Sioux Empire United Way - Agency Success Stories

“I’m Part of Something”
Agency: Girl Scouts-Dakota Horizons Program: Studio 2B Service: Studio 2B was created to provide a place where girls can be part of a group that they create, participate in activities they choose, talk about topics that interest them and be advised by a variety of adults to whom they relate. Need: 79% of girls surveyed in the Sioux Empire get into fights with their friends on a regular basis. 60% of those girls never or only sometimes know how to handle the situation. (United Way research) Impact: Studio 2B gives girls an emotionally safe place where they can express and learn to manage their emotions. This gives girls the opportunity to develop the skills to deal with conflict, get along with others, and develop self-confidence. In the long run it will give the girls the ability and the motivation to make healthy choices.	A vibrant, 12 year-old blue eyed blonde sits cross-legged on the floor with five other girls. Their faces light up as she confesses her most recent crush. “Bobby bumped into me in the hallway today,” Caitlyn says with her face turning a light shade of pink. “My stomach went flip, flop and my knees got shaky. He is sooooo cute.” The comment sets the group of girls into a fit of laughter that even adults would consider contagious. But then suddenly the mood changes. “I’ll never get a boyfriend,” she moans. “I have these stupid braces, my legs are too short, I’m fat, and my hair is so, so… blah.” That’s when Caitlyn’s Studio 2B advisor joins in. She leads the group of girls through a healthy discussion about the pressure to be physically perfect and how the girls in the group are perfect just the way they are. The advisor then asks the girls to talk about what makes each of them unique, what they like about themselves, and what they've done to make a difference in their world. The girls left the Studio 2B group feeling good about themselves. Thanks to Sioux Empire United Way, over 200 girls all over the Sioux Empire will be able to take part in the Studio 2B program through the Girl Scouts, giving girls the opportunity to discuss real issues in a safe environment with a volunteer mentor they can trust. Having someone to talk to means the world to Caitlyn, “It’s great to have friends who really listen and someone who knows who I really am. I’m part of something.”
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