Arts & Books

Teen Guest Post: Starting Something That Matters to Me

This week’s guest blog comes courtesy of Aaliyah Debose of PACE Center for Girls.  Aaliyah is going to be a senior in high school this year and recently read Start Something That Matters, by TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie. Below, she shares her inspiration to start something that matters to her.

As I sat on the stack of straws my eyes began to sting from the warm salty water that was forming in my eyes. I prayed, I hoped, and I wished this curse would leave me—so much for wishful thinking. School was back in and I had to sit and allow all the giggles and all the laughter to fill my ears. My mother said I should be happy, because now I’m a woman. I told her I didn’t want to be a woman, but obviously the choice wasn’t my own. I would often cry to my mother begging her to help stop the pain, to stop the bleeding, to stop shame and embarrassment and to just allow me to go to school! I spilled my dreams all over the table while she sat; I sang my aspirations in front of my village plenty of times telling about the tough lawyer or the strong doctor I dream of being.  My dreaming has come to a screeching halt, because now that I’m a “woman” I am forced to sit on a stack of straw and prepare my ten year old self for marriage. If I was a girl in Africa, this would be my life.

One in 10 schoolgirls in Africa misses classes or drops out completely due to her period; she often substitutes pads or tampons for less safe and less absorbent materials such as rags, newspaper, or bark. Lack of affordable sanitary products and facilities for girls and women keeps them from education when they are young and prevents their mobility and productivity as women. Raising awareness and education to eliminate the stigma of menstruation is a larger part of the battle.

My typical school day starts at 7:45 am (if I’m not running late of course), whether my period is on or, not school remains a priority. It’s nothing I worry about; I simply put on a pad or tampon and carry a few on me. Never worrying about being embarrassed or having to stress because I can’t attend school due to my period being on; I’m not saying I never had to worry about maintaining my period, I have had my share of hard times. Times when toilet paper and napkins had to play the role of a pad until my mother received her paycheck. But I can honestly say that wasn’t anything compared to sitting on straw, using bark, newspaper, and missing school.

I attend PACE Center for Girls and in my eyes the girls and I here are truly privileged. My school provides us with pads and tampons and if we ask we’re able to take some home with us. So how could I apply this same aspect to help the girls in Africa?—I began to ponder.

Blake Myscoskie gave me an idea—an inspiration, as I read his book:  “Start Something that Matters”. I knew for a while now that I wanted to make a difference, but I could never really put my finger on what the difference would be or even how I would do it. In Blake’s book, he writes three simple, but complex questions that help find your passion.  “If you did not have to worry about money, what would you do with your time, what kind of work would you want to do, and what cause would you serve?” I found myself lost in thought for a while, as I thought deeply about these small questions. And at that moment my passion slowly became evident.

Aaliyah Reading "Start Something That Matters"

Aaliyah Reading "Start Something That Matters"

“If I did not have to worry about money, my time would be spent saving, helping, changing, and inspiring others.” My inspiration was so great that I began to write furiously in my journal. “The kind of work I would want to do is feed the hungry, heal the sick, and educate the non-educated, preferably women and little girls. My cause would be keeping girls in Africa in school and providing women with jobs so they can have money to feed their families.

My vision is enormous, I plan on educating women on their periods, aiding them, and providing them with the necessities to maintain their periods and to STAY IN SCHOOL. It’s time to take action! My name is Aaliyah Debose I’m 17-years-old – and I am a future leading lady.

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Great Holiday Gift for a Teen — and it Gives Back to STF!

Becca Wertheim - author, cupcake queen, and STF campus leader!

Did you know the newest She’s the First*{Campus} chapter is at the University of North Carolina – Asheville, and that the impressive founder, Becca Wertheim, is already a published author? Each month, her book, Live High on Life, supports an organization through an awareness platform called Project Twelve. Project Twelve supports the most deserving organizations which help young people. For November and December, Project Twelve is supporting She’s the First, which means that a portion of all book sales will go directly toward sponsoring girls’ education in the developing world!

We asked Becca to guest blog to explain more about how she is changing the world! Take it away, Becca!

