Dear Friends,

Spring 2009 has brought amazing signs of growth and new beginnings to GLI! This month we have welcomed a new assistant director, just wrapped up our first Day Camp, are gearing up for our first Surf Camp, and our newly transplanted Summer Camp is just around the corner.

We are thrilled to introduce GLI Assistant Director Julia Loonin. Julia joined GLI last summer as our Summer Camp Director of Health and Fitness and there was no way that we could wait 11 months to work with her again. Read below to learn about Julia’s mad b-ball skills, what made her want to work for GLI and how she made her way from Boston to Santa Cruz.

Last week twenty-nine girls arrived at a Los Altos, Calif. public school elementary classroom to take part in our first ever GLI Spring Break Day Camp. To be honest, we knew the girls would have a great time at GLI, learn critical skills, and make friends, but we didn’t know if the “magic of GLI” could be created in just five seven-hour days.

What is the “magic of GLI?” It’s when a community of girls comes together and supports one another, giving every girl the confidence to be herself, be loud and goofy, and say what she really thinks and feels without the fear of punishing looks, glances or judgment of others.

I am elated to report that on Wednesday of our one-week camp the girls started to come together to create “GLI magic.” Our community gelled as the girls made real friends, spoke their minds and began to take healthy risks. For this newsletter we asked fifth grader Anya Zimmerman to tell you all about it.

We are just giddy about our new southern California three-day surf camp in August. Read on to see how we partnered up with Surfin Fire Surf School and what we have in store for 30 high school participants.

Perhaps nothing is growing faster around here than our GLI Summer Camp at Miss Hall’s School in the Berkshires. GLI Session Two programs for alumnae and high school girls are now full with a waiting list. Registration on our waiting list will guarantee families a spot in the summer 2010 program. We have just two spots left for girls going into grades 6-8 next fall. These last spots will go fast. Click here to secure a spot for this summer.

Please let us know what spring is bringing to your neck of the woods!

All my best,
Simone Marean
Executive Director

Anya talks about day camp
Anya is a fifth grader who attended our Real Parents, Real Daughters workshop series with her mom and dad in March. After the workshop Anya was ready for more GLI and joined us for our first Spring Break Day Camp at the Santa Rita School in April. Participants in the camp learned about Real Friendship, the Reality of Rumors, and Pearls of Popularity—all while playing confidence-building theatre games, enjoying crafts, getting into sports and spreading the love through raucous team cheers and classic GLI “love notes.”

Here is what Anya had to say about the experience:

What was the most fun part of camp?
The most fun part of camp were the games, especially poop deck and the relay races.

How do you feel like your relationships are different at GLI?
I think you feel more like your friends are actually your friends. At camp we had full relationships. Everyone made friends. At school you are only friends with a few people, but at camp you were friends with everyone. There were no different groups. Everyone was connected.

How did you feel different at GLI?
I left like I was being myself. At school I’m good. I do what the teacher says to do. But at GLI I can do anything. If I didn’t want to play a game, I didn’t have to. But I felt so included by everyone that I wanted to play. I wasn’t doing what other people said; I was doing what I wanted to do.

How would you describe camp to a friend?
Camp was super fun. There are always different things to do, different options. The counselors are awesome, funny and great. You make a lot of friends who you want to stay in touch with. There are arts and crafts, games, serious talking and you wear crazy clothing. I can’t wait for next year!

P.S. – This is what Anya’s mom had to say,
“You showed Anya how to GET DOWN! Seriously, thank you very much. We are all really grateful.”

Surf Camp
When Kathy Peterson, mother of two teenage girls, called us looking to bring GLI to Southern California it didn’t take us long to brainstorm Girls Leadership Surf Camp. Kathy and her husband Jon have been running Surfin Fire Surf School for more than 10 years. It’s exciting to see the school has a great reputation for ocean safety and surf expertise with everyone from the Four Seasons to the Carlsbad High School Girls Surf Team.

Girls Leadership Surf Camp will be three full days of intense surf lessons, empowering relationship skills and amazing new friendships. Through surfing girls will learn to listen to their internal voice, take healthy risks, set new goals, deepen their emotional intelligence, practice accepting criticism and build lasting friendships. Located at the Sheraton Resort in Carlsbad, CA, GLI Surf Camp is the perfect place for girls to get one last dose of summer and prepare to start the school year as the girl they want to be.

Location
Sheraton Resort in Carlsbad, CA
Age
Girls entering grades 9-12 in fall 2009
Time
Friday, August 21: Workshops, Lunch and Surfing 9:30 - 5:30
Saturday, August 22: Workshops, Lunch, Surfing, Dinner and a Movie 9:30 - 9:00
Sunday, August 23: Workshops, Lunch and Surfing 9:30 - 5:30
Price
$600, includes all workshops and materials, transportation to and from surf lessons, quality surf instruction with San Diego County’s best instruction team (maintains a 3:1 instructor to student ratio) top-of-the-line equipment and wetsuit, meals, and a lot of fun! Price does not include accommodations.

Reservations
Click here to register. Space is limited so apply now. Questions? Call Surfin Fire’s main office (760) 438-0538.

During Surf Sessions Girls Will:

• Learn the basic fundamentals of surfing
• Learn ocean awareness, beach safety, & surfing etiquette
• Have lots of practice time for your newly acquired skills
• Have individual coaching for every level
• Successfully ride lots of waves
• Enjoy the last few days of summer on the beach with friends!
• Smile & laugh a lot!

To learn about the Peterson’s own girl leader, read about their oldest daughter’s latest accomplishments click here. 

Julia in CA!
GLI is proud to welcome Julia Loonin as our new Assistant Director. Julia comes to GLI from Boston where she was the Assistant Basketball Coach at Wellsley College, a top women’s college. A former basketball player at Bowdoin, Julia’s team graduated with a winning record of 112-9. During her four years, the team won four NESCAC championships and made four NCAA elite eight appearances. She was elected tri-captain and graduated ranked fifth for all-time leading 3-point scorer.

What drew us to Julia was not just her on-court skills, but also her incredible ability to connect with the girls and parents alike. She is committed to working with youth, creating quality educational experiences and understanding women’s issues.

When we asked Julia what drew her to GLI she explained, “I knew that even though I was “working” at GLI, I too was transforming. I was learning what it meant to be my authentic self. I now know that I could have been a different kind of basketball player. I could have recognized that being assertive and bold was not arrogance, but confidence, that bringing up issues was not selfish, but honest and necessary.”

After driving from New York to Santa Cruz with her dad we know that Julia has what it takes to lead our Real Parents, Real Daughter workshops. Nothing helps you get real like 3000 miles behind the wheel!

Girl Find
Our April Girl Find comes from within our own GLI Community. GLI Prep Program Director and Elementary Curriculum Consultant Shannon Keane has compiled inspiring reading lists “Books for Strong Girls,” both for grades 3-5  and middle school on the Flashlight Worthy blog.

Shannon says:
Here are some of my favorite books to read to and with children, especially girls. Why especially girls? Because it's important that girls encounter lots of examples of girls that break the mold. These books are full of girls who are honest, flawed, smart, and strong. They make us love them, and they make us love ourselves.

You could give these to girls to read by themselves, but then you'd miss the fun.