1. How would people in your ideal world make decisions? What is the role of a leader in facilitating group decisions?
a. I would have them come to an agreement by voting and then listen to the minority and try to incorporate some of their ideas into the majority to make everyone happy. The leader would make sure everyone is listened to and to insure minority ideas are incorporated into the majority decision.
1. Places I belong:
a. Choir-
i. I do feel like I am a valued member of this community because everyone is needed in a choir. It is a group effort.
ii. I do feel supported by this community because I can count on my group to help me.
iii. I would change it by having a group decision on what songs we sing to make it more ideal.
iv. I offer my talent of singing and creativity to this community.
b. Girl scouts
i. I do feel like I am a valued member of this community because I have a voice in what is happening in the group and my opinions are respected.
ii. I do feel supported by this community because I feel like they help me to be a better person.
iii. I would change it by finding more opportunities to be together.
iv. I offer my opinions and ideas and support of others.
c. She Hulk Club
i. I do feel like I am a valued member of this community because I am listened to and always included even 5 thousand mile away.
ii. I do feel supported by this community because they support me in whatever I do and encourage me to do a good job. They accept me for who I am.
iii. I would change it by having us together more often.
iv. I offer my listening skill and empathy.
d. Family
i. I do feel like I am a valued member of this community because I am loved.
ii. I do feel supported by this community because they encourage me to do what I want to do in my life.
iii. I wouldn’t change it.
iv. I offer my talent of being me in this community.
2. How can you make sure GIRLtopia is a place where others feel like they belong? List the criteria that most people agree on:
a. Being listened to
b. Being included
1. We feel it is necessary to uphold girl’s rights because: every girl is important and every girl counts.
2. We declare these rights to be self – evident, that all girls:
a. Are created equal to men
b. Are treated equally to men
c. Are paid equally to men
d. Are safe on streets and at home
e. Are respected equally by men and women worldwide
f. Have equal opportunities for success in business as men
g. Are told they are beautiful everyday
h. Are able to vote in any political election
3. To what length would you go to stand up for your rights?
a. I would stand up for my rights by sharing the message and standing firm in my resolution.
4. Who or what might stand in your way?
a. Others who believe that all women should stay in their “rightful place” in the Kitchen. This could be some men and possibly some women.
5. How could you stand up for girl’s rights in your circle of friends, school, family, community?
a. Circle of friends: Support my friends in choosing boyfriends that respect them.
b. School: Stand up for girls who may want to play male dominated sports.
c. Family: Being a mentor to my younger girl cousins who face difficulties with equal treatment within their own families.
d. Community: Encouraging or supporting women leaders I respect.
6. Does passing a law ensure that individuals’ rights will be secured? Why or why not?
a. Yes but only if it is enforced.
1. What’s your topic?
a. The right to vote at age 16 in the UK
b. I organized a blog, and discussion board and I facilitated an activity for a school group
2. Who is your audience?
a. 16 and 17 year olds in UK, particularly in Chessington Community College
3. How much time will you need?
a. 10 hours planning and 20 hours executing.
4. When will you do it?
a. Spring 2010
5. Will you need to publicize?
a. Yes, internet
6. Link to blog- http://forsuffrageat16.blogspot.com/
7. Link to petition - http://www.votesat16.org.uk/index.php?section=150
8. I worked with a team and we made posters and put them up around our school, created our own petition, created a Facebook group, created a blog while encouraging people to support the right to vote for 16 and 17 year olds. I helped plan a year 9 assembly for the initiative. I, also personally created a video of the assembly emphasizing the benefits of the right to vote. The video also included a mock election for the various political parties in the UK.
9. Link to Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=123449694349919
1. Would you:
a. Steal from your friend? – No
b. Cheat on a test? – No
c. Spray Graffiti on a building? – No
d. Download music illegally? – No
e. Buy your favorite brand of clothes after you learn that the company uses child labor? –No
f. Tell a friend A’s secret to friend B when friend A steals your boyfriend? – No
g. Keep a ring that you tried on at a store after accidentally going all the way home while still wearing it? – No
2. Do leaders have a special responsibility to make a good ethical decision? Why or Why not?
a. Yes because they are role models for other people and so their followers would make good choices.
