As expected, when Naomi Borowsky ‘18 first told the group of middle school girls that we were going to talk about periods, she was met with a chaos of screams, awkward laughs, and girls covering their ears. But then she gave the disclaimer: “It’s okay for this to be awkward. But, we thought that as your somewhat older friends we could tell you about our experiences and answer your questions.” This seemed to calm them down, and they began writing questions for the “question box.”
This was during a weekly meeting of Girls Circle, a CCCE program at Northfield Middle School that creates a supportive group of college women and middle school girls centered on needs and issues concerning women. This year’s meetings have included activities and discussions related to social media, bullying, relationships with friends, and body image.
“We try to get them to think and talk about issues in their lives,” Alice Welna ’17 said. “Topics that can help them have an easier time in middle school and going forward.”
Welna has been a member of Girls Circle since her freshman year, and is currently one of the three program directors. During her freshman year, the program shifted from just allowing 6th graders, to letting students come during all three years at middle school. For Welna, this change allowed her to see the growth of the girls as they progressed from 6th to 8th grade. Some of her favorite memories are when she realized that even when the middle schoolers don’t seem to be paying attention, they’re actually taking something away with them. She told one story about a girl who started coming in 6th grade.
“Earlier in the year we talked about standing up to bullies. By the end of the year, the girl who was now about to graduate 8th grade ran in and was talking about how proud of herself she was for standing up for her friends and [challenging] a bully,” Welna said. “Being able to be with them for so long, eventually I would take a step back and be like ‘wow, they’ve really changed.’”
Of course, not all meetings are serious. During the past year, Girls Circle baked cookies, held a talent show, and visited Carleton for a scavenger hunt. Each meeting also includes multiple games.
Welna, who’s graduating in a few weeks, said she can’t imagine her Carleton experience without her weekly trips to the middle school. She knows that her experience with Girls Circle will impact how she interacts with middle schoolers in the future, with a better understanding of what they might be going through and how they have fun.“I feel like people have a lot more common with middle school girls than they realize,” she said.
Female-identifying Carleton students interested in Girls Circle can apply to the program at the beginning of Fall term. Stop by the Girls Circle booth at the Activities Fair or contact Naomi Borowsky (borowskyn@) for more information.