Writing and Story Telling

Overview:

Using different activities and group work, the group will be encouraged to write about their lives, experiences, communities, and take some time to acknowledge and contemplate their thoughts.

Plan:

Two workshop activities; each will run about 10-30 minutes, depending on the size of the group.

Word Association & Writing Your Thoughts

Girls can form 2 person groups.

Each girl will have several sheets of paper and pens.

Each girl will be given a list of 5 words. The words I chose were:

Outside

Scarborough

Friends

School

Flight

One girl will read the words, the other will say the first word that comes to their mind & write it down on their sheet of paper. Then they will switch roles & word associate again.

At the end, each girl will have 5 words that have come from her own thoughts.

The girls will be encouraged to write a short poem that includes 1 word per line = 5 line poem.

The girls can share their poems or keep them for themselves.

Group Story

The girls will sit back in a circle, and the group story will be described: one girl will say a sentence, to which the girl beside her will add one sentence, continuing until the entire group has gone and the story is finished.

There can be a theme given before the story starts - for example, the story must be about two sisters, or about a girl who can read minds - or be left open.

The story can then be told the other way around to see what kind of story develops when the group order changes.

Discussion Questions:

What happened for you when you did free association?

Why do you think you said the specific words you said?

What did you write about with your words?

Was it hard to write with your 5 words?

Would you ever want to try writing poems again?

Why do you think we told that specific story in our Group Story telling?

What were your feelings when we were doing Group Story telling - what did you think when your turn was coming?

What would you

Young Feminist Idols: Learning Stations

Overview:

Introduction to some young feminists who are doing interesting and diverse work. A discussion on their work and how girls in the group could do something similar. A larger discussion to wrap up, looking at how young women can make major change happen through diverse actions.

Plan:

Set up 4-6 stations (can be more/less, depending on co-facilitators) within the room: each station will focus on one young feminist/group of young feminists and the work they've done. I chose the following young feminists idols:

Tavi Gevinson: 14 year old style blogger

Jessica Yee: Indigenous activist, founder of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network

Shameless Magazine/Sheila Sampath: amazing Toronto-based young women's mag

Mariatu Kamara: childhood war survivor who told her story in her book, The Bite of the Mango; founder of the Mariatu Foundation.

In each station, discuss the young feminist & their work. If possible, show the website and a video or some materials for each example.

Ideas for action can include -

Making a blog (how-to, examples of blogs and blog promotion).

Starting an organization/doing activist work (small-scale ideas for how to make a group, create a petition, or just starting the discussion about what each girl wants to see happen in her community)

Making a small magazine/zine (how-to and examples of feminist zines)

Keeping track of life-stories, looking at the stories in our communities.

Discussion Questions:

Why did this young woman take on these roles?

How was she able to accomplish her goals?

How might have her age affected her actions and goals?

What are the commonalities between all these women?

What is something similar you could do?

What is important enough for you that you would want to make a magazine or start an organization?