HGHW : News & Events

True Beauty Shines on the 4th of July
Hardy Girls is celebrating true beauty--inner qualities and mindful acts--this 4th of July with our Real Beauty Float in the Winslow Parade. Any and all girls who want to participate are encouraged to join us at Hardy Girls to decorate the float and walk across the 2 Cent Bridge to join the parade. Meet at Hardy Girls at 7:30 a.m.

Girls Advisory Board Bottle Drive
The Girls Advisory Board will be collecting bottles between 11:30-4:30 on Sunday July 5th.

People can make their contributions in the following ways:

Leave your bags of bottles out for GAB to grab that day
Not wait until the 5th and take them to Joka's in Waterville or at the redemption center in China where we have accounts set up -- all you have to do is say that you're donating your bottle redemption money to Hardy Girls Healthy Women
Drop them off at Hardy Girls in Waterville
Or wait for a GAB girl to knock on your door on July 5th

All proceeds go towards Hardy Girls fabulous programs that help make the world and our communities a better place for girls to live, learn and grow.

Hardy Days Summer Program
Hardy Days is a unique, interactive summer program for girls in grades 3-6. This new and exciting two-session program is being offered for the first time because we want all girls to have the chance to participate in fun and engaging summer activities. The program will give girls the opportunity to meet with other girls from around the area and participate in hands-on, low cost activities. During the sessions girls will get to meet women who are defying gender stereotypes and challenging notions of what a girl or woman "should" do or be; participate in team-building games and learn skills such as public speaking; and learn to think critically about media images through art projects. Workshops will be lead by community volunteers (local artists and martial arts instructors), members of the Hardy Girls' Girls Advisory Board, and Hardy Girls' Director of Programs.

Hardy Days will be held July 13-16, 2009, 12 pm - 5 pm.
1st Session: 3rd-4th graders July 13 & 14
2nd Session: 5th-6th graders July 15 & 16

Sessions are $50 per girl and include healthy snacks and materials for all activities.
Scholarships are always available for sessions!

Join us on Friday July 17 from 8:30-10:30pm for Girls Night at the Movies featuring Kiki's Delivery Service--all ages.

Print the brochure or register online today!

Save the Date: Croquet Tournament
Join Hardy Girls Healthy Women as we get out our mallets for a croquet match! Forty two-person teams will take to the fields for the New England Regional 9 Wicket Croquet Tournament on Saturday, August 1st at 9 am, with a rain date of Sunday, August 2nd.

Proceeds will benefit Hardy Girls Healthy Women's Scholarship Fund, which ensures that all girls may participate in HGHW programming at low or no cost to them. Please also join us as beginners and seasoned professionals come together on Friday evening, July 31st for Wine & Wickets, a lesson and social hour on the rolling lawns overlooking the Belgrade Lakes.

Schedule and Registration Information
Friday, July 31st, 7pm: Wine and Wickets at the home of Dan and Jane Bolduc
Saturday, August 1st, 9am: Registration Opens at Pleasant Point Field in Oakland

Fees
$100 Tournament Registration Fee
$35 Wine and Wickets Registration Fee
$125 to register for both

Register Online Now! and we'll see you on the court in August!

Join a Hardy Girls Coalition
Coalition groups in Piscataquis and Washington Counties are working to implement Hardy Girls programs in their areas, including film series, Girls Coalition Groups, and Adventure Girls programs. Learn more about these groups at the Piscataquis County and Washington County webpages.

Groups are also forming in Aroostook and Somerset Counties. For more information about the work being done in these counties, or to join a coalition, contact Gillian.

Aroostook County Film Series
Upward Bound and the Aroostook County Hardy Girls Healthy Women Coalition will be presenting a 3-part film series about the ways in which media adversely affects the healthy development of girls and boys.

July 7, 6-7:30pm: Killing Us Softly 3
Jean Kilbourne uses over 160 ads and TV commercials to critique advertising's image of women. By fostering creative and productive dialogue, she invites viewers to look at familiar images in a new way that moves and empowers them to take action.
July 14, 6-7:30pm: Tough Guise
Tough Guise is the first educational video geared toward college and high school students to systematically examine the relationship between images of popular culture and the social construction of masculine identities in the U.S. at the dawn of the 21st century.
July 21, 6-7:30pm: Mickey Mouse Monopoly
This film takes a close and critical look at the world Disney films create and the stories they tell about race, gender and class and reaches disturbing conclusions about the values propagated under the guise of innocence and fun. This daring new video insightfully analyzes Disney's cultural pedagogy, examines its corporate power, and explores its vast influence on our global culture.

All films will be shown at UMPI. Appropriate for teenagers and adults.

Beautiful Day-Machias
Saturday, July 11th
8:30am-4pm
Cobscook Community Learning Center

Honor inner and outer beauty with a day of free workshops.

Dance
Fiber arts
Body work
Creative expression
Kayaking

Wear comfortable clothes and bring a dish to share for a potluck lunch.

Sale on Ugly Ducklings Community Action Kit
For a limited time, order the Ugly Ducklings Documentary or Community Action Kit and get 50% off the list price of the resource!

