Thanks to a grant from the Marshall Community Foundation,
5th grade girls in the Marshall Public School District will
have a new program available to them, focused on easing the transition
from elementary to middle school.
Moving from elementary to middle school is a challenging and
uncertain time for everyone, but especially for young women. According
to one study, girls are more likely than boys of the same age to
report feeling anxious around being lost, being bullied, being
pressured to engage in risk behaviors, and meeting academic challenges
upon entering middle school (Bailey et al. 2015).
In order to address these and other fears, Girl Scouts Heart of
Michigan has designed a multi-week curriculum targeted at girls in
5th grade. Over the course of the program, girls will meet
with other 5th graders in the district, as well as older
girls, to discuss their concerns while building a positive peer
support network. The curriculum will address items like self-esteem
and body image, cliques, and stress management. This program will run
for six weeks beginning in March. The program will conclude with an
overnight retreat at Girl Scouts Camp Merrie Woode.
“This grant will allow us to meet a unique need in the Marshall
community that many of our Girl Scouts have expressed concern over.
Entering middle school is a tough time for girls, with many of them
dealing with self-esteem issues, changing friendship dynamics, and a
new and uncomfortable environment. We want to help ease these tensions
so that girls can live up to their full potential. We are so thankful
for the Marshall Community Foundation’s help in making this program a
reality,” said Krystal Prince, Membership Specialist for Calhoun County.
Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan builds girls of courage, confidence,
and character, who make the world a better place. Through empowering
girl-led programs, girls discover their unique talents and abilities,
connect with their peers and their communities, and take action to
positively impact the world around them. The Girl Scout program
welcomes girls grades K-12 of all races, ethnicities, backgrounds,
beliefs, and orientations.
The Marshall Community Foundation is a non-profit organization
dedicated to improving quality of life in Marshall, and throughout
Calhoun County. The Foundation holds permanently endowed funds from a
range of donors, and serves as a conduit for special projects and the
distribution of grants in support of innovative programs like this
one. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.marshallcf.org.
This program is available to all 5th grade girls from
Marshall and Albion. By participating, girls will have the benefit of
being registered as Girl Scouts. For more information about this
project, or to get your girl involved, contact Krystal Prince at (269) 270-4902.