Friendology 101 Facilitator Guide copy

A Friendship Program for Girls

Friendology 101

Six Week Program

Facilitator's Guide

Created by Dana Kerford, 2011
Updated 2013

About GirlPower

GirlPower™ is a friendship program that inspires "Tween" girls to feel empowered, develop a strong
sense of self, and love themselves while learning to manage the most important thing to them…their
friendships. GirlPower™ is an internationally recognized program with Licensed GirlPower Facilitators in
the US, Canada, and Australia who are teaching the GirlPower curriculum within schools and privately.
Friendology 101, the curriculum designed for educators, has been adopted by schools around the world.
Along with Friendology 101 (six-week program for girls in grades 3 to 6) and GirlPower Summer Camps,
the GirlPower suite of workshops includes:

$ “Fuzzies & Friends” (for girls in grades 1 and 2)

$ “The Heart of Friendship” (for girls in grades 3 and 4)

$ “Friendship Fires” (for girls in grades 5 and 6)

$ “Back to School Butterflies” (for girls in grades 3 to 6)

$ “The Language of Friendship” (for tween girls and their parents)

GirlPower’s skills-based approach teaches girls how to put out “Friendship Fires” (i.e. conflict) and create
healthy friendships. To learn more about the GirlPower programs available for girls, parents, and
educators please visit: www.urstrong.com

About the Founder

Dana Kerford is a Teacher, Friendship Expert, and the Founder of GirlPower Inc. Her career as a teacher
began in 2004 when, after settling into grade 4, she quickly identified the intensity and complexity of
friendships for young girls. Inspired by her students, Dana began researching relational aggression,
conflict-resolution, and the inner workings of female relationships. In 2009, Dana developed and
launched the first ever GirlPower six-week program, teaching her students how to foster a female
community of kindness and support, where girls learn to have a voice in their friendships. Since then,
she has worked with thousands of tween girls and parents, working both in the classroom setting and
community-based venues across North America and Australia. Her most popular workshop, “The
Language of Friendship”, is a parent-daughter workshop that gives parents a new “language” for talking
about friendship. In 2012, Dana released her first book “The Friendship Project” - a workbook for
parents and tween girls. Dana has been featured on TV programs (such as Global, CTV, Breakfast
Television, Canada’s daytime talk show The Social, and Australia’s #1 Breakfast Show – Sunrise) and
interviewed by radio programs and magazines (such as Today’s Parent, SELF, and Seventeen). She has
also been in a number of newspapers and is often contacted to provide expertise around the issue of
bullying. Dana is regularly invited to speak at conferences across North America and Australia and has
been nominated and won several awards, including International Part-Time Entrepreneur of the Year
(IAMPTE, 2012) and Girl Advocate of the Year (SWIBA, 2013). Dana’s passion to empower girls with the
skills, language, and self-confidence to be better friends and develop healthier friendships is the heart
and soul of GirlPower™.

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Table of Contents

Why do girls need GirlPower? ........................................................................................................ 1
Friendology 101 Overview .............................................................................................................. 2
Lesson Plan 1 – The True You ......................................................................................................... 4
Lesson Plan 2 – Friendship Facts..................................................................................................... 6
Lesson Plan 3 – Friendship Fires ..................................................................................................... 8
Lesson Plan 4 – Standing up for Yourself...................................................................................... 10
Lesson Plan 5 – Making and Keeping Good Friends ..................................................................... 12
Lesson Plan 6 – The Power of You ................................................................................................ 14
Thank You from GirlPower............................................................................................................ 16
Appendix ....................................................................................................................................... 17

Music Suggestions............................................................................................................ A-1
Letter to Girls - Template................................................................................................. A-2
Letter to Parents - Template............................................................................................ A-3
Looking into your “Sole” – Art Project............................................................................. A-4
Things to Remember........................................................................................................ A-5
The True You Chart .......................................................................................................... A-6
Friend-o-meter Quiz......................................................................................................... A-7
Toxic Friend-o-meter Quiz ............................................................................................... A-8
GirlPower Mixer ............................................................................................................... A-9
Interview with Mom ......................................................................................................A-10
You are a Star ................................................................................................................. A-11
What makes a Great Friend ........................................................................................... A-12
You are Beautiful............................................................................................................A-13
Feedback Form - Girls ....................................................................................................A-14
Letter to Parents from GirlPower .................................................................................. A-15
License Agreement ........................................................................................................A-16
Friendology 101 Slideshow Notes.................................................................................. A-17

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Why do girls need GirlPower?

Friendships truly mean the world to girls and, as a result, girls form intimate, deeply-connected
relationships with their girlfriends. However, no relationship is perfect (Friendship Fact #1) and
it’s just a matter of time before friction becomes flames – what GirlPower calls, a Friendship
Fire.

It is a girl’s natural instinct to seek harmony in her relationships and, therefore, innately dread
conflict. There is an expectation that girls should be sweet and gentle. Girls are often told to
“Be nice to everyone!” and encouraged to “Just ignore her!” when seeking advice from an
adult, reinforcing their instinct to avoid conflict. Some girls might initially cope with conflict on
their own by repressing the uncomfortable feelings or adjusting their own behavior to
accommodate the other person. When the Friendship Fire is not put out, however, it escalates,
feelings become intense, and the littlest things start to drive them crazy. To deal with these
feelings, rather than standing up for themselves and having an honest conversation, girls are
instinctively tempted to choose inappropriate ways to feel better that are characteristic of the
stereotypical catty girl behavior. They roll their eyes, build alliances, gossip, use exclusionary
tactics, send passive-aggressive text messages, end the friendship, and so on. These indirect
ways of managing conflict, called relational aggression, allow girls to portray a false appearance
to the outside world of “being nice to everyone.” This is essentially the root cause of female
bullying – girls naturally avoiding conflict, but choosing indirect ways to make themselves feel
better while experiencing a Friendship Fire. Depending on a girl’s social status (well-liked to
reclusive) and level of confidence, some girls might take on the “Queen Bee” persona and be
more overt about their Fires, while others turn inward and suffer silently. The story, however,
is the same…girls not having the tools to manage conflict in a way that respects themselves and
others.

GirlPower is all about understanding what is normal in a friendship and creating friendships that
are transparent. Through GirlPower’s skills-based program, girls learn how to comfortably
manage conflict to maintain and foster healthy relationships. Girls understand that conflict is
part of a normal, healthy relationship and learn tools for standing up for themselves.

