Girls LitClub Launch in Oelwein, Iowa

We are excited to start our 2nd year of Girls LitClub in Oelwein, Iowa.

The after school program is a series of reading, creating and writing workshops for girls to explore their extraordinary strengths and develop leadership skills. 

Mrs. Duff, Mrs. Leo and Mrs. Danielson along with a select group of 6th grade girls will meet every Thursday after school during second semester. Opportunities for girls to read and write in ways that help them explore their sense of self and create supportive social networks are provided. Snacks along with smiles and stories are shared.                                                                                                                                     

Our 1^st meeting had 9 students and 3 adults singing, praising and creating. It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroder will be our chapter book read aloud every meeting. Reading the poem, “The Invitation” by Shell Silverstein made everyone feel welcome. Personal journals were decorated and silly names created. The girls are going to work on planning the LitWorld Read Aloud Day activities for the community in the next few weeks.

--Submitted by LitClub Leader, Karla Duff

Mill Street Loft Girls LitClub at Modfest

Mill Street Loft's Girl's LitClub was invited to participate at the opening night of Vassar College's "Modfest" on Thursday, January 24th.  Modfest is a multi-week celebration of the arts which takes place on the Vassar campus each year.  The young women of LitClub performed in a program which also featured dancers from the New York School of Ballet and an orchestra from Stringendo Orchestra School of the Hudson Valley.

LitClub students worked with Megan, Michelle, and local spoken-word poet "Gold" writing poetry based on LitClub's Seven Strengths: Belonging, Curiosity, Friendship, Kindness, Confidence, Courage and Hope.  Each student wrote two poems, and rehearsed with Gold to learn performance techniques.They were happy to learn the process, and Gold maintained the praise-centric environment essential to LitClub's success. One of our students commented that she will use this style to present her reports in school.

The evening was a great success. The LitClub students dressed up, presented their poems beautifully, received a great round of applause from the audience of about 100 people, AND saw performances by other young people -- ballet dancers and string musicians.

Modfest took place in the beautiful Villard Room at the Vassar College main building.  Our girls were the youngest students participating in the event.  They conducted themselves beautifully, were quiet and attentive during the other performances, and were welcomed by the Vassar students.  Commented one of the LitClub girls, "Everyone here is so friendly!  They all say hello when you pass them.  It's not like the City of Poughkeepsie at all."

Vassar is, in fact, just two miles from downtown Poughkeepsie, but for many of our girls, it's a world away.  Our partnership with Vassar College allows these young people to see what's possible; in fact, students from Mill Street Loft have gone on to Vassar on full scholarship.  Programs like Modfest give our students the opportunity to open doors to their future.

I Wonder, I Wonder...

At this week’s Boys and Girls LitClub at Broadway housing, the boys and girls stretched out their minds by following their curiosity. Curiosity, for LitWorld, does not kill the cat– rather we see it as a way to discover new ideas and territories. Having and engaging curiosity ensures a constant and changing love of learning.

We started with a game of Never-Have-I-Ever-Musical Chairs. This game calls for one person, in the center of a circle of chairs, to say share something they have never done. Once the person says, for example, “Never have I ever had a brother,” those who do have a brother must get up from their seats and run to find a new one before all are taken. The last person becomes the new question-asker. This game really makes the kids aware of each other. Everyone was curiously eyeing each other, wondering who would get up and provide a new seat, and who they’d have to out-run to get there! 

After the game we settled in for a reading of "What Do You Do With A Tale Like This?" by Steve Jenkins. The girls and boys each took turns guessing what tail, eye, nose, ear and mouth belonged to what animal. The best part of this book is it’s occasionally deceiving nature– what begins as a straightforward process soon leads to some truly interesting revelations. What we guessed was a bird’s foot turned out to be a Blue Footed Booby’s foot! What we thought was just fish eyes was really a four-eyed fish! These curveballs made the children more creative and curious in their guessing.

Using what was sparked in the game and read aloud, we complied a list of things that we wondered about (including but not limited to Amelia Earhart, the Bermuda Triangle, Hanukah and birds), and we took those thoughts and put them to paper, creating question poems on fun ‘question mark’ cut outs!

Fly High!

I wonder, I wonder
How birds fly?
I wonder, I wonder
How they have feathers?
I wonder, I wonder, I wonder. 

--Written by Natasha Rivera, LitWorld Intern

Expanding Our Sisterhood: A Special Day for the Accra Girls LitClub

This week the girls of the Elim School LitClub in Accra, Ghana had the opportunity to visit the Christ Faith Foster home in the Frafraha community near Accra. It was a wonderful feeling as we expressed many of the LitWorld Seven Strengths, especially Kindness and Sisterhood.