***

I’ve been an avid fan of journaling since I was seven years old, when I received my very first journal as a gift. Writing soon became one of my favorite ways to express myself. The best part was that I could write down all my crazy awesome ideas of how I would change the world, and my journal couldn’t discourage me. It couldn’t say, “Becca, those things will never happen. They’re impossible.” Instead, it was just there, full of hundreds of blank sheets waiting for me to fill them. I’d write about how I wanted to be a teacher and a motivational speaker, traveling the world and helping as many people as I could. Those were (and still are) my biggest dreams.

In high school, I started to realize that many of my friends and peers, who also had awesome goals for their life, were being discouraged from actually reaching their goals. I hated seeing friends with so much potential give up on what was important to them, and I knew that it was time for me to make a positive difference. That’s why during my junior year of high school, I decided that I wanted to write an inspirational book for teens to help encourage them to follow their dreams. The way I looked at it, if I would be able to actually write and publish a book at age 16, then that would be a perfect example of how young people can do anything they set their mind to!

My book all started with a journal entry where I was writing a list of tips and advice that I thought other teens would find helpful and inspiring. This journal entry eventually evolved into a 12-chapter book, covering topics such as loving yourself, building self-esteem, setting goals, and never giving up. The book is also filled with true stories from other teens, positive quotes on every page, and even journal prompts! Writing the book was so much fun for me, because I was able to combine two of my favorite things—writing and helping others—to make a difference. After a couple years of writing combined with lots of hard work and determination, Live High on Life was published in November 2010.

My hope for Live High on Life is that it will continue inspiring other young people to follow their dreams. Living high on life is all about creating your own happiness and living the life you’ve imagined, without letting anyone or anything keep you from reaching your dreams. For me, one of those dreams was to write a book and now that I can check that off my list, I’m excited about moving toward my dream of teaching in a developing country.

Becca at her tie-dye cupcake sale!

Whether you’re like Tammy Tibbetts, with the dream of creating a non-profit to sponsor girls’ education, or like Maggie Doyne, with the dream of building a school in Nepal, or like Linsday Brown, who envisioned the power of a tie-dye cupcake, I want young people to realize that they can do ANYTHING they set their mind to, even when it seems impossible. When we combine our HUGE dreams with passion and perseverance, then the seemingly impossible suddenly becomes possible. I mean let’s be honest…who would’ve ever thought that a week’s worth of cupcake sales could raise over $19,000!

But we did it; we made it happen. She’s the First is moving forward and shaping the future for girls’ education in the developing world. By believing in ourselves, we’re helping girls around the world believe in themselves as well. I love my generation of change-makers and I hope that all young people will find what they’re passionate about and just go for it, fearlessly. Together we are changing the world, but most importantly, we’re teaching girls in the developing world how they can change the world, too!

To support She’s the First, be sure to order a personalized copy of Live High on Life at www.livehighonlife.com! Everyone will also receive a free copy of Success for Teens with their order.

Keep dreaming BIG!
xoxo,
Becca Wertheim
@BeccaWertheim
Facebook

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Next Google+ Book Club: Half the Sky

We'll be discussing Half the Sky on November 14!

Since the inaugural She’s the First book club was such a success, we are moving on to round two! Please join us to discuss Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn on Monday, November 14, at 7 pm EST. We’ll be meeting via Google+, so tweet @shesthefirst with your gmail address to add you to the meetup, or email erinleigh.patterson@gmail.com. New to Google+? Not to worry! Check out more details here, and if you’re still feeling a little lost, just send me an email and I’ll make sure you know what to do.

“Half the Sky” is a journey through the developing world with two Nobel Prize winners seeking to understand the power held by women. By meeting women who have been trafficked into sex slavery or live and suffer with preventable diseases, the authors depict the world with an edge of anger but ultimately a view of hope. With a little help women all across the developing world are making a difference in their communities for their daughters. This issue of women’s emancipation, we learn, is not just the right thing to do, this is our best weapon in the combat on poverty.

Check the book out at your local library (or if you want, you can buy it here), and we’ll see you November 14th!

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“First” Ever She’s the First Book Hangout on Google+!

If you want to change the world, chances are you scooped up TOMS founder and Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie’s Start Something That Matters as soon as it hit Amazon earlier this month.