Research shows that girls who have healthy friendships are involved in more leadership
opportunities, have higher self-esteem, have a more positive body image, and make smarter
decisions in future relationships with boys. The mission of GirlPower is to proactively create a
climate within female friendships that exudes trust, respect, and honesty. Girls will learn the
importance of surrounding themselves with people who make them feel good and learn how to
balance integrity and empathy within their friendships.

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Friendology 101

GirlPower is a program that inspires young girls to feel empowered, develop a strong sense of
self, and love themselves while learning to manage the most important thing to them…their
friendships. This skills-based program teaches girls a new “language” that they can connect
with; giving them a voice that allows them to articulate their experiences and get the help they
need to foster healthy friendships.

Friendology 101 is a six-week program is designed so that educators like you can deliver this
friendship program at your own pace, with your own style, to meet the unique needs of your
“Tween” girls. Choose to deliver the six one-hour sessions as an after-school club, integrate it
into your Health lessons (Note: This program meets many learning objectives in Health
curriculums, specifically within the development of interpersonal skills), or offer GirlPower at
lunch hour. It’s completely up to you! Through the guidance of a digital presentation created
specifically to appeal to all girls, from the girly-girl and the self-proclaimed “Tomboy”, your girls
will learn the basics of understanding and maintaining healthy relationships. Within the six
workshops, you will coach girls through the following concepts:

The True You – focusing on the importance of being true to who you are and embracing
your unique self.
Friendship Facts - introduces girls to the four Friendship Facts, qualities of a healthy
friendship, how to use the Friend-o-meter to assess friendships, and the normal cycle of
a healthy friendship (The Friend-o-cycle).
Friendship Fires - discusses the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships,
ways girls can be mean, the importance of putting out Fires, and female bullying.
Standing up for Yourself – teaches the girls why it’s so important to stand up for
yourself, how to put out Friendship Fires, and how to stand up when someone has been
mean-on-purpose.
Making and Keeping Good Friends – gives the girls strategies for initiating a friendship
and how to maintain healthy friendships.
The Power of You – brings all the topics together by reviewing and reinforcing
important concepts.

GirlPower sessions maintain consistency and flow by following the same formatting style: (1)
Review of the previous session’s homework assignment referred to as: GirlPower Project, (2)
Current session’s topic slides, and (3) Current session’s GirlPower Project.

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Lesson plans are laid out in an easy-to-understand format with the lesson objective, materials,
and procedures. Teaching notes accompany the slideshows so that you can follow along step-
by-step with suggested activities and questions. Real-life scenarios that I’ve either witnessed in
the classroom, on the playground, or have been shared with me by the girls I’ve worked with,
are presented throughout the program and can be easily adapted to suit the needs of your girls.
You will also find Quick Tips throughout the sessions that address some hot topics for tween
girls. The GirlPower Projects are weekly homework assignments that are usually personal or
social experiments requiring the girls to put their learning into practice.

Although this program is for “Tweens”, which encompasses a fairly big age range, it is
important that you adjust your teaching style to provide age-appropriate, meaningful lessons
that connect with your girls. Use the slides as a guide and create a GirlPower experience that
works best for you and your unique group. Have fun with it and give it your own personal flare!

Friendology 101 was created by a Teacher for Teachers. Knowing how busy the life of a Teacher
can be and how little extra time you have, this program requires very little preparation. It’s
very easy... Lesson plans that are short and to-the-point, play the slideshows, follow the
teaching notes, discuss the concepts, and let the girls do the rest. You’ll be amazed at how
interested they are and how many questions they’ll have for you! Don’t be surprised if
GirlPower takes on a life of its own.

By teaching GirlPower, you will be giving your girls the most special, precious gift of all…the
foundation they need to develop healthy relationships for the rest of their lives.

Before the first session:
Read, “Why do girls need GirlPower?” (p. 1)
Get girls excited about GirlPower and introduce them to the program. Be creative!!
Customize and send out the Letters to Girls (p. A-2) and Letters to Parents (p. A-3)
Review slideshows and print out slideshow notes
Test out the slideshows on your A/V equipment and make sure your sound works
Review Lesson Plan 1 – The True You
Copy enough handouts for the girls
Get art paper for the “Looking into your Sole” project

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Lesson Plan 1 The True You

Objective

Being that this is the first session, you’ll need to establish some guidelines with the girls to set
the tone for the six-week program. It is most important that the girls feel comfortable and
empowered. Make the girls feel like this is a really special, sacred club. If possible, allow them
to wear comfy clothes, eat snacks while you’re presenting, go the washroom without asking,
etc. Show them you trust them and respect them. Your role is similar to that of a
Counselor/Life Coach, so try to quiet your “Teacher voice” and talk to the girls like a friend
giving advice.

The most important messages to get across include:

GirlPower is a fun, interactive program where the girls can feel comfortable and
empowered.

The GirlPower Guidelines (listed on the first slide) – Be kind to yourself and others, be
open to learning and growing, be honest, be brave, and have fun.

The True You theme resonates throughout all the sessions. The girls will learn to
embrace qualities about themselves that they cannot change and love themselves for
who they are. They will also learn that although they can’t control the shape of their
nose or color of their eyes, for instance, they can control their behavior. Keep relating
this message back to why it’s so important you are true to yourself in friendships.

Materials

This session requires video/audio equipment and a screen with internet access. You will need:

Friendology 101 – Facilitator’s Guide Example, instructions, and art paper for
the “Looking into your Sole” project (p.
Lesson Plan 1 – The True You A-4)

Session 1 Slides and Notes Folders and pencils for each girl (or you
could have the girls bring their own
Handouts: The True You Chart (p. A-6) supplies)

Things to Remember (p. A-5) – girls Music! (Music Suggestions - p. A-1)
might rather take notes in their own
personal journals

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Procedure

1. While the girls are getting settled, have music playing and create a really fun atmosphere.
Project the first slide (Title slide) from the Friendology 101 Session 1 – The True You.

2. Wait at the door while girls enter the room and hand out their folder and pencil. You can
either put the handout (The True You Chart) in the folders beforehand, have them grab one
on their way in, or simply pass them out when you get to that slide. It’s up to you!

3. Always begin on time because you will undoubtedly feel pressed for time, especially if you
have a group of girls who want to ask lots of questions. Although it is hard, try to limit the
questions and hope that they will get their answers during the sessions – otherwise, tell the
girls to come see you after. You could also consider having a Question & Answer session or
include Q & A time at the end of each session.

