HGHW : News & Events

Co-Creator Inducted into Hall of Fame
Hardy Girls Healthy Women is so proud of our co-creator Karen Heck who was inducted into the 2008 Maine Women's Hall of Fame at a ceremony on March 15, 2008 along with the late Florence Brooks Whitehouse.

Karen's dedication to fighting for girls' and women's rights has earned her a spot among such champions for women as Margaret Chase Smith, Mabel Wadsworth, Dale McCormick and Laura Fortman.

Since 1979, Karen Heck has dedicated her professional career to bettering the lives of women and girls throughout the State of Maine. Through her tireless efforts and far-sighted vision, she has advanced a broad spectrum of women's issues, including reproductive rights, economic security, literacy, safety and health. There is not one area that falls within the realm of women's issues that has not been touched in a beneficial way by Karen's work. To put it quite simply, the hallmark of her life has been to make life better for all women and girls in whatever way she can.

Read the full nomination here
Give 'em Heck Editorial
Women's Hall to induct activist

In honor of Karen's induction, Hardy Girls Healthy Women is raising money to establish a girls' scholarship fund for HGHW programming. In establishing this scholarship fund, we'll ensure that girls of all economic backgrounds have access to the kinds of programs and services that can and will change their lives. This HGHW scholarship fund will provide girls with access to our programs including Adventure Girls, Girls' Coalition Groups and Girls Unlimited.

Make a gift to Hardy Girls Healthy Women's scholarship fund in honor of Karen

Girls Membership Program Launched
Every girl everywhere can now join the Hardy Girls community through our new girls membership program.

As a member, she will be kept up-to-date on all Hardy Girls projects and programming and she'll get a free subscription to G-WAVE - a 'zine created by girls for girls! Check out a sample of our last edition by clicking here!

Sign Up Now!

All members also get the following benefits: personalized membership card, 20% discount on all programs, 10% discount on all HGHW products, a pack of 4 HGHW greeting cards, and a quarterly newsletter and G-WAVE subscription.

"Kick Like a Girl" to be shown at the Soccer Film Event
Fireflies (The Youth Film Program of the Maine International Film Festival) and HGHW are proud to present the film "Kick Like a Girl" on Thursday, July 17th at 3:15pm at the Waterville Opera House as part of the Soccer Film Event showcasing six outstanding short films from around the world celebrating soccer and children.

Travel to Australia, Holland, Greece, Morocco, Palestine/Israel and Utah in the US to see the world's game and how kids get inspired by their love of the game and how it pushes them in a variety of different ways testing their own expectations. Join us at the HGHW office (across the street from the Opera House) after the showing for a reception and meet noted "Kick Like a Girl" filmmaker, Jenny McKenzie.

Tickets are available on line at www.miff.org/yfp, (or at Railroad Square Cinema or the Opera House after July 9th). For more information, call 207-873-0689 or Email mirandar@roadrunner.com.

Live at the Opera House Features Women Musicians
Join Hardy Girls on Saturday, July 26 for an incredible celebration of Maine women in music. This special one-time event will showcase four of Maine's most talented singer-songwriters: Anni Clark, Rachel Griffin, Marie Moreshead and Ellen Tipper. Showtime is 8pm at the Waterville Opera House. Part of the ongoing Live at the Opera House contemporary music series, this performance is presented in partnership with Der Simonian Consulting and Waterville Maine Street.

Tickets are $18 in advance/$22 at the door and are available at any Bull Moose Music location and from the Waterville Opera House box office: 207-873-7000. For more information, visit Live at the Opera House

Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ Youth
Hardy Girls Healthy Women and Communities for Children and Youth are offering four regional trainings for adults working with youth. The trainings will help adults learn to create safe, supportive environments for lesbian and gay youth to grow. have rescheduled the four regional trainings until the fall of 2008. These trainings are free and open to the public. Lunch is included.

Fall 2008 Creating Safe Spaces Training Dates and Locations
November 12- Farmington, USM Farmington Campus, 10am-3pm
November 13- Portland, USM Glickman Library, University Events Room, 10am-3pm
November 18- Bangor, Sea Dog Brewing Company Conference Center, 10am-3pm
November 19- Belfast, UMaine Hutchison Center, 10am-3pm

For more information please email Hardy Girls Healthy Women

Register now!

Summer Blast Adventure
Adventure Girls is an interactive adventure-based program for girls in 2nd-6th grade. The program gives girls the opportunity to meet women who are dogsledding, kayaking, and DJing on the radio!

All girls in 2nd-6th grade are invited to join us for our special Summer Blast Adventure kick off event at the Belgrade Lakes Community Center on July 12. We'll meet from 10 am - 2 pm starting off with a hike along the Kennebec Highlands back to the Community Center where we'll have lunch and spend time learning how to kayak and snorkel! Adventure Girls is an interactive program for girls in grades 2-6.

