The Spirit of Girls
This post includes an article summary written during my experience as an intern at PACE Center for Girls Collier (in Immokalee) in fall 2017.
When
researching articles to read, I chose to go online to ASCA and look through
past issues from this year; keeping in mind reading articles that were
“recent.” This article immediately jumped out at me for two reasons: 1) My
internship at PACE is with at-risk girls and 2) the author, Nona Jones, worked
with PACE Headquarters for many years, spoke at several “Believing in Girls”
Conferences and is a strong advocate for juvenile youth in general.
The article began describing two very
common scenarios of the birth of two separate girls that will live two separate
lives and conform to what society believes for them; a successful young woman
born by the loving bond of her parents and an unsuccessful woman born out of
lust between her mom and an unfaithful boyfriend-the functional vs. the
dysfunctional. The article claimed to take the “dys” out of the dysfunctional.
The article included statistics of how girls are increasingly being entered
into our nation’s juvenile system and that their path, although like that of a
boy, involved crimes against them such as rape or abuse. Again, this article
truly hits home being that these young girls are the current population that I
am working with. Little did I know, since I type my responses as I read, that
this entire article was about how PACE Center for Girls all began 31 years ago.
J
The article continued with describing the PACE model, it’s trauma informed academic approach and the services needed for a girl to “reclaim her confidence and self-worth, both emotionally and academically.” In addition, family-based management is also a focus to help aid to the increase in a girl’s ability to function. Already, in my internship, I have participated in several home visits which included initial intake assessments and crisis interventions after the chaos of Hurricane Irma.
In conclusion, the article ended with another story about how it only takes one person to be the “secret sauce” to show empathy, compassion and listen to a girl and aid them in their transformation; it was Nona Jones’ story. It is my hope that during my time at PACE and in my professional future that I can aid a girl in her transformation. I am not sure who is going to find their potential more…myself or the girls. No matter what, it is a win-win and I am very excited for this journey.
The article continued with describing the PACE model, it’s trauma informed academic approach and the services needed for a girl to “reclaim her confidence and self-worth, both emotionally and academically.” In addition, family-based management is also a focus to help aid to the increase in a girl’s ability to function. Already, in my internship, I have participated in several home visits which included initial intake assessments and crisis interventions after the chaos of Hurricane Irma.
In conclusion, the article ended with another story about how it only takes one person to be the “secret sauce” to show empathy, compassion and listen to a girl and aid them in their transformation; it was Nona Jones’ story. It is my hope that during my time at PACE and in my professional future that I can aid a girl in her transformation. I am not sure who is going to find their potential more…myself or the girls. No matter what, it is a win-win and I am very excited for this journey.
Reference: Jones, N. (2017, January/February). Reengage At-Risk Girls. ASCA, 54(3), 26-30.
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