CHICAS

The Foundation

These days, girls have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers only dreamed of. Each day, they are learning new skills that will lead them down new paths and toward different futures. They are making new friends and sharing experiences that will last a lifetime.

However, they also face difficult challenges their parents never faced, including the pressure of growing up too fast. Everyday, they are bombarded with mixed messages about health, beauty, education, sex, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Theses messages come to them through movies, music videos, advertisements, and friends. It can be hard to filter through all of the misinformation they receive and get the facts straight.

Thusly, the Partnership wanted to provide our young girls with the tools to help strengthen their individuality and to help them learn the skills needed to make the most of their life.

The Program

Initially, staff considered meeting with the girls informally and having general rap sessions that would build on the mentoring relationships our high school girls had built with our middle school girls. However, when the program pitched the idea to the girls they were filled with ideas; thus, we included them in the planning. The most important component of the planning was identifying learning objectives for the girls. We wanted to make sure the girls would create a sisterhood network and in the end walk away with friendships, information, and knowledge that would stay with them a lifetime.

The girls, mentors, and staff created the acronym CH.I.C.A.S (Spanish for girls) which spells out Chicanas In Control And Succeeding; because our girls know they are in control of their bodies, health, and future. Since it is just as important to have fun, as it is to learn. As a result, we decided that we would have a fun activity for every learning session, which included a reading club.

In the end, we were most pleased with the relationships formed between our younger girls and our alumni SFVYO high school and college girls. The program continues to be a success and the girls cannot wait until next summer to expand our CHICAS activities! Through CHICAS they now have the opportunity and the power to speak their mind, stand up for themselves, and make positive choices!