Sign up now for our July 12 Summer Blast and meet amazing women who are paddling with a passion, trekking the trails, and snorkeling the seas! The special summer blast event costs $30.

Attend the Summer Blast and receive a 15% coupon off, when you sign up for the full Adventure Girls Season! This is a $27 value off the full season's registration fee! Ask about our full scholarships for this event or for the season!

Register Now for the Summer Blast Adventure!

Fore the Girls Golf Tournament on July 25th
Mark your calendars for Hardy Girls Healthy Women's 6th Annual Fore the Girls Golf Tournament. We'll hit the course on Friday, July 25th for an 8:00 a.m. tee time to raise money to support Hardy Girls programming in Maine.

Download the brochure here!

Schedule of events
7:30 a.m. Driving Range Opens
8:00 a.m. Registration & Light Breakfast
8:15 a.m. Father-Daughter Putting Contest
8:45 a.m. Shotgun Scramble Start
19th Hole Lunch & Awards Ceremony
Entry Fee - includes greens fee, cart, lunch, and takeaways
$125 per person
$100 per person for father-daughter pairs
Prizes, Contests and much more!

Sign up here!

Cultivating Hardiness Zones: A Strength-Based Approach to Working with Girls

Spend a day learning about the latest research in girls' development and how to incorporate Hardy Girls Healthy Women's philosophy into the work you're already doing with girls.

In response to requests from around the country we have developed a training for people who are working with or who want to work with girls from a strength-based position, rather than one that focuses on what's wrong with girls. This is not a training that stresses the inner girl or works to improve "self-esteem" (although this will likely happen for girls who do this work), but a training that focuses on helping girls connect with others, know how to find the support and resources they need to thrive, and unleash their energy and creativity to make the world one which values them for who they are not how they look. At the heart of creating relational hardiness zones for girls is a way of being in relationship with girls that inspires them, gives them a sense of their own power and control, and challenges them to do their best work. Educator Amy Sullivan refers to this as a "muse" relationship. A muse is different from a mentor, who emphasizes "helping", being a "role model" and comes with the assumption that the mentor has knowledge or skills the mentee needs to develop or learn. A muse relationship shifts the focus from a girl's deficits to her inner resources, strengths and potential.

The training will answer the questions: What is hardiness and why is it important? What are relational hardiness zones? How do we cultivate and sustain hardiness zones with girls? What can they be/what form can they take in our community/social context? What do/can they offer that girls in our community need?

The training will give adults practical ways of shifting attention from girlfighting to coalition building.

The training will be held at the Millett Alumni House at Colby College in Waterville, October 3, 2008, from 8:00 am. - 4:00 pm. Training with Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D and Mary Madden, Ph.D. Light lunch and breakfast will be provided.

Register now!

Join the Hardy Girls Team
Hardy Girls is looking for an Outreach Coordinator to fill its one-year AmeriCorps VISTA position and a part-time Development Coordinator.

The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for expanding Hardy Girls' programming to rural Maine; working with the programs coordinator to evaluate current programming; conducting public relations campaigns related to Hardy Girls' resources, products and programs; providing outreach to target populations to increase Hardy Girls' visibility statewide; and, researching and developing grant proposals for corporate and foundation support.

Applicants should have a Bachelor's Degree, some knowledge of the developmental needs of girls and/or some experience working with girls, like working with youth, have strong writing and communication skills, be self-motivated and a team player, have strong computer/database skills, have strong organizational skills and have own transportation.

Download the Job Description and Application Instructions Here.

The Development Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating Hardy Girls Healthy Women's fundraising activities including fundraising appeals, special events, grantwriting, and working with the Board of Directors on fundraising initiatives.

Applicants should have a Bachelor's Degree and three years of related experience.

Download the Job Description and Application Instructions Here.

For more information on either position, call Megan Williams at Hardy Girls: 207.861.8131 or email info@hghw.org.

Hardy Girls is an American Psychology Association National Resource for Girls!
The American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls cites Hardy Girls Healthy Women as a "National Media Literacy Resource," along with other great organizations doing media literacy work all over the country! The APA report notes that parents and girls can work for change, and our efforts to empower girls to challenge norms earned us this recognition. We are so happy to share this news with you!

Girls Advisory Board Seeks New Members!
We know you want your voice to be heard and who doesn't love making new friends, planning fun projects and events, and helping other girls? If this sounds like you, please apply to be a GAB girl today!
Requirements: No experience is necessary. Applicants must be within the grades of 8th and 12th, be able to work cooperatively as part of a team, and be committed to the group with general interest in the mission and vision of Hardy Girls Healthy Women. Click here to apply.
Please do not hesitate to email with any questions!

Free Ugly Ducklings Community Action Kits
Thanks to a generous grant from the Bingham Program, Hardy Girls is offering free Ugly Ducklings Community Action Kits to every school district in Maine! Click here to download an application for the free Kit (PDF: 54K). Or, visit the new Ugly Ducklings website for more information on the project.