It was a really fun and fulfilling time for us as we made new friends, and found new sisters. We told them about Girls LitClubs, read stories together, and sang our Hello and Goodbye songs with them.

Perhaps the most touching part of this trip for us was the opportunity to share and express kindness. Our LitClub saved a small amount of money and used it to buy books for our sisters to encourage reading, but also to share the magic of the stories we love. We also thank the Gyberg Glazing Company and Woeldon Logistics, two Ghanaian businesses that supported our initiatives by donating food and clothing to the home.  

The girls who live at the Christ Faith Foster home are eager to have their own LitClub, and we have accepted the challenge to give them the Girls LitClub experience! The administrators of the home could not hide their joy as they spoke kindly about the gesture and joined us to sing and read.

Our girls are excited about the activity, a LitClub member says, "I have enjoyed spending time with my new sister Evelyn. We have told each other about ourselves and I will love us to come back to this home soon, so i can see her more often, I am very happy I came here."

The LitClub has indeed received much commendation for the special way it promotes literacy, community interaction and sense of self.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Emefa 

The Kibera Girls LitClub: A Little Appreciation Goes a Long Way

We had an interesting session with the girls this beautiful Sunday afternoon. During this session we appreciated our friends. On pieces of paper that went around the classroom, the girls wrote down what they appreciate about their friends.

At the end of the exercise everybody got back their piece of paper filled with beautiful compliments from their friend and sisters, showing them how special, how unique, how blessed, how big, wonderful and awesome they are.

It was a treasured moment for the girls; this fueled them with positivity and boosted their confidence levels. The girls were so eager to share with each other as well as with us (their Facilitators and friends). They learned that affection though words is a powerful way to express appreciation. A simple act of graciousness and appreciation is so important. The loving words showed each girl how much their friends and new friends value them.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Prisca

The Harlem Boys LitClub Celebrates Everyday Brilliance

Yesterday at LitClub, I asked each boy as he walked through the door, “What was a moment when you were proud of yourself this past week?

“A good report card;”

“Last catch in a football game;”

“A birthday coming up this Saturday, and it’s the only thing I’m able to think about right now.”

As I sat, I looked around at them and knew that they were proud of themselves because they had all done something simple but amazing. And that they were the better for it. I’m glad that LitClubs allow children to see their own perfections and wonderments; allow them to discover the knowledge that they each radiate amazement all the time.

--Submitted by Boys LitClub Facilitator David

The Girls LitClubs of Kisumu Hold a Week of Community Action

This week the Girls LitClubs in Kisumu, Kenya participated in a week of community action. The events kicked off with a little bit of anxiety, as the activities scheduled for this week are “a first of their kind!” However, the LitClub members set off fearlessly with lots of excitement, their cheerful girls’ voices rang through the air.

The Ogwodo Primary School LitClub chose to focus on a cleaner community. They recited a poem on the importance of maintaining cleanliness within our environment at the local trading center, and proceeded to the market area to pick up rubbish! The girls left the area spic and span.

Meanwhile, the K’Odhiambo Primary School Girls LitClub set off to share stories with the patients of the Masogo Health Center. They brought smiles and gifts of fresh fruit.

At Amilo Primary School, The mud from recent downpour did not stop the LitWorld Members from visiting the marginalized members of the community. The girls hopped, skipped, and jumped between houses to bring joy, and sing songs with as many community members as possible.

By the time we were done, the high spirits and the feeling of gratification that surrounded the members could not go unnoticed.

This week’s activities were used to emphasize the Seven Strengths of Hope, Belonging, Friendship, Kindness, Confidence, Courage and Curiosity.

LitWorld, Thank you for opening our eyes to the community around us!

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Golda

Mill Street Loft Girls LitClub: Malala Day

This past Wednesday we had "Malala Day" and celebrated the new changes in the Pakistani government as we honored the life and sacrifice of this brave girl. (Read about Malala and her remarkable story here!) Most of the girls didn't know about this story and were amazed that someone practically their age is making such a huge difference in the world. 

They took turns reading her story and reading some of her quotes.  We painted Chinese blossom trees in ink and acrylic to make a background for our Malala page in our journals. These trees represent hope and renewal, which we thought was fitting.  

The girls are in the process of writing letters and/or poems to Malala, which they will not only add to the journals but will also upload on Malala’s blog.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Michelle 

Bitter-Sweet Celebrations and Goodbyes in Kibera

It was a bitter-sweet moment at the Kibera Boys’ LitClub on the 18th of November during the year end party. We were celebrating the successes of this year, and at the same time bidding farewell to those members who will be joining high school next year.