4. Start the slideshow. Present the information, while referring to the teaching notes, and feel
free to add to it with your own anecdotes or explanations. Some concepts might require you
to elaborate, just to ensure understanding.

5. Allow the girls to take notes if they wish, but be sure they do not copy everything on every
slide (or you will be forever waiting on them). Note-taking is a skill that these young girls
may not have developed yet, so you could always suggest key words for them to write down
to expedite the process. They can either write notes down on the Things to Remember
sheet or in their own personal journals. You can bring along a stack of Things to Remember
note paper to each session if the girls need more.

6. Keep the slide notes with you so that you can refer to them with each slide. Ideas will be
suggested, but always do what works for you. Remember, this is just a guide. Put your own
creative spin on it!

7. At the end of the session, ensure the girls have their folders with their homework. Remind
them what they need to bring for next week. It is up to you if you would like to check the
girls completed their homework, but be sure to preserve confidentiality.

8. Turn on music while the girls are leaving and end on a fun note!

Before the next session:

Review Lesson Plan 2 – Friendship Facts
Copy enough handouts for the girls

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Lesson Plan 2 Friendship Facts

Objective

This session is the beginning of the friendship basics – the real heart of the program. It is
important to get girls to start thinking about how they feel within their friendships and put a
voice to their feelings. Friendships truly mean the world to girls and, as such, girls form
intimate, deeply-connected relationships with their girlfriends. They share everything, from
clothes to school supplies to their most cherished secrets. You will see best friends holding
hands and skipping down the halls together, while speaking in a language that only they can
understand. They immerse themselves in this sacred world and, in some cases, can even
become quasi-obsessive about it all. It is inevitable, however, that one day friction becomes
flames (a Friendship Fire) and because girls are tempted to participate in inappropriate
behaviors when it comes to any sort of conflict, the friendship will crash and burn…even if it’s
over the silliest of things. Girls need to understand that conflict is part of a normal, healthy
relationship and learn how to comfortably manage conflict.

The most important messages to get across include:

GirlPower’s 4 Friendship Facts help us understand what’s normal in a friendship.

The Friend-o-meter helps us understand if a friendship is healthy or unhealthy.
Healthy friendships, like healthy food, make you feel good. Conversely, unhealthy
friendships make us feel bad. The GirlPower advice: Spend the most time with
friends who make you feel good and spend less time with friends who make you
feel bad.

Conflict and conflict-resolution are part of a normal, healthy friendship (The Friend-
o-cycle).

Materials

This session requires video/audio equipment and a screen. You will need:

Friendology 101 - Facilitator’s Guide Handouts: What Makes a Great Friend (p.
Lesson Plan 2 – Friendship Facts A-12)
Session 2 Slides and Notes
Handouts: Friend-o-meter Quiz (p. A-7) Optional: Things to Remember (p. A-5)

Music! (Music Suggestions, p. A-1)

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Procedure
1. While the girls are getting settled, have music playing and create a really fun
atmosphere. Project the first slide (Title slide) from the Friendology 101 Session 2 –
Friendship Facts.

2. Begin on time! As this is the beginning of the “hot topic” (friendships), girls will be
inclined to share scenarios or ask “What do you do if…” and then proceed to explain
what happened to them today. It’s up to you how you handle this, but be cognizant of
the time and confidentiality. On occasion, a girl will ask about a situation that happened
with another girl who is sitting right there! Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky…be tuned in! One
suggestion is to encourage them to come talk to you privately afterwards if they have a
question that didn’t get answered and need some advice.

3. Start the slideshow.

4. Allow the girls to take notes if they wish, but make suggestions of important things to
remember.

5. Keep the slide notes with you so that you can refer to them with each slide. Add your
own flare and approach this in a way that’s comfortable for you!

6. At the end of the session, ensure the girls have their folders with their homework.
Remind them what they need to bring for next week.

7. Turn on music while the girls are leaving and end on a fun note!

Before the next session:
Review Lesson Plan 3 – Friendship Fires
Copy enough handouts for the girls

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Lesson Plan 3 Friendship Fires

Objective

This session is all about Friendship Fires – any issue or situation between friends that result in
negative feelings. Here’s the gist and the real reason for GirlPower:

Girls have been taught to be sweet and kind and seek harmony in their relationships.
Consequently, girls will avoid conflict at all costs! They will initially choose to cope on their own
with conflict by suppressing their feelings and turning inward. After all, they’ve been told to
“Be nice to everyone!” and “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all!”
Because girls feel standing up for themselves (creating friction) is being mean, they will avoid
and repress. However, when the Fire is not put out, it escalates, feelings become intense and,
yes, a MEAN GIRL is born. Girls choose inappropriate ways to deal with these feelings (because
they’ve got to put out the Fire somehow), so they roll their eyes, gossip, exclude their friend,
send passive-aggressive text messages, give her the silent treatment, and so on. That’s why
GirlPower is here! Girls need help.

The most important messages to get across include:

Friendship Fires are normal.

Girls are naturally afraid to deal with conflict, but no relationship exists without
conflict. Conflict makes relationships stronger and girls need to learn ways to
confront their negative feelings in friendships.

When Friendship Fires aren’t put out, they get bigger and bigger and result in
choosing inappropriate ways of dealing with negative feelings (e.g. talking behind
her back, creating alliances, ending the friendship, etc.)

The key to putting out a Friendship Fire is to talk it out while being respectful and
honest.

Female bullying is when a girl is mean on purpose. Thinking about intent is how to
distinguish between a Friendship Fire (normal conflict in a friendship) and bullying
(mean-on-purpose).

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Materials

This session requires video/audio equipment and a screen. You will need:

Friendology 101 - Facilitator’s Guide Handouts: Toxic Friend-o-meter Quiz

Lesson Plan 3 – Friendship Fires (p. A-9)

Session 3 Slides and Notes Optional: Things to Remember (p. A-5)

Handouts: Interview with Mom (p. A-10) Music! (Music Suggestions, p. A-1)

Procedure
1. While the girls are getting settled, have music playing and create a really fun
atmosphere. Project the first slide (Title slide) from the Friendology 101 Session 3 –
Friendship Fires.

2. Begin on time! This is when the girls will feel a real need to share every single story
about their experiences with friends. Remind them to not use names and keep rolling
through the slides to limit the story-telling. You will, however, quickly understand how
important this program is, especially when you hear and see how unskilled they are at
conflict resolution. You will also notice that they remember everything – even fights
with a friend in kindergarten or grade one!

