A major goal of the Girls Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania is to foster collaboration between girl-serving agencies and organizations. If you have an opportunity for collaboration, please let us know. Send information to info@girlscoalitionswpa.org.
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The Girls Coalition is Partnering with PROGRESS!
Already a partner? REGISTER NOW for the September 27, 2011 training session.
In an effort to equip girls with specific tools and skills they need to make good choices in their lives, the Girls Coalition has partnered with the Program for Research and Outreach on Gender Equity in Society (PROGRESS) at CMU, to launch a regional effort to teach girls to ask effectively for what they want—to negotiate. As someone who cares about the future of girls in our region, we at the Girls Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania are writing to invite you to partner with us in a coordinated regional effort to empower girls.
Why is this important?
Negotiation is a difficult topic for many women. In fact, while most girls and women are willing to “go to bat” on behalf of a friend or family member, many of them will tell you they’d rather go to the dentist than ask for something that they need or want (a raise, a different work assignment, more balanced childcare arrangements, help with the household chores…).
In Pennsylvania, women make 76 cents for every dollar a man makes doing comparable work. In order to change this dynamic, we need to start early and be intentional about giving girls the skills and practice to become comfortable asking for what they need. PROGRESS builds on the research of Linda Babcock, and has developed age appropriate tools that girl-serving agencies can use to incorporate negotiation training into their programming. The curriculum teaches girls to RECOGNIZE opportunities to negotiate, and then gain the SKILLS and CONFIDENCE to ask effectively. By starting with “small” examples providing them with tools, and then coaching them until they are confident, we believe that we can help prepare girls for the more challenging situations they will face (peer pressure, family dynamics, problems at school, dating relationships, sexual harassment, etc.).
What is the Girls Coalition offering?
The Girls Coalition has negotiated a special agreement with PROGRESS to provide 40 girl-serving agencies (who are members of the Girls Coalition) with the training, resources and technical support that will help them incorporate negotiation training into their ongoing programming for girls. Whether your services are provided in school, after school, on weekends, or during the summers, you’ll be able to weave these tools into your curriculum.
What will your agency be asked to do?
The Girls Coalition is asking you to make an institutional commitment to teaching the girls you serve to learn negotiation skills, and to incorporate this information creatively into your existing programming. Please indicate your commitment by completing and returning the registration form by September 20, 2011. If you are not a member and would like to take advantage of this partnership--Join Now!
If your organization is one of the first 40 to sign up, indicating institutional commitment to joining this regional initiative, then you will:
- Send up to four program staff to a train-the-trainer workshop conducted by PROGRESS (one held in May; next--and final one--September 27).
- Receive one complete “PROGRESS Negotiation Toolkit” underwritten by the Girls Coalition (including a flexible curriculum that can be used by your staff, several workbooks for girls, a Train-the-Trainer DVD, and access to online tools through the PROGRESS website).
- Send program staff to watch PROGRESS staff use the curriculum with girls, and see how the materials can be adapted to work with different audiences.
- Access ongoing technical support as you implement negotiation training within your organization.
Through this partnership, we believe we can positively impact the future for thousands of girls in our region by equipping them with the skills to become economically empowered women. Act today to reserve your space.