In that case, we’d love to have you join the “first” ever She’s the First book club hangout THIS Sunday! Even if you haven’t read the book but are interested in learning about what it’s like starting a movement, like TOMS or She’s the First, join us. We’ll be meeting via Google + hangout at 2:30 pm EST, and there are still a few spots available. Tweet @shesthefirst to RSVP!

Have you never done a Google+ hangout before? It’s easy — you just need a webcam. When you tweet us, we’ll get your email to invite you!

– by Claire Biggs

 


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A New Way to Think About Dragonflies!

Highly recommend if you're exploring the value of social media for your cause.

While cooped upside waiting for Hurricane Irene to pass, I finished reading The Dragonfly Effect, a book that compiles the best case studies and strategies to prove what I already strongly believe: social media can drive social change. This will be the theme of a workshop I lead for the Young Women’s Program at three conferences I’m speaking at this Fall: the Texas Conference for Women, Massachusetts Conference for Women, and the Pennsylvania Conference for Women. So thanks to authors Jennifer Aaker & Andy Smith for the great ammo!

I was lucky to run into @AlexandraKirsch, a social media manager at @ruderfinn, the book’s publisher, at an Internet Week New York event. She correctly assessed I’d be a Dragonfly disciple, and I sure am!

The husband-and-wife author duo use the dragonfly as a metaphor, since it’s the only insect able to move in any direction when its four wings are working in concert. Each wing of the dragonfly symbolizes one of their criteria for making a social impact using social media: Focus + Grab Attention + Engage + Take Action. The final takeaway is that “small actions” — a Tweet, Facebook post, email messages — can “create big change” when part of a cohesive moment.

Like any effective book, the real value is in the case studies, and this one is full of them…if there is ever a second edition, my dream is that She’s the First can be one of them! But in this one, you’ll see references to charity : water, TOMS, Alex’s Lemonade Stand, the Obama presidential campaign, and lesser known efforts like Take a Bite Out of IHOP’s Animal Cruelty and http://helpsameer.org.

My favorite page is this one — a great reminder to She’s the First that while statistics might numb people, stories can activate them if told this way:

Read any great books during the Hurricane watch on the East Coast? Tell us about it!

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Board Member Kate Engelbrecht’s New Book on Teen Girls

She’s the First board member Kate Engelbrecht is a New York City photographer who has been collaborating with American teenage girls to document their lives as they see it. Kate started The Girl Project in 2007, and her work culminates on August 30 with the release of her book Please Read (if at all possible).

For The Girl Project, Kate sent disposable cameras to teenage volunteers across the country with the request that they shoot what was important to them – their friends, their environments and representations of their aspirations.

As STF’s photographer, I spoke to Kate about her inspirations and what she learned about the Millennial generation while completing the project.

She’s the First (STF): What about the teenage experience inspired you to start The Girl Project?

Kate Engelbrecht (K.E.): What interested me initially, was how unimpressive the representations of today’s girls were or are.  I found it disturbing… and curious. After getting into the project however, my inspiration started to come from how amazing the reality is.  The reality is so much more substantive… and much more interesting than the way the media portrays girls and teenage girl life.

STF: Did any of the submissions surprise you or reveal something about American teens that you hadn’t expected?

K.E.: I think the entire thing surprised me actually.  Sadly I had started to believe all the horrible things I was seeing and reading about teenage girls… and to see the photos was such a breath of fresh air.  The images reveal intimate, personal moments in a girl’s life… and show us how universally poignant these moments are.

(C) The Girl Project



STF: She’s the First is a huge advocate of social media and digital technology — what was the response from the girls to the analog nature of the disposable film cameras?

K.E.: It’s funny.  Many of the girls had never shot film before!  Some struggled not being able to have the immediacy that digital affords us… but most really seemed to enjoy the process of film.  I also think that using film forced them to slow down a bit… and really think about what they wanted to convey.  In this way film forced a more thoughtful response to the project.

(C) The Girl Project

STF: The Girl Project and Please Read (if at all possible) are great examples the kind of visual storytelling we love here on Aspire. We encourage all of our partner organizations to document the everyday lives of the girls around the world. Can you explain the universal benefit of sharing these intimate stories of teenagedom?