3. Start the slideshow.

4. Allow the girls to take notes if they wish.

5. Refer to the slide notes as necessary.

6. At the end of the session, ensure the girls have their folders with their homework.
Remind them what they need to bring for next week.

7. Turn on music while the girls are leaving and end on a fun note!

Before the next session: page 9

Review Lesson Plan 4 – Standing up for Yourself
Copy enough handouts for the girls
Locate a box or bag for the Interview with Mom entries

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Lesson Plan 4 Standing up for Yourself

Objective

This session is critical because it gives girls tools for coping with Friendship Fires. This is really
the skills-based portion of the program, so it’s very important to coach the girls along and really
make sure they’re doing it right.

GirlPower is all about understanding what is normal in a friendship and how to comfortably
manage conflict to maintain and foster healthy relationships. Confrontation and anything
disharmonious gives girls anxiety and naturally causes them to retreat or seek comfort in
inappropriate ways. Within this session, you will teach them how to face their fears and
properly, respectfully put out a Friendship Fire. It is crucial that girls understand when and how
to stand up to a friend and when and how to stand up to a bully (i.e. when a girl has done
something mean-on-purpose)!

The most important messages to get across include:

Standing up for yourself is not being mean. It’s a way of showing love for yourself.

Standing up for yourself is not necessary every single time something happens.

Standing up for yourself to a friend (i.e. putting out a Friendship Fire) is done in a
calm, respectful voice where you explain how the situation made you feel and you
talk it out together. This is a conversation.

Quick Comebacks are necessary when someone is mean to you on purpose (e.g.
bullying). This is not a conversation.

Materials

This session requires video/audio equipment and a screen with internet access. You will need:

Friendology 101 Facilitator’s Guide Box (or something similar) for Interview
Lesson Plan 4 – Standing up for Yourself with Mom entry forms
Session 4 Slides and Notes
Music! (Music Suggestions, p. A-1)

Optional: Things to Remember

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Procedure
1. While the girls are getting settled, have music playing and create a really fun atmosphere.

Project the first slide (Title slide) from the Friendology 101 Session 4 – Friendship Fires.
2. Set out a box or bag to collect the Interview with Mom slips as the girls arrive. Be sure to

bring this with you next session as well, in case the girls haven’t had a chance to do their
interview yet.
3. Begin on time!
4. Start the slideshow.
5. Allow the girls to take notes if they wish.
6. Refer to the slide notes as necessary.
7. At the end of the session, ensure the girls have their folders with their homework. Remind
them what they need to bring for next week.
8. Turn on music while the girls are leaving and end on a fun note!

Before the next session:
Review Lesson Plan 5 – Making and Keeping Good Friends
Copy enough handouts for the girls

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Lesson Plan 5 Making and Keeping Good Friends

Objective

This session is meant to challenge girls to surround themselves with good friends. At this point,
girls should be able to recognize an unhealthy relationship and the impact that friendship can
have on feelings and self-esteem. This session takes the girls through the process of letting go;
often times, distance and time apart are all that two girls need in order to refresh the friendship
and start over. Girls will also be asked to use empathy and understanding, putting themselves
in someone else’s shoes. Being egocentric is a natural state for most kids of this age group, so
girls need to be taught how to be empathetic. Kids typically understand what it means to be
caring. Empathy takes that feeling to a deeper level, where they need to imaginatively enter
into another person’s feelings. It is important for girls to make the connection between
empathy and friendship, understanding that in order to be a good friend and maintain healthy
friendships they must be able to understand how their actions impact their friends. Girls will
also learn tips for how to make new friends.

The most important messages to get across include:

Surround yourself with good friends and let go of unhealthy friendships by creating
distance and seeking support. Letting go of a friendship does not mean ending the
friendship altogether; it means to spend less time with her and let it drift away.

Empathy means to see things from another’s perspective and truly try to
understand how that person feels. A good friend has empathy for her friends.

Making new friends can be uncomfortable, but the key is to find something in
common with her. Don’t come on too strong and don’t be too elusive. Find a nice
balance!

Materials

This session requires video/audio equipment and a screen. You will need:

Friendology 101 Facilitator’s Guide Handouts: You are a Star (p. A-11)

Lesson Plan 5 – Making and Keeping Good Optional: Things to Remember (p. A-5)
Friends
Box (or something similar) for Interview
Session 5 Slides and Notes with Mom entry forms

Handouts: GirlPower Mixer (p. A-9) Music! (Music Suggestions, p. A-1)

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Procedures
1. While the girls are getting settled, have music playing and create a really fun
atmosphere. Project the first slide (Title slide) from the Friendology 101 Session 5 –
Making and Keeping Good Friends.

2. Have the box or bag for the Interview with Mom slips available and remind the girls to
submit their signed interview slips.

3. Begin on time!

4. Start the slideshow.

5. Allow the girls to take notes if they wish.

6. Refer to the slide notes as necessary.

7. At the end of the session, ensure the girls have their folders with their homework.
Remind them what they need to bring for next week. Let them know that next session
is the final session, so they need to bring along their Interview with Mom entry forms
and their “Looking into your Sole” art projects.

8. Turn on music while the girls are leaving and end on a fun note!

Before the next session:
Review Lesson Plan 6 – The Power of You
Copy enough handouts for the girls
Get a prize for the Interview with Mom draw
Make your own “Looking into your Sole” project – if you haven’t done so already!

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Lesson Plan 6 The Power of You

Objective

As this is the final session, you will be wrapping everything up and reviewing important
concepts. It is so important to make an impact this session and leave them with a really
inspired feeling. It’s up to you how you organize this final session. One suggestion is to have a
little GirlPower Party with music and munchies. You could also have a Q & A at the end of this
session as well, as a chance to follow-up on any unanswered questions they might have. Or, if
you’re feeling brave, you could invite the parents to join in at the end of this session for an
opportunity to ask you questions about how to best support their daughters at home. It’s
completely up to you! Celebrate in a way that suits you and your girls.

The most important messages to get across include:

Focus on the True You. Embrace those things you cannot change and love yourself for
who you are. Healthy friendships will naturally come to you when you are true to
yourself.

The four Friendship Facts help us understand what’s normal in a friendship.

Increase your daily dose of healthy friendships and decrease your daily dose of
unhealthy friendships. Spend more time with friends who make you feel good!

Recognize Friendship Fires and put them out by being honest and standing up for
yourself. Understand that conflict is normal and healthy friendships can survive them.