3. To whom would you go for advice when trying to make a difficult decision? Which adults would you turn to? Which friends?
a. My mom or dad and my friend Alaima and Kristi
4. What are your ethical standards based on?
a. Whatever does the most good and the least harm, whatever treats everyone as fairly and equally as possible, whatever is best for most people in the community, whatever is consistent with your character.
5. Do you know any other versions? Nope.
6. How would you advise Victoria to do the right thing?
a. Choose either Emma’s Diary or Rocket Girl and buy the ticket for one movie and go to that movie. You can do something else during the other movie and meet up with your friends after.
7. How would you advise Mandy to do the right thing?
a. I would advise Mandy to suggest to Olivia to say, “Olivia, why don’t you put the bracelet back and go ask Kanchana if you could borrow it. I’m sure she’d let you if you ask.” I would suggest that Mandy talk to Olivia about what would happen if she damaged or lost the bracelet before the Girl Scout meeting.
8. How would you advise Kendra to do the right thing?
a. I would tell Kendra that he’d just be using her and it’s not worth getting caught for a guy that doesn’t really respect her. She should hold her own standards and wait for a guy that respects that.
9. How would you advise Paola to do the right thing?
a. If she is uncomfortable with that I would suggest her to walk away. If she wants to stay, I would tell her to quietly dispose of the cup so she wouldn’t look like she was “uncool” then get a drink on her own so she knows exactly what is in her cup. Then proceed with making her s’mores.
10. How would you advise Tasneem?
a. I would ask Tasneem if she has enough money for organic apples. If she does I would tell her that they would probably taste better and supporting local farmers is a plus. If not, the regular apples are still good.
11. Is it okay to commit a crime to save the life of a child? Depends on the crime
12. Would it make a difference if: you would be a saving a 45 year old instead? No
13. What if the 45 year old was your dad? No difference
14. …another child/person will die if you save this one? No
15. I will do my best to help others and make the world a better place one step at a time.
1. Are you honest when it’s tempting not to be? – Yes Do you speak up when it’s important – sometimes
2. Stretch your vision - telling stories(blog)
a. Being honest in a tough spot
b. Going the extra mile to help someone
c. Respecting oneself
d. Respectfully disagreeing with another person (zeeeeebra)
e. Showing courage by standing up for someone else (alexa)
f. Using resources fairly
g. Doing something to make the world a better place (ride for the roses)
3. What do you think is the relationship between character and leadership? Do you think developing a strong and good character is an important leadership skill? Why or Why not? Consider leaders you know – personally, in your community, nationally, and globally.
| Character | A leader who has this quality |
| Honesty | Abraham Lincoln |
| Integrity | Wally McIntyre |
| Humility | Richard McIntyre |
| Responsibility | Rochelle Scrivner |
| Effort | Kimberly Wilson |
| Pride | Mary McIntyre |
An ideal leader looks like Oprah, because she helps everyone around the world obtain a better life.
1. My activities/ clubs- Choir, Girl Scout Cookie sales, Dance
2. Skills/ talents they require - good singing voice, reading music, making sales pitch, keeping track of inventory, body control and flexibility
3. My jobs/ internships – Maxwell Drummond International in Mayfair, London for 2 weeks, babysitting
4. Skills/talents they require- Using a computer, knowing how to use Microsoft Word, Grocery and mail runs, using specific programs, nurturing, inventing games and watchful eye
5. Are you: an idea person, a conflict mediator, a writer, patient, impulsive, a problem-solver, relatively good at public speaking, a dancer
6. Do you: have musical talents, work well with kids, follow through on plans, have artistic talents, like techy stuff
1. I feel comfortable expressing myself –
a. At home – yes
b. At school – sometimes
c. With best friends – yes
d. In front of a crowd – yes
2. I feel comfortable stating my point of view
a. At home – yes
b. At school – yes
c. With best friends – yes
d. In front of a crowd – depends
3. I feel that my opinion matters
a. At home – yes
b. At school – sometimes
c. With best friends – yes
d. In front of a crowd – not so much
4. I feel comfortable disagreeing
a. At home – yes
b. At school – yes
c. With best friends – yes
d. In front of a crowd – someone would have to agree with my point of view
5. In your community, does anything prevent you from expressing yourself? If yes, what? What can you do about those obstacles?