K.E.: Oh gosh… there is so much to say on this subject.  Perhaps the greatest benefit, like with all communication, is that we are able to understand that our experiences are shared.  They are universal.  As unique as we may be, we are also experiencing life very similar to others.  And this is key.  This is what The Girl Project and the book are all about… the understanding that we are not alone.  I would also say that sharing stories about girl life and teenagedom is necessary in order for people to really understand teenage girls.  If adults and the media don’t understand, then they get it wrong.  And when they get it wrong, which they so often do, they sell a false idea of girlhood back to girls… and this is a vicious cycle… one that I hope more and more access to digital media and the sharing of ideas, will soon break.  Hopefully Please Read (if at all possible) will in some small way contribute.

(C) The Girl Project

Kate’s book, Please Read (if at all possible), is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

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Congrats to the Zilch Book Winners!

This week, we hosted our first Ah-ha! Book Giveaway — a chance for us to give back to our amazingly engaged Facebook & Twitter supporters! Periodically, we’ll give away books that will spark a light bulb in your head, give you new ideas. By educating ourselves, we can better help educate girls.

To start it off, Nancy Lublin, CEO of our role model org Do Something, donated two signed copies of her book Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business, one which we’d reward to Twitter & the other on Facebook…

Our randomly chosen Twitter winner is @catinamount, who became eligible by tweeting fundraising ideas with hash tag #zilch! She had so many ideas, she couldn’t fit them in one tweet:

Our Facebook fans had to post the name or link to a book that inspires them to our Wall, and one was randomly selected. All the books you suggested were added to our Bookshelf (see below!). And the winner is…Lori Schippers! Her inspiring pick: The Blue Sweater (which we coincidentally blogged about last month).

Congrats to the winners! Please leave a comment to let us know what you think about our book giveaway idea!

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Win Free Books: Introducing the Ah-ha! Book Giveaways

She’s the First is continuing the success of our first book giveaway (congrats Natalie MacNeil; hope you’re enjoying your copy of The Blue Sweater) with the start of a new book giveaway series on Facebook & Twitter!

We’re calling these the
“Ah-ha! Book Giveaways” — these are books that will spark a light bulb in your head, give you new ideas. They’ll inspire you to lead, change the world, and create your own adventures.

We’re thrilled to start it off with 2 autographed copies of Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business by Nancy Lublin, the CEO of DoSomething.org and founder of Dress for Success (which she started when she was 23!). This book will fuel your passion, creativity, and innovation, whether you work on a not-for-profit or within a corporation. We loved her honest anecdotes and her advice is now integrated into the strategy of She’s the First…if you think the idea for the Ah-ha! Book Giveaway is creative, then I guess she did her job!

Here’s how to get your copy free (you can enter both ways!) – you have THREE days to enter, March 29-31, and you can enter once per day, on Twitter & Facebook:

1 copy will be give away via Twitter:
Follow @shesthefirst & tweet us an idea for a creative fundraiser and tag it #zilch. One participating person’s name will randomly be drawn to win a signed copy of Zilch.

1 copy will be given away via Facebook:
‘Like’ She’s the First & post the link of a book that inspires you to make the world a better place. One participating person’s name will randomly be drawn to win a signed copy of Zilch.

Go for it…and good luck!

Rules here

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The Blue Sweater — We’ll Give One of You Our Copy!

[Note: This blog post has been republished from its original location on our old blog platform -- comments have been lost, but Natalie MacNeil was the winner!]

Yesterday, we attended Columbia Women’s Business Society’s annual conference, and tweeted the action as much as possible. Although there wasn’t a hash tag to follow (we’ll suggest it to the organizers for next year!), this year’s conference was the best yet, with two strong keynotes — foreign & business news reporter Margaret Brennan of Bloomberg TV and former CEO of (RED), Susan Smith Ellis — and an outstanding Social Enterprise panel, featuring speakers from the Acumen Fund and FEED Projects. We’re fascinated by social-mission-driven organizations using business models to make a profit that is then reinvested into their cause, scaling scale social impact.