Looking back at the activities we had engaged in; everyone had a reason to smile. The games we played, the songs we learned, and the unforgettable LitWorld Summer Camp. The celebrations started with friendly competitions between the boys and girls. We had a spelling be, a "tomato race" and a dance-off! The children danced their hearts out and enjoyed every moment on the dance floor. 

Finally, it was time to give closing remarks. Some were painful as the outgoing members wished the others a peaceful stay and prosperous club sessions next year. “We will miss the moments we shared but the time has come for us to say goodbye and thank you all for everything we went through at the LitClubs,” said Diana. “I am now a LitClub Ambassador and from now onwards, I will spread the Seven Strengths. A big thanks to the LitWorld community for helping me reach this far in terms of character development and the Children of Kibera Foundation for bringing us this family that today I have to say goodbye to,” remarked Eric. We hope to have even a more adventurous season next year.

--Submitted by LitClub Facilitator Jeff

The Sisterhood of the Kisumu Girls LitClubs

Our LitClub meeting this week started on a very high note. The moment the girls at Ogwodo primary school saw us enter the school compound, they burst into a chorus of the “Hello Song!” The whole school had learned it! We then went through the ritual of the “Name Game” which they had modified to include a dance. It was lovely. Then came the challenge… who could recite all of the Seven Strengths? We were all warmed up by the time Madam Catherine introduced the strength of the day, Hope, with a read aloud of Beauty and the Beast. 

We then had a feedback session with the girls, and it was evident that the girls are becoming more confident when sharing with the group. Apart from trying to express themselves in English, they appeared more comfortable in the group and they were full of praise for the LitClub.

The downpour did not stop us from holding our LitClub day at Kodhiambo Primary School. The spirit of sisterhood was clearly manifested in the way the girls were all concerned about the absence of one of them! Teacher Rose took us through the strength of Belonging with a read aloud of The Emperor’s New Clothes. She cracked our ribs with all the animation she used and of course, the humorous flow of the story left us all in tears of laughter.

Amilo Primary school was no different. The girls were all eager to have the session started.

They challenged each other on who could narrate the stories they were reading in English. It put us all in a very cheerful mood as they fished for English words to describe scenes in the story books. Teacher Maureen took us through the strength of Curiosity and read Town Mouse and Country Mouse aloud.

These few weeks have been very progressive for us as we have received a lot of encouragement from the school head teachers who feel that The LitWorld program is a great compliment to the school English Curriculum, they also requested the program to be conducted in Swahili!  The timid girls we were first introduced to have become so outgoing and outspoken. We still have to grapple with the desire of more and more girls wanting to join the LitClub!

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Golda

LitClubs launch at Mill Street Loft

A new Girls LitClub was officially launched at Mill Street Loft in Poughkeepsie, NY! 

To kick off our time together, the girls collaged their notebooks with pictures, words and phrases that represent who they are. An outward expression of their hearts.

Together we read Dr. Seuss’s Oh the Places You’ll Go.  The girls were asked to reflect on past or present experiences in which they have found a path out of a negative situation. They looked at landscapes and created their own fantasy landscape based on the illustrations from the book. Students focused on creating landscapes that show a negative situation in their lives and a creative path which has lead them to a positive place.  

So far the club has been so much fun, the girls are really opening up to us and each other. We can't wait to spend the year growing, creating, and learning together!

 

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitators Michelle and Megan 

The Bungoma Girls LitClub: Ready to Connect

It’s a new week, a new dawn, and new technology for the Bungoma LitClub! Even though the girls had an inkling that something was coming, it was still a wonderful surprise to receive a package that will connect them to the entire world!

The excitement was written all over their faces. Each girl could not wait for her turn to feel, click and visit our LitClub blog for the first time! 

As it was the first time the girls had access to a computer, they had no idea what to do. It was amazing to watch their eyes go agape, their stares, admiration, and enthusiasm. They all had mixed reactions to the experience, but agreed - it’s like a dream!

The girls are looking forward, eager to connect.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Rose

The Kibera Boys LitClub: Confident Explorers

Everyone has a desire to feel valued. As human beings we are always in the pursuit of feeling worthy, a feeling that comes when we gain self confidence. It is to this effect that the Boys LitClub in Kibera tackled Confidence, one of LitWorld's Seven Strengths.