a. At home – Nothing prevents me from expressing myself
b. At school – Yes, because I care what everyone thinks, I can learn not to care and to just be me
c. With best friends – Not at all
d. In front of a crowd – Yes because of nerves – learn how to control nerves and use them
6. Think about how you communicate. Are you passive, aggressive, or assertive? Is your communication style effective in getting your voice heard?
a. I am a little aggressive because I use sarcasm but I’m mostly assertive. Being assertive is effective in getting my voice heard.
***Journal***
7. Write a scenario to optimize your voice – and improve your communications
a. Real life scenario – As I just moved home, I’ve had a lot of stress in my life and adapting to a new school and making new friends while missing my old friends and my mom being away from home 5 thousand miles away. One day on a particularly hard day, my dad found me crying in my room and this is the conversation we had.
| Last Conversation: | New Scenario |
| He said: Why are you crying? I said: Because I all my really good friends are over in London and I don’t have a really good friend here to talk to. He said: Well I know its hard but I think you need to make more effort to make friends here. I said: Humph. | He said: Why are you crying? I said: Because I’m having a rough time making friends here and I miss all of my friends I London. He said: I know its hard but I think you need to make more effort to make friends here. I said: I am making an effort to make friends here. I do have friends here, It’s just that I don’t have a BEST BEST friend here and it makes me sad. |
| Outcome: It made me more mad and made me cry more. | New Outcome: I feel like I got everything out of my system |
| Modes of communication used: Talking/ crying | Modes of communication used: talking and understanding |
8. Think of a leader you admire. How does she make her voice heard?
a. Taylor Swift. She makes her voice heard by writing songs and talking about them. She relates to girls and makes them feel a part of something and proud to be a girl.
LEADERSHIP
1. Top 10 Leadership qualities:
a. Confidence
b. The ability to know what you want
c. Good speaking and communication skills
d. Good ideas for the future
e. Is strong and won’t back down until necessary
f. Ability to teach others
g. Ability to gain understanding of what people need done.
h. The ability get things done
i. Dedication to their job
j. Commitment to do what’s right
2. Review the list you’ve just created. Which qualities or skills do you already have? Are there any qualities or skills on the list that you want to develop on this journey? What can you do to develop them?
a. Ability to teach others and the ability to gain understanding of what people need done and dedication to their job. I want to develop more confidence and do this by being more sure of myself and putting myself out of my comfort zone at least once a day.
3. What’s your leadership philosophy?
a. To do what is right and to help others in their journey will make a difference in the world even if it’s with one person.
4. Leader – Someone who takes charge of a situation and makes things better for people. People look up to them.
***Leadership Bracelet and Ode to a Leader***
5. Are there any real life leaders you’d like as role models in your ideal world? If yes, who are they and why did you choose them?
a. Yes – Taylor Swift because she relates to girls around the world and she helps girls get over break ups and embrace being themselves. She encourages each girl to be their own and to love themselves.
6. How about leaders, who, in your opinion, misuse or abuse power? What would you say to them and what role would they play in your world?
a. Lindsay Lohan – I would say that she is too snobby, that she can’t have everything in the whole world and not think about anyone else. They would play a lowly position to get an idea of what some girls have to deal with everyday.
1. Are there advantages to sometimes hanging out with just girls? If yes, what are they? If no, why not?
a. Yes, because you can connect better with an only girls group and they can be more understanding and empathetic and honest towards one another.