She’s the First received a special shout out on the Social Enterprise panel from speaker Selena Soo, who is pursuing her MBA and previously worked at the women’s non-profit Step Up! We also posed our own question to the panelists, asking them how they’ve utilized social media to achieve their missions. Kristina Fell, Director of Operations of FEED Projects, was first to jump on the question with anecdotes of how Twitter has helped her connect more personally with FEED supporters (and even to get the bags a cameo in a motion picture that was filming outside the office in NYC!)

Another bonus was the complimentary copy of The Blue Sweater given to every attendee of this panel. The Blue Sweater is an inspiring memoir by Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen Fund’s founder and CEO, on how she came to discover the interconnected worlds between the rich and poor. We LOVE this book — it provides meaningful context on why we are so focused on girls’ education worldwide. For that reason, a copy of it already sits on our bookshelf! So we wanted to share this copy with one of our Aspire blog readers…leave a comment telling us about a partner in our Directory you would like to become more connected to. We’ll send the book to one of you this Friday!

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10 Characteristics of Successful Social Entrepreneurs

As we read The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World, by John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan, we found this description for successful social entrepreneurs and wondered, how many of you see yourselves in this? Leave a comment to let us know if it resonates with you as much as it did with us!

Does this describe you? Click to expand.

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The First Donation-Based Video Series for Girls' Education

I recently stumbled upon “A Girl Story,” and was completely blown away by how well it embodied everything that She’s The First stands for, and by its innovative fundraising method.

The website, run by a nonprofit called Project Nanhi Kali, features a series of animated videos that chronicle the daily life of a fictional young girl named Tarla. The videos depict Tarla’s brother going to school while she stays home and does chores around the house. As the story progresses, Tarla’s family begins to realize the importance of providing her with education.


Each chapter of the series is about 15-30 seconds long, but they all connect seamlessly to bring the viewer inside Tarla’s hardship. However, in order to reveal the next chapter, viewers must reach a donation benchmark. At present, $3,900 has been donated, and $100 more must be raised in order to unlock the next video.

The proceeds of “A Girl Story” go to the Mahindra Foundation, which supports Project Nanhi Kali and help cover costs of education of girls who are enrolled in the Nanhi Kali’s program.

I strongly encourage supporters of She’s the First to check out this moving series to gain a new insight into the struggle that girls in the developing world face to get an education. The innovative method behind the donation-based film seems to be relatively successful thus far, and I’m interested to see how much the project will raise over time.

As we all know, spreading awareness doesn’t cost anything, so pass the link to “A Girl Story” on to your friends!

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Add to Your Netflix Cue: "Reporter," Documentary with Nick Kristof

reporterfilm.com

Finally got around to watching Reporter, the documentary following New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof on his assignment to the Congo in 2007, when he brings along three special guests: filmmaker Eric Daniel Metzgar, with 2007 “Win a Trip With Nick Kristof” winners Will Okun, a teacher from Chicago, and Leana Wen, a medial student. On this trip, Nick’s walks the line of safety by interviewing a war lord (who is later arrested for war crimes) and discovers the subject for one of his many columns, which always put a face to mind-numbing statistics of the millions who die from starvation, rape, and other unjust tortures. This is the column you see unfold in the film, and the take-away message is precisely on target with what She’s the First achieves with every sponsorship: putting a name, a face (and hopefully a success story) on a much broader issue affecting millions.

The film is executive produced by Ben Affleck and “dedicated to everyone who never expected to be in it” … which is what making a difference in the world is like, isn’t it? You take action, never knowing exactly how many that you will impact, but focusing on the one whose life you know you will change for certain.

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AfricAid, our Tanzania Partner, Publishes a Children's Book!

cross-cultural children's book by our friends at AfricAid & the Kisa Project

It’s been a while since most of us have read a children’s book — but you never outgrow them, right? And we all know a young reader we could then gift the book to…so check out Somebody Like Me, the new book published by the 26-year-old Founder & Executive Director of AfricAid, Ashley Shuyler! She co-wrote it with Prisca Lesakire, a young Tanzanian woman who aspires to be a teacher, and teamed up with illustrator Lori Discoe.

