr. Sara Goodkind is Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. She has a PhD in Social Work and Sociology, an MSW, and a Graduate Certificate in Women's Studies from the University of Michigan. Dr. Goodkind's research focuses on programs and services for young people, particularly those in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Much of her work has focused on programs for girls in the juvenile justice system, and she has been involved with efforts to improve the system and prevent and develop alternatives to girls' involvement with it. Dr. Goodkind's current research explores the experiences of young people aging out of the child welfare system and transitioning into adulthood.
SESSION II
Finding Power by Finding Your Voice: Advocacy and Equity presented by Allyson M. Lowe, Ph.D.and Rachel M. Furman.
Dr. Allyson Lowe is Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at Carlow University. Prior to joining the faculty at Carlow in 2009, she was Director of the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy (the Center) for five years and held t
he Elsie Hillman Chair in Politics at Chatham University. Originally from Ohio, she received her Ph.D. and M.A. from the Ohio State University and her Bachelor of Arts, from Miami University.
As Department Chair, Dr. Lowe oversees a team of talented teaching colleagues and the curriculum in the political science and public policy and leadership majors and minors. She serves and the university’s primary pre-law advisor. She is consistently interest in international affairs. A Fulbright Award recipient and member of the American Council on Germany, she offers courses in comparative politics, with special attention to the EU, women and politics, and policy formation. Her research interests include political institutions, leadership and policy development in the EU with special attention to women’s issues and political participation. She has designed and lead an undergraduate seminar to the European Union headquarters and selected member states for three years. In 2008, her seminar was funded by the Max Kade Foundation.
Dr. Lowe currently serves many community non-profit and advisory boards such as: the Pennsylvania Women’s Campaign Fund (a bi-partisan state PAC); the Southwestern Pennsylvania Program for Deliberative Democracy ; the European Union Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh; the Good Government Awards Committee of the League of Women Voters, the Governance Committee of A+ Schools. Dr. Lowe was appointed by the Governor of Ohio to serve on the Board of Trustees for both Ohio State and Miami Universities and has an extensive record in university governance activities. Dr. Lowe received a Pittsburgh National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Volunteer Award for her community leadership.
In 2009, she was named one of the 40 Under 40 top young professionals by Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP.
Stress in Adolescence presented by Deborah Ciocco
Deborah Ciocco is the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Project Coordinator and a Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation Officer II. Deborah has over twenty-eight years experience with the Westmoreland County Juvenile Probation Department. During her tenure she has experienced positions in school based probation, aftercare, the intake department, within the detention setting as a detention intake officer and very close relationships with Mental Health Providers and Westmoreland Intermediate Unit #7. Deb has been certified as a trainer in many arenas, a few of these being the FBI, Municipal Police Officers Training Academy in Pennsylvania, and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Project through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. As part of the PTSD Project she also has been certified in facilitation of the PTSD Residential Treatment Curriculum. In addition to presenting at numerous professional conferences throughout Pennsylvania Deb has presented Nationwide on many training areas; most recently she has been a trainer for the National Institute of Corrections, speaking on the PTSD Project and Working with Sexual Offenders. She also had been appointed to serve as a Regional Field Representative for the Northeast Region of NIC. Deb’s involvement with the PTSD Project has given her the high honor of being presented with the award for “Juvenile Probation Officer of the Year” by the Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission in 2004. The PTSD Project also was awarded “Program of the Year” by the Commission in 2004. In 2007, she was honored by the Pennsylvania Association on Probation and Parole as the “Juvenile Probation Professional of the Year”. In 2009, she was honored by Mental Health America as an award winner in the area of Recovery, for the PTSD Project. Deborah is a graduate of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, and holds a Master’s Degree in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
SESSION III
Daddy's Girls: Effective Interventions for Girls Living with Fatherlessness presented by Ingrid Edwards
Ingrid Edwards is the Program Director for Gwen’s Girls, Inc. Gwen’s Girls is a non-Profit Organization that works with at risk girls in Allegheny County. Ingrid holds a Bachelor's degree in Education and African American studies from Antioch College and a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. Additionally Ingrid s a licensed clinical therapist and holds a Home & School Visitor Certification in addition to a Certificate in Executive Management from the University of Michigan . Finally Ingrid is a graduate of Pittsburgh Leadership Development , Inc.
Title IX: Key Components of Girls' Economic Empowerment presented by Susan Frietsche
Susan Frietsche is a senior staff attorney in the Western Pennsylvania office of the Women's Law Project. Since joining the Law Project staff in 1992, she has litigated, lobbied, and organized on behalf of low-income women, domestic violence survivors, reproductive health care providers and their patients, teenage women needing confidential abortions, custodial parents owed child support, lesbian and gay parents, incarcerated women, and pregnant women excluded from substance abuse treatment. Since 2006, she has been counsel for a class of female students at Slippery Rock University who successfully challenged Title IX violations at their school. In addition to her work at the Women’s Law Project, Ms. Frietsche is an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where she teaches a course called “Reproduction, Sexuality and the Law.” She also taught a seminar on sex discrimination at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Ms. Frietsche is the co-author of “Preserving the Core of Roe: Reflections on Planned Parenthood v. Casey,” published in the Yale Journal of Law & Feminism. She is a graduate of Temple Law School and Bryn Mawr College.
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The first annual Girls Coalition Conference in 2009 was a great success. To learn more about the 2009 conference, the following information is available for you to view:
- 2009 Conference schedule
- 2009 national and local speaker bios, including Peggy Orenstein, columnist and author, and Leslie Bonci, Director of Sports Medicine Nutrition at UPMC
- 2009 conference flyer
- 2009 conference article in the Post-Gazette!