A Girl’s World: Today & Tomorrow
In comparison with the nation, Arizona ranks third for women and children in poverty, second to last for total number of women with a high school diploma and fifth for the rate of teen births to girls who are already mothers. There is a huge opportunity gap for Arizona girls and women, who make up more than half the state’s population.
Through A Girl’s World Today & Tomorrow conference, Girls Scouts aim to engage and empower the community with more knowledge about girls today and how girls can be supported to enjoy productive, fulfilling lifestyles tomorrow.
Sharon Lechter, international financial literacy expert, is slated to deliver the breakfast keynote address at the conference on Feb. 20 at the Arizona Biltmore, organized by Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council. Lechter will share the new opportunities that exist to support financial education and entrepreneurship skills in her talk, “Girl Scouts – World Leaders Tomorrow.”
Dr. Kamla Modi, research analyst with the Girl Scout Research Institute, will deliver the keynote address. Modi will present findings from the groundbreaking report “The State of Girls: Unfinished Business” regarding key issues and trends affecting girls’ leadership and healthy development in the U.S. and Arizona.
Four additional workshops will also be presented:
· Girls and Women in the Outdoors: Loving the Lifestyle
Dr. Denise Mitten, graduate chair of Adventure Education at Prescott College, will explore the importance of outdoor experiences for girls outdoors and how to make it happen. Mitten will offer insights from her own research about outdoor leadership and its impact on body image, confidence and competence.
· What’s On Tonight? Changing the Channel on Girls’ Media Exposure
Girls are inundated with messages from various media sources every day. Rachel Reinke, Ph.D. candidate in Gender Studies at Arizona State University will discuss what these media messages are and how they are affecting girls. Reinke will also explore how girls are making their own media and changing the world.
· Ensuring Safe Tourism
The commercial exploitation of children is much closer to home that we realize. Kimberly Klein, SAFE Action Project Manager at the O’Connor House, will discuss the steps being taken within the hospitality industry in Arizona to combat sex trafficking and how to become an engaged community member able to see potential warning signs of trafficking situations and what to do.
· Multiculturalism: Capturing Cultural Heritage through Storytelling
Learn about the power of storytelling to understand and define cultural heritage from Kimberly Flack, associate general manager, EIGHT-Arizona, and the PBS nationwide heritage project and resulting documentaries.
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