When girls from Somers Middle School in New York head back to classes this week, they will encounter a dose of inspiration left behind for them by some of their former classmates.
Girl Scout cadets Lisa Rothschild and Kelly Quigley teamed up for their silver award project at the end of the school year to help boost the self-esteem of incoming and current middle school girls. “There is a lot of peer pressure to act and look a certain way and that can lead to insecurities,” the girls shared with WYSK.
7 in 10 girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with family and friends*
To do this, the project took on three parts. Lisa and Kelly hosted two workshops for rising 6th grade girls focused on self-esteem, they installed “positive self-talk” decals in the school’s four girls’ bathrooms, and created a “take what you need board” for the entire school to see.
Lisa and Kelly hope that their lasting mark will have great impact. “We know how challenging it can be to feel good about yourself and how important it is to speak up for yourself. We want to help girls see themselves as good enough for who they are.”
*source: Real Girls, Real Pressure: National Report on the State of Self-Esteem