Empowering girls with life’s essientials

(Hyde Park) - Eleanor Roosevelt said, “I have a firm belief in the ability and power of women to achieve.” The Girls’ Leadership Workshop at the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val-Kill (ERVK) brings together promising young female leaders for summer empowerment experiences to enhance the inherent ability of young women to create a more just world, as modeled by Eleanor Roosevelt. ERVK is currently accepting applications for the GLW 2007 summer sessions. The deadline for completed applications is February 15, 2007.

Sixty girls of exceptional promise and highly diverse backgrounds from across the United States and abroad will be selected to attend one of two program sessions, July 14 - 22 and July 28 - August 5, 2007. Applicants must be currently in the 9th or 10th grade and demonstrate an interest in social justice and community service. In an effort to support our local families, ERVK reserves twenty-five percent of the available slots for girls from the Mid-Hudson Valley region. If selected, participants are responsible for a $500.00 program fee and transportation to and from Hyde Park, NY (a limited number of scholarships are available).

With Eleanor Roosevelt’s incredible life and legacy as a cornerstone, Girls’ Leadership Workshop participants bring their passion and leadership potential to life through a series of interactive workshops, field trips to the United Nations in New York City and other significant sites, and supportive relationships with inspiring female mentors and peers. The multi-faceted program is based at the Stone Cottage on the grounds of the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site in Hyde Park, NY, with participants residing at nearby Vassar College. Following the nine-day session, girls are supported to further develop their talents and pursue social justice projects in their home communities. In Eleanor Roosevelt’s words, “Where after all do human rights begin? In small places, close to home . . .”

Typical of comments from Girls’ Leadership Workshop alumnae, one recent graduate wrote, “Quite honestly, there were times during the workshop that my blood almost bubbled with excitement, either because of meeting an awe-inspiring woman, feeling the support and strength of the network that formed among us girls, or hearing of an issue that particularly interested me. I feel better prepared to create my own future, rather than just merely dreaming it. The underlying current that fueled the entire experience was the inspirational life and legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt. After studying both her public and private life more in-depth, I felt her presence throughout the workshop as a personal mentor and guiding spirit.”

For an application or information, please visit ERVK’s website at www.ervk.org.