You have the power to be amazing. You are in control of how you feel and how you act!

Materials

All sessions require video/audio equipment and a screen with internet access. You will need:

Friendology 101 Facilitator’s Guide Handouts: Letter to Parents (p. A-15)

Lesson Plan 6 – The Power of You Interview with Mom entry forms and
the prize
Session 6 Slides and Notes
Optional: Your “Looking into your Sole”
Handouts: You are Beautiful (p. A-13) – project
Girls can use colorful markers or pencil
crayons for this! Music! (Music Suggestions, p. A-1)

Handouts: Feedback Form (p. A-14)

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Procedure
1. While the girls are getting settled, have music playing and create a really fun
atmosphere. Project the first slide (Title slide) from the Friendology 101 Session 6 – The
Power of You.

2. The girls will all be arriving with their completed “Looking into your Sole” projects. They
will be very excited to show off their ‘soles’, but ask the girls to set their posters off to
the side until you’re ready for them. Have the box or bag for the Interview with Mom
slips available and remind the girls to submit their signed interview slips because the
draw is today!

3. Start the slideshow.

4. Refer to the slide notes as necessary.

5. At the end of this session, make sure the girls have your contact information if they
need any additional support. Ensure you hand out the Feedback Form and the Letter to
Parents.

6. Turn on music while the girls are leaving and end on a fun note!

After the final session:
Create a bulletin board with the “Looking into your Sole” projects and the “You are a Star!” cut-
outs to show-off the amazing work of the GirlPower girls.
Take GirlPower to the next level… Encourage GirlPower girls to be ambassadors around the
school, start a club, continue to offer GirlPower support, etc.
Invite a Licensed GirlPower Facilitator to your school to deliver “The Language of Friendship”, a
two hour parent-daughter workshop. This workshop teaches the GirlPower language to parents
so they can better support their daughters at home. Email [email protected] to learn
more!
Purchase GirlPower’s classroom posters to display in your school to reinforce important
messages. Learn more about the posters and other resources available to Teachers at:
www.urstrong.com
Email us with your feedback about the program and showcase the work you’ve done with your
students on an international level. We love to share great examples with our community!
Relax and feel proud of the difference you made in the lives of these young girls. Way to go!

O www.urstrong.com O [email protected] O p a g e 15

Congratulations!

You just completed GirlPower’s Friendology 101 Program. Thank you for taking the time to
provide these important lessons to your girls. They are lucky to have you – it takes a
special teacher to take the time to create opportunities like this for your students. These
are lessons they will hopefully carry with them for the rest of their lives!

Please email your comments and feedback about the program to [email protected]. I
would love to hear the feedback you received from the girls and parents and would
especially love to know what you thought of GirlPower. How can GirlPower improve? What
did you notice? Do you have any suggestions? Would you be willing to provide a testimonial
for the website? Your opinion and comments mean the world to me!

As you know, we have Licensed GirlPower Facilitators around the world teaching GirlPower for
a living. If you are passionate about teaching girls about friendship and are interested in
joining our team, we want to hear from you. To learn more about becoming a Licensed
GirlPower Facilitator and see when our next round of training is happening, be sure to visit:
https://www.urstrong.com/GirlPower/Facilitators/

Thank you for being a GirlPower Ambassador. You’re changing the world, one girl at a time!

Hugs,

Dana Kerford
Teacher and Friendship Expert
Founder, GirlPower Inc.

P.S. Don’t forget to join the GirlPower community on Facebook & Twitter. Become of fan
of GirlPower and get connected with great articles, inspirational quotes, lessons, activities, and
much more.

O www.urstrong.com O [email protected] O p a g e 16

Appendix

Please note that documents appear in this order, but do not contain page numbers to preserve the design.

Music Suggestions............................................................................................................ A-1
Letter to Girls - Template................................................................................................. A-2
Letter to Parents - Template............................................................................................ A-3
Looking into your “Sole” – Art Project............................................................................. A-4
Things to Remember........................................................................................................ A-5
The True You Chart .......................................................................................................... A-6
Friend-o-meter Quiz......................................................................................................... A-7
Toxic Friend-o-meter Quiz ............................................................................................... A-8
GirlPower Mixer ............................................................................................................... A-9
Interview with Mom ......................................................................................................A-10
You are a Star ................................................................................................................. A-11
What makes a Great Friend ........................................................................................... A-12
You are Beautiful............................................................................................................A-13
Feedback Form - Girls ....................................................................................................A-14
Letter to Parents from GirlPower .................................................................................. A-15
License Agreement ........................................................................................................A-16
Friendology 101 Slideshow Notes.................................................................................. A-17

O www.urstrong.com O [email protected] O

Music Suggestions

Music is such a huge part of every little girl’s life. Although girls will have their own unique
tastes and preferences, it is important that you are staying current and keeping up with what
they’re listening to. Although some songs might not be your personal favorites, be sure to play
music that is “cool” and part of their culture – songs they know the words to and will dance to.
Above all, make sure you play songs that are inspirational and relevant.

Here is a list of songs that are great for GirlPower. As new, popular songs come out, add them
to the list…

Recent Hits Still Cool

Name Artist Name Artist
Roar Katy Perry
Try Pink Born this Way Lady Gaga
Inner Ninja Classified
Carry on Fun. Firework Katy Perry
What I Wouldn’t do Serena Ryder
Who Says Selena Gomez
Me and My Girls Fifth Harmony
Catch my Breath Kelly Clarkson What Makes you Beautiful One Direction
Brave Sara Bareilles
Stronger (What doesn’t Kelly Clarkson
Kill You)

Without You David Guetta & Usher

Just the way you are Bruno Mars

Mean Taylor Swift

I am Me Willow Smith

We are Young Fun.

True Colors Glee Cast Version

Dear Girls,

You are invited to attend Friendology 101, a fun six-week program where you get to hang out with just the girls
and talk about “girl stuff”. GirlPower’s Friendology 101 is a series of six workshops that focus on one of the most
important things to you…your friendships. The six session topics are explored in depth through a variety of
activities, from role-playing to answering questionnaires and analyzing scenarios. The session topics include:

The True You – focusing on the importance of being true to who you are and embracing your true colors.
Friendship Facts – introduces you to the four Friendship Facts, qualities of a True Friend, how to use the
Friend-o-meter to assess friendships, and what is the normal cycle in a healthy friendship (The Friend-o-
cycle).
Friendship Fires - discusses the difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships, ways girls can be
mean, the importance of putting out Fires, and female bullying.
Standing up for Yourself – teaches you why it’s so important to stand up for yourself, how to do it
without feeling mean, and how to stand up to a friend and a bully (two very different techniques).
Making and Keeping Good Friends – gives you strategies for how to initiate a friendship and how to keep
those True Friends.
The Power of You – brings all the topics together by reviewing and reinforcing important GirlPower
concepts.