Hardy Girls Healthy Women is offering this resource at half-price until June 30th. Get your copy of the widely acclaimed multi-media resource designed to reduce bullying and harassment of lesbian and gay youth today!

Order your copy of Ugly Ducklings
Visit the Ugly Ducklings website

Girls Membership Program Launched
Every girl everywhere can now join the Hardy Girls community through our new girls membership program.

Members will be kept up-to-date on all Hardy Girls projects and programming and receive a free subscription to G-WAVE - a 'zine created by girls for girls! Check out a sample of our last edition by clicking here!

All members also get the following benefits: personalized membership card, 20% discount on all programs, 10% discount on all HGHW products, a pack of 4 HGHW greeting cards, and a quarterly newsletter and G-WAVE subscription.

Join today and receive 40% off your purchase of Get Out of My Grill: Skewering Stereotypes-Hardy Girls Style.

Sign Up Now!

Let's Go: No Makeover for Dora!
She's been a bilingual world explorer and a problem-solver extraordinaire. She's shouted, "Let's go!" and set off with her compass, backpack, and sidekick monkey. She's been a brave, adventurous, resourceful girl. Now,she's being madeover to be a lipstick wearing 'tween. Marketers are giving Dora a complete makeover, and this time, her accessories include eye shadow rather than a map.

For young girls, Dora was a good role model. For that reason, Hardy Girls Healthy Women has launched a petition drive aimed at convincing Mattel to Let Go of Dora! The "Let's Go: No Makeover for Dora" campaign wants Mattel to recognize the truth that girls don't need one more doll telling them the point of their lives is to attract boys.

Read Packaging Girlhood's blog on the subject and Mattel's Press release to see for yourself what Mattel and Nickelodeon have in store for Dora.
Sign the petition and say "Let's go. NO MAKEOVER!"

Volunteer with Hardy Girls as a Muse
Have you ever thought about working with youth in the Greater Waterville community? Want to put theory into practice and gain practical skills facilitating groups with girls? Hardy Girls Healthy Women is looking for female students who are interested in working with elementary and middle school girls (5th-8th grade) to help them develop media literacy skills, practice social action and develop a sense of empowerment through connection with other girls. All those interested are encouraged to follow the link listed below for a full description of the position and submit the application attached to that description. All accepted applicants will be trained in girls' development and group facilitation, how to be a "muse" to girls (versus being a mentor) and how to create a safe space or hardiness zone.

Download the Job Description and Application Instructions Here.

For more information on the positions, call Jackie Dupont at Hardy Girls: 207.861.8131 or email info@hghw.org.

Hardy Girls is an American Psychology Association National Resource for Girls!
The American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls cites Hardy Girls Healthy Women as a "National Media Literacy Resource," along with other great organizations doing media literacy work all over the country! The APA report notes that parents and girls can work for change, and our efforts to empower girls to challenge norms earned us this recognition. We are so happy to share this news with you!

Girls Advisory Board Seeks New Members!
We know you want your voice to be heard and who doesn't love making new friends, planning fun projects and events, and helping other girls? If this sounds like you, please apply to be a GAB girl today!
Requirements: No experience is necessary. Applicants must be within the grades of 8th and 12th, be able to work cooperatively as part of a team, and be committed to the group with general interest in the mission and vision of Hardy Girls Healthy Women. Click here to apply.

Requirements: No experience is necessary. Applicants must be within the grades of 8th and 12th, be able to work cooperatively as part of a team, and be committed to the group with general interest in the mission and vision of Hardy Girls Healthy Women. Click here to apply.

Please do not hesitate to email with any questions!

Adventure Girls Has a New Season Adventure Girls has expanded its program this season to offer you 4 addtional events to bring you more opportunities to meet amazing women of daring! The first four events are:

Sept. 12 Sound the Alarm!
Meet Vicki Schmidt, a Maine State Fire Instructor. and Brittany Corey of the Waterville Fire Department as we explore the Fire Station, trucks, gear, and what it takes to be a fire fighter. Location: WFD 7 College Ave, Waterville

Oct. 10 Jane of All Trades
Meet the women of Women Unlimited who will teach us about women in the fields of carpentry, construction and more. In this adventure girls will also learn how to build their own tool box to take with them the next time something needs fixing! Location: Hardy Girls, 14 Common St. Waterville

Oct. 24 Horse Handler
How does body language affect the horse on and off the ground? Jacqui Byron, owner of the Treasure Equestrian Center and rider will talk about techniques. You'll also learn how to control movement and establish yourself as a leader. Location: 238 Prescott Rd. Manchester, Maine 04351

Nov. 14 World of Woods
Meet Erica Block and the women of the woodsmen team. We'll learn the differences between a bow saw and a cross cut saw among other fast paced exciting wood chopping and axe skills. Demonstrations in speed fire building. Location: Woodsmen Field, Washington St. Colby College, Waterville

Don't miss your chance to meet these amazing women! Sign up today!

Free Ugly Ducklings Community Action Kits
Thanks to a generous grant from the Bingham Program, Hardy Girls is offering free Ugly Ducklings Community Action Kits to every school district in Maine! Click here to download an application for the free Kit (PDF: 54K). Or, visit the new Ugly Ducklings website for more information on the project.