She’s the First met Ashley this June, when she flew out to NYC (thanks to JetBlue’s generous donation) for our first-ever GIRLS WHO ROCK benefit concert. GIRLS WHO ROCK sponsored three girls — Elizabeth, Happiness, and Grace — in AfricAid’s tech-savvy Kisa Project sponsorship program in Tanzania. The girls receive leadership and computer training in addition to their academic studies, so we correspond regularly with them on email (and then post their messages to the blog so you can comment back!).

Somebody Like Me is based on the true story of Ashley and Priscila, two young women who grew up on different continents, in different cultures. When chance brought them together, they changed each other’s lives. (It was due to a trip to Tanzania at age 11 that Ashley founded AfricAid, a nonprofit organization with the mission of supporting girls’ education in Tanzania. Prisca was one of the organization’s first scholarship recipients, and the two girls became acquainted with each other through the letters they wrote back and forth for years. They soon realized through their long-distance interactions how much they shared on a human level, despite their cultural differences.)

The book is only $12.50, plus $2 for shipping, and a portion of the proceeds will be used to support AfricAid’s efforts to provide education to Tanzanian girls. Co-author Prisca Lesakire’s portion will help to support her efforts to become the first female teacher in her village. Add it to your holiday shopping list!

Visit the other partners in our global directory here. We are so proud to work with AfricAid to reach Tanzanian girls!

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Sneak Preview of Movement to Come!

iNFiN8's signature jump

On Wednesday, we dropped by a rehearsal of iNFiN8, a New York City-based dance company whose mission is to create movement to inspire movement — especially movement for education worldwide! We are thrilled to announce that they will be performing live at the She’s the First Soiree on November 1st in NYC!! (your official invite and ticket link is coming in just a few days.)

The iNFiN8 dancers met while students at New York University and today, they pursue awesome careers in corporate, creative, and medical fields, while still pursuing their passion for dance. Influenced by various forms of dance, iNFiN8 creates provocative movement to develop a new form of expression. The New York Times dance critic calls them “enchantingly chic” and we completely agree! Here’s a special message they wanted to send you in advance of November 1st — and then, they give you a little dance move lesson so you can get in the groove at Pop Burger.


Now, click to learn your ‘move’! Continue reading →

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The Unexpected Tale of a Top Model: "Desert Flower"

She was a  First.

Waris Dirie, a stunning Somalian nomad who eventually walked the runways of the world and scored ad campaigns with Chanel, Levi’s, L’Oreal, and Revlon, was the first in her family to be a model and actress, to write an international bestselling memoir, to have her life made into a movie. The WIE Symposium invited us to an advance screening of that movie — Desert Flower, starring top model Liya Kebede — last night at the MoMa in NYC, when we learned what Waris’ true distinction is: she is the first to publically speak out about female genital mutilation (FGM), a horrifying practice that 130 million of the world’s women and girls experience, including herself.

Waris spoke for the first time with Laura Ziv of Marie Claire about the FGM she had undergone at age 3, a scene that is heartwrenchingly portrayed at the end of the film. The magazine had wanted to tell her story of working her way up from a McDonalds, but Waris didn’t want people to just scratch the surface of her rags-to-riches life.

Girls who don’t undergo the practice of having their genitals cut out and sewn up, only to be taken apart but their husband on their wedding night, are ostracized from their society and, among many other misfortunes, miss the opportunity to go to school. You can’t watch this film without crying, but ultimately you will be uplifted by scenes of Waris’ growth and be empowered to use your platforms of style for messages of substance.

We plan to read Waris Dirie’s memoir next, and we highly recommend that in February 2011, you go with a group of friends who may be used to seeing present-day supermodel Liya Kebede in all the fashion magazines, and watch her take on a remarkable debut acting role, honorably portraying Waris in Desert Flower.

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We Met Nicholas Kristof on Monday!