This session was aimed at improving their self esteem, and in turn increasing the value they place upon themselves. As a number of the older boys are preparing to sit for their national exam, it was in order for them get a few tips on the ways to tackle the challenge ahead of them with confidence. They also filled out self-esteem assessment tests to gauge their levels of self-worth.

Meanwhile, the younger LitClub members took part in an activity that was coordinated by the founders of the Cookbook Project, Alisa Bellifield and Adam Aronovitz. The duo had previously visited the LitClubs and taught the boys healthy dietary habits. On this day, they planted various seeds to grow highly nutritious plants. They also learned about the nutritional value of the plants that will soon sprout from the tiny cans. "We hope to enjoy the fruits of our labor soon," said one of the boys.
 

LitWorld Programs Launch at Kodhiambo and Amilo Primary Schools

The Golden Girls Foundation has officially launched LitClub programming at Kodhiambo and Amilo Primary Schools in Kisumu County, Kenya! The program was received with a lot of enthusiasm.

During our very first session, we talked about the strength of "Belonging." It was an extremely appropriate place to start our new experience together. For these little girls, this was the first time they could read a book loudly, without fear of being laughed at. It was the first time they had access to their OWN pens and pencils to write with, their own note books to express themselves, and of course the feeling of Belonging, the sense of sisterhood.

The first activity encouraged the girls to speak in English, which until now they had only learned in school in a theory-based way. Of course, at first they were shy, but as the session picked up... their giggles turned to open smiles, and by the time we were singing the "Goodbye Song," they were all asking for more time to be added to the LitClub session.

Thank you, Litworld Team. A real difference has been brought to the lives of these young girls in a humble village at Miwani Division, Kisumu County, Kenya.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Golda

The Kibera Girls LitClub: Invincible Determination

This past Sunday afternoon the Kibera Girls LitClub welcomed special guests. Adam and his wife Alisa of The CookBook Project visited Kibera last month to teach the girls about healthy nutrition and healthy eating. This time, Adam was joined by his lovely sister Ariel, a teacher, and Mother Rita, who was an art teacher for 30 years. They came on this afternoon to share their different talents with the girls.

As always, the afternoon started off with introductions. The girls were very welcoming as they told their new friends their names. Thereafter, the girls went to classes where they got to know Ariel a little better. They taught her the "halo song" which she loved, and thought the girls sang beautifully. Then Ariel taught the girls how to make really awesome origami (the traditional Japanese art of paper folding). They folded frogs that could actually hop! The girls really had fun with this activity.

After we let our frogs jump around for a while, it was time for our read aloud! This week we chose J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, the story of a mischievous young boy who never grows up. He also has the ability to fly, and spends his time chasing adventures with his friends. The girls were fascinated, because they too love adventure.

We finished the day with a praise circle, and our favorite song “Kamares.” Everyone was dancing with joy.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Prisca

The Kibera Girls LitClub: Showcasing Our Personal Identities

“Hello there, how are you,
 it’s so good to see you
we’ll sing and be happy
that we are all here together again!” 

The tunes of this popular welcome song filled the room as the girls, smiling ear to ear, hugged and patted each other at the beginning of yet another Girls LitClub session. A strong sign of sisterhood.

After the warm pleasantries, the girls got down to ‘business.’ Sisterhood is a salient pillar in the Girls LitClub. To strengthen this bond further, the girls engaged in an identity web activity: every girl wrote down three nouns that she felt described her best. Later on, everyone had the opportunity to share with the group, and realized that they had so much in common. We drew connecting arrows to attributes we had in common on a big flip chart. 

Next, the girls got to read aloud from their all time favorite book, Beauty and the Beast, which taught us so much about the power of imagination. The characters Lumiere, Chip, and Armoire were charming and beautiful, with personalities all their own. Just like all the wonderful LitClub girls. 

We ended the session with our praise circle. The girls felt proud, and valued for their participation in the community.

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Prisca

The Kibera Girls LitClub: All About Creativity

Sparking creativity in children opens the door to learning in every developmental area. When children think creatively, they look beyond what is in front of them to see what could be. This week, the Kibera Girls LitClub learned all about creativity.

Our session on Sunday was extra special, because we welcomed three new girls to the LitClub, Betty, Sarah and Esther. The girls were so excited to meet our new friends! We taught them the Hello Song and played a few games together. We started our lesson with a brief introduction on creativity, so that the girls could understand what it was about. Then we played an interesting game whereby the girls created stories using storytelling dice. The girls had to dive deeply into their imagination to come up with great stories. The game was such a success, and all of the girls were able to participate. Most of the stories were hilarious!