2. In an “ideal” group of girls and boys working together on a project, how do boys act?
a. The boys would help out and make the same effort as the girls do on the project.
3. How do girls relate to one another in all-girl environments?
a. By hearing each other’s stories and being empathetic towards on another.
4. Do girls sometimes change the way they relate to one another when boys are around? If yes, in a good way? In a bad way? How?
a. Yes but in a bad way by talking bad about other girls to make them seem better than the others
5. Look back at page 9, at one or a few of the statistics, or consider other facts that you have found. What are your wishes for girls around the world?
a. That they are all considered equal to men, have equal pay to men, equal or more education than men, that girls can feel safe walking the streets
6. How would you make it real? Brainstorm.
a. A petition towards the equal payment and education. Posters on how to stay safe on streets. A girl run, girl empowering blog.
7. Share your wishes from page 14 with your family and friends. What do they wish for?
a. That girls are more noticed than boys. That girls find their inner beauty and it shines into their outer beauty
8. Did anyone’s vision surprise you? Did you learn anything new about someone? Did someone’s vision stir your own imagination?
a. No, no and no
9. In an Ideal world,
a. Girls could be whatever they want to be
b. Girls would be equal everywhere and get treated with the same respect
c. Girls have equal pay and respect in the workplace, homes and streets
d. Girls are empowering and running everything
10. My definition of GIRLtopia- Where girls are equal to men in every way every day.
11. Top 10 qualities, values, skills or talents for a visionary-
a. Communication skills
b. Ability to think outside of the box
c. Active imagination
d. Confidence
e. The ability to do something about their visions
f. The ability to see the need for change
g. The ability to start trends
h. Ability to build relationships
i. High expectations
j. Ability to embrace change
12. Share your list of visionary qualities and skills with friends and family. Which do they think you already have? Do they see something in you that you didn’t even consider?
a. Communication skills, ability to think outside of the box, active imagination, ability to start trends. No.
13. Which qualities, values, skills or talents on your list do you want to develop on this journey? Write them down.
a. The ability to do something about their visions for the future and the ability to see the need for change
14. Are all visionaries’ leaders? Are all leaders’ visionaries? Why or why not?
a. Visionaries are not all leaders; they might be behind the spotlight but might fuel what is really happening. All leaders are not visionaries because some might have the background person, who really is the visionary, doing the envisioning for them.
15. What other movies, TV shows or songs showcase a Utopia?
a. Bridge to Terabethia, Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield, Good times by Tommy Lee
16. What movies, TV shows, and music speak to the world’s problems and the desire for a more ideal world?
a. Pocketful of Sunshine and Oprah
17. Can a utopia be an ideal world for some, but not for others?
a. Yes
18. Is it realistic to expect a utopia to please everyone?
a. No
19. Can a truly utopian world exist?
a. No
20. What’s your medium and why did you choose it?
a. Art/ paint on fabric. I chose it because you can symbolize women in so many ways through painting and the fabric can be used in so many ways for so many women examples include clothing, utilitarian, and furniture and many others just as women are all different, but made of the same stuff.
21. What inspired you most?
a. Flowers inspired me through their beauty and strength.
22. What’s the BIG MESSAGE you are putting forth?
a. That all women are strong and beautiful and should be appreciated for what they bring to the world. All women should realize this through themselves.
23. What’s your absolute favorite part of your CREATE IT?
a. The colors. I chose blues and greens because there are so many different shades. They symbolize hope and peace.
24. What does your CREATE IT say about you? What doesn’t it say?
a. It says that I am unique as each flower is and I am delicate and strong at the same time. I am flexible and I change and adapt to my environment. It doesn’t say that I am weak.
25. If you could change one thing about your CREATE IT, what would it be?
a. If I could I would have done it on stained glass so light could shine through it, just as each woman lets her light shine.
26. If you could share your CREATE IT in more ways, how would you do so and with whom?
a. I would frame it and donate it at an auction to raise money for homeless mothers.