Each session is guided by a slideshow with videos, diagrams, and visuals to help you understand each topic. At the
end of each session, you will be presented with a GirlPower Project to be completed that week, including some
social experiments and even an interview with your Mom. All you need to do is show up with a positive attitude!
You’re also welcome to bring your own journal if you’d like to take some notes.

Join me for GirlPower’s Friendology 101 from _____(time)________ on the following dates:
1. ___________________ –The True You
2. ___________________ –Friendship Facts
3. ___________________ –Friendship Fires
4. ___________________ –Standing up for Yourself
5. ___________________ –Making and Keeping Good Friends
6. ___________________ –The Power of You

If you’re interested in participating in GirlPower, have a parent sign the bottom of the parent letter and return it by
___________________.

I look forward to helping you strengthen that GirlPower you already have inside of you. Be strong and remember
these words of wisdom from Dr. Seuss: “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t
matter and those who matter don’t mind!” You go girl!

Your Friend,

*_____________________

Dear Parents:

Your daughter is invited to join me for GirlPower’s Friendology 101, a series of six one hour workshops focusing on
female relationships. Girls will be coached through the following concepts:

Why friendships are so important to girls,
The difference between healthy and unhealthy friendships,
How to stay true to who you are,
The importance of standing up for yourself and how to do it with kindness and respect,
How to identify an unhealthy friendship and let it go, and
How to deal with mean-on-purpose behavior (e.g. bullying).

GirlPower explores those overwhelming, hard-to-explain girl issues that consume the thoughts and emotions of
girls, while providing them with tools to comfortably manage conflict. The goal of GirlPower is to empower tween
girls with the skills, language, and self-confidence to be better friends and develop healthier friendships.

I appreciate your support while I facilitate this program and delve into these issues with your daughter. I hope that
through the workshop activities and the weekly assignments, your daughter will feel more confident in dealing
with her relationships. If you would like more information, please check out the GirlPower program website at
www.urstrong.com or email me at ________________________.

Thank you,

_____________________

If you would like your daughter to participate in GirlPower’s Friendology 101, please sign and return this portion by
______________ to consent to your daughter attending this six-week program from _____(time)________ on the
following dates:

1. ___________________ –The True You
2. ___________________ –Friendship Facts
3. ___________________ –Friendship Fires
4. ___________________ - Standing up for Yourself
5. ___________________ –Making and Keeping Good Friends
6. ___________________ –The Power of You

Student’s Name: ___________________________________ Grade: ____

Parent Signature: _____________________________________________

Parent Email: ________________________________________________



Things to Remember . . .



















You are beautiful!

What did you think of GirlPower?

O awesome O good O okay O boring

What did you think of the information?

O awesome O good O okay O boring

Do you feel GirlPower has helped you?

O Yes O No

Please explain: ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Are you still confused about anything?

O Yes O No

Please explain: ______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

What will you remember most?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________

Thank you for your participation. Your comments are valuable!

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to thank you for your support at home while your daughter participated in the GirlPower™
six-week program, Friendology 101, facilitated by _______________________. In the six sessions, a lot
of deep topics relating to friendships were addressed. Your daughter learned the Friendship Facts and
how to use the Friend-o-meter to assess healthy versus unhealthy friendships. They also discussed the
importance of standing up for yourself and how to put out those common Friendship Fires (i.e. how to
manage conflict). Through role-playing, your daughter practiced standing up to a friend and standing up
to someone who’s been mean on purpose. Your daughter was told that she deserves to be treated with
respect and to surround herself with friends in the healthy zone of the Friend-o-meter. She was also
encouraged to spend less time with friends in the unhealthy zone and seek support from you during
difficult times.

Please continue talking to your daughter about her experiences with friends and offer comfort as she
navigates this turbulent world of “girl stuff.” Role-playing with her at home is one of the best ways you
can give her the confidence she needs to stand up for herself. Encourage relationships with good
friends and empower her to solve conflicts on her own. Most importantly, shower your daughter with
love and remind her how beautiful, unique, and special she is! To take this conversation even deeper,
“The Friendship Project” is GirlPower’s parent-daughter workbook that will provide you with some
common language to support your daughter at home. Learn more about “The Friendship Project” and
our additional resources available for girls, parents, and educators by visiting: www.urstrong.com

In an effort to continually improve GirlPower and create the best experience for young girls, I would also
love to hear your feedback about the program. Do you feel this program has improved her ability to
handle friendship troubles? Please email me with your comments at [email protected]. Your
opinions are so important!

Your daughter is very lucky to have teachers and parents who see the value in self-improvement
programs like this one!

Thank you,

Dana Kerford*

Teacher & Friendship Expert
Founder, GirlPower Inc.

P.S. Be sure to join our GirlPower community on Facebook and Twitter!

GirlPower™ Program: Friendology 101 (“Teach GirlPower Product”)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By accessing the Teach GirlPower Product, you, the purchaser, agree that you and your authorized users (collectively the “Licencee”)
are bound as follows:

This is a License

This is a licence agreement between the vendor (the “Licensor”) and Licensee for the licence to use the Teach GirlPower Product
which is a friendship program designed to, among other things, inspire young girls to feel empowered, develop a strong sense of
self, and love themselves while learning to manage the most important thing to them…their friendships. The Teach GirlPower
Product includes the information required to facilitate the program including, among other things:

Facilitator’s Guide – detailed information about the program, lesson plans, student handouts, and information for parents;
and
Presentation – slideshow with teaching notes.

Scope of License

2. Licensee acknowledges that this is only a limited nonexclusive Licence to use the Teach GirlPower Product within the
school/organization for which it was purchased by qualified teaching professionals. Licensor is and remains the owner of all right,
title and interest in the Teach GirlPower Product and any intellectual property relating thereto. The Teach GirlPower Product can be
installed on more than one computer system within the purchaser’s organization, as long as the Teach GirlPower Product will not be
used on more than one computer system simultaneously. Licensee will not make copies of the Teach GirlPower Product or allow
copies of the Teach GirlPower Product to be made by others, unless authorized by this Licence Agreement. Licensee may make
copies of the Teach GirlPower Product for backup purposes only. Beyond these uses, the Licencee may not redistribute any material
retrieved from the Teach GirlPower Product nor allow any use that will infringe the copyright or other intellectual or proprietary
rights of the Licensor. The Licencee may not use the Teach GirlPower Product or any part thereof for any other purpose than those
that specifically relate to the Teach GirlPower Product. In no circumstance is any right or licence granted which would entitle the
Licencee to operate or engage in any for-profit services by using or presenting all or any part of the Teach GirlPower Product.