Next we had a visit from a special guest, Grace Irungu. Grace is a professional script writer and has written for Kenyan TV shows that are favorites of many. She shared her love and passion for writing, and explained how she became a writer. She talked about all sorts of challenges and successes that she has experienced in her writing career. The children were compelled by her story, and had so many questions for Grace. She also taught them how to add interesting twists when storytelling.

After reading the first chapter of the Helen Keller story, we ended the session with a few songs and more games. We sang the Goodbye Song and promised to meet in the next session. 

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Prisca

The First Ever LitWorld Camp in Kibera!

For five days at the end of August, the Girls LitClubs in Kibera were inundated with a series of fun activities. LitWorld and their wonderful partners The Cook Book Project and The Peace on Earthbench Movement were present to share their amazing projects with the young girls.

The team from LitWorld, Leah and Madison, conducted sessions that aimed at cultivating literacy skills. The girls did some really exciting activities, making a wall mural, writing stories, and a skype call with The Story Pirates a group of actors in New York who were amazing! The girls would create original stories, and then the Story Pirates would act them out! The girls also made Stand Up for Girls posters. This is a campaign that aims at empowering the girl-child all over the world.

The Peace on Earthbench Movement (POEM), an organization that empowers communitities to repurpose their trash into a building material, learn natural building techniques, and then create a communal gathering area, shared their project with the girls. The founder, Brennan Blazer, collected trash with the children, and used the trash to build an earthbench. The children enjoyed the activity throughout the week, and feel proud of the end product, our Kibera earthbench.

The third group was lead by Alisa and Adam, founders of the Cookbook Project, taught and trained the girls on healthy eating and good nutritional habits. The organization uses experiential food culture and cooking programming to help people make the connection between food, health, and sustainability. They helped the boys and girls to revisit their traditional culinary techniques to prepare good food. They also conducted games that informed everyone on the origin and nutritional content of different foods, which the girls really enjoyed.

On the last day of the camp, the girls had a talent show. This gave them a chance to showcase their talents and share with others their unique abilities. The Kibera LitWorld Camp was an incredible success, with amazing attendance, and engaging activities. All of the girls made new friends, had a lot of fun, and learned a whole lot. We can't wait for the next camp that will be bigger and better!

 --Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Prisca

The Kibera Girls LitClub Celebrates Women

Our session this week started on a high note in the Kibera Girls LitClub. We began with the Hello song and had a few games to set a lively and fun mood for the girls. Once our energy was high, we we launched into discussion about some of the women in the world who the girls admire. Women who have made a difference, women who have inspired and continue to inspire girls everywhere. This week, it was all about empowerment.

Being the end of the Olympic season, the girls were in awe of the women who represented the various nations including our very own Kenyan athletes, such as Pamela Jelimo and Vivian Cheruiyot. Another representative that the girls greatly admire is Missy Franklin from America, who made her Olympic debut this year at only 17years old, and won five medals, four of which were gold! We also talked about women in great leadership positions, including Joyce Banda, the current president of Malawi, and Ella Sirleaf, the current president of Liberia.

Some of the other women who really stood out were, Michelle Obama, Helen Keller, Venus and Serena Williams, Alek Wek, Pam Allyn, Wangari Mathai, Hillary Clinton and many more. We read their stories and were keen on these women’s dreams, challenges, and successes. The girls were truly captivated and greatly encouraged.

To finish our time together, the girls made beautiful collages to celebrate the incredible women all over the world, who inspire the girls to have the voice, ability, and problem solving capacity to speak up, be decision makers, create visionary change, and realize their full potential. It was truly a beautiful, inspiring and joyous session!

--Submitted by Girls LitClub Faciliator Prisca

An Afternoon of Storytelling with New Friends

The LitClubs in Kibera had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with the Young Global Leaders, a service and learning team made up of eighteen high school students from North America. All students travelled to Kenya to explore the country, interact with new people and form friendships.

The Girls LitClub was so excited and happy to host their guests, who joined us for our LitClub meeting this week. It was two hours of great fun as the girls and our young visitors shared stories and learned about each other. The girls asked questions like: "What is the most challenging part for you about being a girl?" and "What do you like the most about being a girl?" Both groups found they had so much in common with their new friends.

Afterwards, one of our wonderful girls, Jackline, read aloud her favorite story, The Matatu by Eric Walters. At the end of the visit, the girls had a fantastic time playing games, singing folk songs, and performing poems that our guests thoroughly enjoyed! The guests also took a turn entertaining the girls with a couple of interesting songs: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber, and even a freestyle rap!

It was indeed a wonderful afternoon.

- Submitted by Girls LitClub Facilitator Prisca