Nicholas Kristof speaking to members of NY Women in Communications at Time Inc. Building, Monday, Sept. 13

Team She’s the First and our supporters are naturally big fans of Nicholas Kristof. Would you call him anything but the greatest humanitarian journalist of our time? His column in the New York Times and book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (written with his wife and fellow Times reporter, Sheryl WuDunn) tell us the stories of individual girls and women behind the overwhelming statistics of gender inequality and abuse. We’ve admired his work from afar, follow his Tweets daily, and last March, we even went to the Loews theatre to watch the one-night-only, nationally screened Half the Sky Live event [see blog post]. This past, Monday, we finally had the chance to meet Mr. Kristof and introduce She’s the First!

Tammy Tibbetts (2nd from left) with She's the First Fans Allison Rapson and Daphne Foreman, and our Researcher at Ithaca College, Elizabeth Stoltz

Mr. Kristof was speaking at an event for New York Women in Communications, Inc., a  professional organization that has awarded scholarships to three of the She’s the First leadership team members (Tammy, Christen, Elizabeth), and to a few of the young women who have planned grassroots fundraisers for sponsorships, like Sammy Davis. (Having received money for our own education, we want to pay it forward.)

After Mr. Kristof’s brief but engaging talk about women & girls worldwide, followed by a Q+A, he signed copies of his book. President Tammy Tibbetts presented him with one of our She’s the First postcards at that moment, and said how STF is a grassroots solution to increasing girls’ access to education access worldwide. Mr. Kristof had said that education issues can be solved in grassroots ways, whereas health issues usually require a top-down approach with government mandates (think of what it takes to implement vaccinations).

As we grow, we hope that Mr. Kristof might visit a She’s the First partner program — like Maggie Doyne’s school in Nepal, GiveHaitiHope.org‘s primary and secondary schools, or the Shanti Bhavan school in India. Certainly if he did, he’d have quite a following behind him to Tweet, post, and make his stories go viral for change.

Have you read Half the Sky? Which part had the most impact on you?

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Raise Awareness — Watch "The Lives of Girls" with Friends

play the video to hear Queen Rania's remarkable speech

If you’re looking for a way to raise awareness of the need to educate all 600 million girls in the developing world, why not invite a few friends over to watch this 52-minute video with you? Screening videos and documentaries about the lives of girls around the world is an easy and insightful way to get inspired for future fundraising. This is one of our favorite videos, especially the speech by Queen Rania that makes an unlikely but intriguing connection between these issues and Alice and Wonderland. At The Daily Beast‘s Women in the World summit this past March, Katie Couric introduced her and then moderated a panel of woman who are champions for education, and Firsts themselves:

Watch live streaming video from womenintheworld at livestream.com

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She's the First Summer Reading Bookshelf

In my last post I told you about one of my new favorite books, How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World. The reading fun continues as I am proud to present to you…the She’s the First bookshelf!

She's the First Book ShelfYou can join our book club on Shelfari to keep up with what we’ve read, what we want to read, and what books you think we should check out! Here’s a sneak preview of a few of the books on our shelf…

Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: Half the Sky is the ultimate call to action for girls in the developing world. Kristof and WuDunn deliver compelling case studies about girls from all over the globe, with more facts than you’ll know what to do with. It’s a great introduction to why every girl needs an education, and I promise, once you’ve read it you’ll want to make sure every single student gets a chance to be the first.

Give a Little, by Wendy Smith: As we’ve mentioned many times on Facebook, we love Wendy Smith’s Give a Little. I am finally getting the chance to read it and it’s becoming a fast favorite. Wendy proves that giving just a little is not throwing a drop in the bucket – it’s the smallest donations that can make the biggest impact!

The Sandwich Swap, by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdullah, Kelly DiPucchio: Here’s a nice break from heavy research — a children’s book! Queen Rania is a huge inspiration to everyone at She’s the First, and she did not disappoint us with this adorable story. The Sandwich Swap teaches tolerance and acceptance through the story of two best friends from different worlds – the worlds of peanut butter & jelly versus hummus! As an added bonus, all proceeds from this book will go to Madrasati Jordan, Queen Rania’s education initiative to improve the learning environment in 500 public schools.

Zilch, by Nancy Lublin: CEO of DoSomething.org Nancy Lublin shares her secrets on how businesses can take a hint from non-profit organizations and do much more with a whole lot less. Lublin’s energy and enthusiasm bring this book to life, and the lessons she teaches can be applied to your life, not just your company.