3. THE TEACH GIRLPOWER PRODUCT PURCHASED HEREUNDER MAY NOT BE SHARED WITH ORGANIZATIONS OTHER THAN THE ONE
FOR WHICH IT WAS PURCHASED. IF THIS PRODUCT IS PURCHASED BY AN ADMINISTRATOR OF AN ORGANIZATION FOR USE BY
MULTIPLE FACILITATORS IN SUCH ORGANIZATION, SUCH PURCHASER SHALL PROVIDE A LIST OF PERMITTED USERS, NOT EXCEEDING
FOUR FACILITATORS PER LICENCE, AND SHALL CONSIST OF THE INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBLE FOR PURCHASING THE TEACH GIRLPOWER
PRODUCT TOGETHER WITH THREE OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION.

Limitation of Warranties and Representations

4. The Licensor makes no warranty or representation, express or implied, except that the Licensor warrants that it has the right to
grant this licence subject to the terms, conditions, limitations, restrictions and reservations contained herein. If said warranty shall
be breached in whole or in part, the Licensor's total liability shall be limited in any event to that part of the consideration
theretofore paid under this Agreement to the Licensor in respect to which such breach of warranty may relate.

Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

5. Notwithstanding anything else contained herein, LICENSOR IS NOT LIABLE TO LICENSEE FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCLUDING
COMPENSATORY, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, EXEMPLARY, PUNATIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, CONNECTED WITH OR RESULTING
FROM THIS LICENCE AGREEMENT OR LICENSEE'S USE OF THE TEACH GIRLPOWER PRODUCT. Licensee agrees to defend and
indemnify Licensor and hold Licensor harmless from all claims, losses, damages, complaints, or expenses connected with or resulting
from Licensee's business operations or use of the Teach GirlPower Product.

Term and Termination

6. The licence granted herein lasts for a period of one year from the date the Teach GirlPower Product is first downloaded.
Furthermore, Licensor has the right to terminate this Licence Agreement and Licensee's right to use this Teach GirlPower Product
upon any material breach of this licence by Licensee. If this License is terminated by the Licensor, the Licensee agrees to return to
Licensor or to destroy copies of the Teach GirlPower Product. Following the expiration of this Licence, the Licensor may continue to
use the Teach GirlPower Product at the discretion of the school/organization with the understanding the Licensor assumes no
responsibility and cannot guarantee the content and materials are current and accurate. A discounted rate of 50% the regular price
will be offered by the Licensor to purchase the updated version after one year of purchase. Upon expiration or termination of this
License, any and all rights and interests of whatsoever nature and kind acquired hereunder by the Licensee and/or any third party
deriving any rights or interests from the Licensee shall terminate automatically and absolutely and the Licensor shall have the
exclusive right to all such rights and interests, free from any claim whatsoever by the Licensee and/or any third party deriving any
rights or interests from the Licensee. THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE TEACH GIRLPOWER PRODUCT IS NON-REFUNDABLE.

General

7. This Licence Agreement is the entire and exclusive agreement between Licensor and Licensee regarding the Teach GirlPower
Product. This Licence Agreement replaces and supersedes all prior negotiations, dealings, and agreements between Licensor and
Licensee regarding the Teach GirlPower Product.

8. The parties agree that this Agreement will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of Alberta
and that the proper venue of any claim or dispute concerning any matter related to this Agreement and any action commenced by
either party will be in the applicable courts in Alberta, Canada.

9. This Licence Agreement is valid without Licensor's signature. It becomes effective upon the earlier of Licensee's signature or
Licensee's use of the Teach GirlPower Product.

10. This Licence, and all rights and obligations hereunder, are personal as to the parties hereto and shall not be assigned to any third
party without the prior written consent of the other party, except that the Owner shall have the right to assign this Licence or any of
its rights and interests without such consent if the assignee assumes the obligations of the Owner hereunder. This Licence cannot be
modified except by a written instrument signed by both parties hereto. This Licence shall ensure to the benefit of, and be binding
upon the respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and permitted assigns of the parties hereto.

The most important messages to get across include:
•GirlPower is a fun, interactive program where girls can feel comfortable and
empowered.
•The GirlPower Guidelines (listed on the next slide) – Be kind to yourself and others, be
open to learning and growing, be honest, be brave, and have fun.
•The True You theme resonates throughout all the sessions. The girls will learn to
embrace qualities about themselves that they cannot change and love themselves for
who they are. They will also learn that although they can’t control the shape of their
nose or color of their eyes, for instance, they can control their behavior. Keep relating
this message back to why it’s so important you are true to yourself in friendships.

1

Start the very first GirlPower session off by explaining the GirlPower Guidelines. This is meant to
set the tone, so quickly go over each one of the guidelines:

- Be kind to yourself and others – Ask the girls, “We all know it’s important to be kind to
others, but why do we need to be kind to ourselves? What does that mean?” Linking their
answers, encourage the girls to tune in to their self-talk – that voice in their head when they
talk to themselves. Let them know that sometimes self-talk can be negative and it’s important
to make sure they’re thinking positively.

- Be open to learning and growing - Explain that it is important for them to be willing and open
to improving themselves, which starts with acknowledging one of the key principles of this
session – nobody is perfect. Sometimes older Tweens (almost Teens) can come into these
sessions with a bit of an attitude or feel like they don’t ‘need’ GirlPower. If you notice this,
acknowledge it and present the girls with a challenge. Challenge them to have an open mind.
It’s also important to remind them that we’re always learning and growing, but you cannot
learn or grow if you do not open yourself up to it!

- Be honest – Explain to the girls that honesty is about living with integrity. Being honest, even
when it’s tough, is one of the keys to being a good person.

- Be brave – Remind the girls that bravery helps us learn and grow and become stronger. Be
sure to really emphasize the importance of GirlPower being a safe environment to ask
questions.

- Have fun – Having fun is central to all GirlPower activities, so be sure to find a nice balance
between the seriousness of the material and being able to relax, laugh, and enjoy this special
time together.

Suggestion: After you read each guideline, ask the girls if they can give an example - “Raise your
hand if you can give me an example of being kind to yourself?”

2

Ask the first set of questions to start and give the girls a bit of time to think about it. Get
them to come up with a clear vision in their mind of what this “Perfect Girl” is all about.
On their own, or in a group, get the girls to make a list of qualities that define a “Perfect
Girl”. Once done, ask them to describe her to you! As they’re describing her, create a
list for them to see by writing out their responses on the whiteboard or on chart paper.

Almost every time, girls will describe someone who is FAR from perfect. Common
responses include: blonde hair, bossy, catty, gossipy, skinny, posse, spoiled, expensive
clothes, nice when adults are around but mean when adults aren’t around, etc. Their
responses typically focus on looks and popularity.

Review the list with them and emphasize how bizarre this is: “How strange! I asked you
to describe the PERFECT girl to me and this list seems to characterize someone who is far
from perfect. Would you want to be friends with someone like this?” Get them to really
understand how weird it is that this vision comes to their mind.

Ask the second question, “Where do we get these ideas about the Perfect Girl”,
prompting them to ultimately express that the media creates these unrealistic
expectations. Movies, TV shows, magazines, books, etc.

3

Ask the girls if they think they’re perfect. Are their moms perfect? Is _________ (a
popular celebrity) perfect? Am I perfect? Get them to admit that nobody is perfect.
Explain, too, that this will never change. They will never reach a time where they’ve
achieved perfection – that is an impossible goal.

Show the video. Following the video, ask them what the message is? What can we learn
from that? How would they feel if they were that girl? Does the girl on the billboard
really exist? Be sure to point out that Photoshop was used to alter the girl’s looks.
Explain how this program is used for magazines!

When asking why it’s so important to not be perfect, here are some answers to hope for:
• To learn and grow as a person
• So that we are all different and unique
• To keep our ego in check (to be humble and modest)
• To keep life interesting
• To be a better friend (when you admit your faults, you’re more relatable, down-to-
earth, easy-going and other girls won’t feel like they have to compete with you)

4

Ask the girls what their “True Colors” are. Explain that it’s an expression used to
describe someone’s true self – what makes them special and unique. You can get the
girls to scribble words down in their journal, or share them with the group. Share with
them some of your True Colors, offering both positive and negative attributes. For
example: “My True Colors are that I love spaghetti, I’m terrible at basketball, I’m
sometimes afraid of the dark, I have one brother and one sister, I’m very sensitive and
emotional, etc.”
Before showing the video, tell the girls to pay attention to how they feel when watching
this. Following the video, ask them to share their thoughts and feelings. Discuss how the
girls in the video were not embracing their True Colors.
Suggestion: If you have a small group, ask the girls to think about one positive quality
that makes them unique. Go around the group and have each girl share one of her true
colors!

5

“Stop dreaming and start embracing!” Ask the girls: “What does embrace mean?”
Explain that to embrace something means to accept it. It also means to hug. It’s like
putting your arms around something and giving it a big hug because you accept it for
what it is.
Get them to imagine what life would be like if they were always worrying about or
disliking things they have no control over. Ask them if that person would be happy?
Explain that it is a wasted emotion; wasted energy on something that is out of their
control.
Read the chant aloud to the girls then get them to stand up, put their hand on their
heart, and say the chant with you. If you have time, encourage them to write this down.
Let them know that the next activity will help them acquire “the wisdom to know the
difference.”

6

Get the girls to pull out this handout from their folders (or hand them out, if you haven’t
done so already) and read over the instructions together. You can either have them get
started on it and complete it at home OR just do at home. Remind them, however, that
this is a very personal assignment so be sure not to peek at other papers. Give them
examples and ask if it’s a quality they can control or not. “Can you control the color of
your hair? How about being shy? What about a loud laugh? Your height? Being bossy?
The color of your skin? Your temper?”
Explain that the act of circling is like embracing, or hugging, that quality. The act of
highlighting means that these are things you can work on or change about yourself, if
you want.
Read the “Here’s the Point” at the bottom of the sheet, so they understand the purpose
of the assignment emphasizing that they are in control of who they want to be!

7

This poem came from my Mom when I was a Tween. I was always so hard on myself and
thought I was never good enough – not pretty enough, not smart enough, not athletic
enough, etc. I would cry every day after school and always wished I was like “her”.
Please feel free to share this story with the girls and tell them that if they ever feel like I
did that (1) Know that they’re not the only one who’s ever felt down on themselves, (2)
Talk to someone about it, like their mom or someone close, and (3) Trust that it gets
better.
Suggestion: If you have time, you could have them draw a picture that could go with
this poem.

8

Give them a minute to think of this and then ask them to share their responses. You will
notice all of the qualities they say relate specifically to character. After each girl makes a
suggestion, ask her if that’s a quality she could have. For example, she might say, “I
admire my aunt because she is so caring and always helps me when I need it.” Then say,
“Interesting! Can you be like her and be caring and helpful?” The girls will start to
notice that they can have these same qualities as the people they admire.
Point out that none of the qualities relate to looks or popularity (like the “Perfect Girl”).
Emphasize that a person’s character is what people actually value the most. Remind
them that they can control their character and be someone that people admire too!

9

Here are some examples if you want to elaborate:
• Set rules for yourself means to learn from your mistakes and make choices. For example, after
getting into a fight with a friend, you might set a rule for yourself that you will never yell at a
friend again, even if you are really mad.
• Listen to your angel voice means to listen to that voice in your head that tells you to do the right
thing. It is your intuitive, innate instinct.
• Be strong means to stand up for what you believe in.
• Be a leader means to not just do what other girls are doing, but instead do what is right for you.
• Be honest means to live with integrity, even when it’s hard to express your honest feelings.
• Be patient means that sometimes you don’t always get what you want right away. Patience is a
calming virtue.
• Be forgiving means to accept that nobody is perfect (even yourself) and that people make
mistakes. Forgiveness is a healing virtue.
Suggestion: If you have lots of time left, divide the girls into 7 groups and assign one quality to
each group. Get them to think about that quality and explain it to the group with an example.

10

Girls always like this quote. Discuss the message behind this Dr. Seuss quote. What
does it mean? Encourage girls to write this quote down in their journals.
Reiterate the main theme behind this session – be true to who you are and embrace
your “true colors”. Remind them how important it is to be the Youest You!

11