Our shelf also includes some education-themed favorites: Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson and The Price of Stones by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri; and team-building book Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsiesh.

What books would you add to the She’s the First shelf? Head on over and put your favorites on the shelf or let us know in the comments. Happy reading!

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Take This Book to the Beach!

A Must-Read During Summer Vacation: "How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World" by Jordan Christy

A Must-Read During Summer Vacation: "How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World" by Jordan Christy

One of my favorite parts of summer is having the free time to read for pleasure. The first book I decided to read this summer — and one I believe you’ll all enjoy — is How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World.

Jordan Christy‘s guide to style, class, and grace is a fun read with an inspiring message: Every woman can change the world and be completely fabulous doing so.

Author Jordan Christy, based in Tennessee

Author Jordan Christy, based in Tennessee

As you may have remembered from a previous post, I am a student and sorority member at the University of Tennessee. There’s no place in the world where you will hear about class and gracefulness more than from the belles here in the south. (Jordan is a Tennessee girl too!) However, one thing about the word “class” that has always bothered me is that it’s almost always associated with being wealthy. Jordan cleared that assumption up — and made me fall in love with her book — very quickly.

The great thing about living with class, style, and grace is that is has nothing to do with wealth. Being classy is an attitude and outlook on life; the art of gracefulness is how we behave and act when no one is watching; being stylish is how we present ourselves to others.

When I read this passage I thought, “Yes! Finally! Someone gets it!” Realizing that our dignity comes from something other than our wallets is a lesson that so many girls need to learn, and this book is a fantastic way to do so.

Not only does it deliver a great message, but it’s fun to read! Jordan includes fantastic tips, some of her own favorite recipes, and even a few quizzes to help you determine your own personal style.

How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World ends with a call to action that is so important for women everywhere to hear. Jordan inspires women with one of my all-time favorite quotes by Eleanor Roosevelt: “It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.”

This quote perfectly describes the amazing people who have sponsored students through She’s the First. You CAN change the world around you; by lighting one small candle, giving one small dollar, and sponsoring one small girl.

So, grab your copy and get to reading! I promise you won’t have to write a book report, but I would love for you to leave some comments about what you think!

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Sydney’s First Target Saturday for She’s The First!

intern Sydney Lowe at the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturdays, sponsored by Target -- free museum access to educate and entertain New Yorkers!

intern Sydney Lowe at the Brooklyn Museum's First Saturdays, sponsored by Target -- free museum access to educate and entertain New Yorkers!

This weekend, in addition to Saturday’s Girls Who Rock volunteer meeting, my subway travels took me to the Brooklyn Museum of Art’s Target First Saturday after hours party—a fitting end to a day already made special by working on She’s the First!

The museum’s free First Saturday monthly event attracts thousands of visitors to free programs of art and entertainment. Made possible by the Wallace Foundation Community Programs Fund, these parties have long functioned as a great way to be exposed to visual artists, filmmakers, and music from a variety of cultures and genres. Last night, my fellow museum patrons and I were invited to get glammed up for the “Brooklyn Chic” theme in celebration of the special exhibition American High Style: Fashioning a National Collection (with a particular emphasis on women designers!).

Photographer Vera Lutter beautifully adopts images of the hibiscus flower’s life cycle “as a metaphor of the transience of human existence.”

Photographer Vera Lutter beautifully adopts images of the hibiscus flower’s life cycle “as a metaphor of the transience of human existence.”

While I was sure to strike a pose next to some of fabulous outfits on display, I couldn’t help but notice some of the other powerful contemporary works of art on display. Photographer Vera Lutter’s portfolio Samar Hussein commemorates the civilian deaths caused by the war in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003. The title actually derives from the name of the 13-year-old Iraqi girl who was sadly the first recorded civilian causality. In her series of photographs, Lutter beautifully adopts images of the hibiscus flower’s life cycle “as a metaphor of the transience of human existence.”

If you want to get a better glimpse of Lutter’s work, check out her website, and if you can, try to make it out to the next Brooklyn Museum First Saturday on July 3rd!

Posted in Arts & Books, She's the First Intern Posts | Tagged | 5 Comments