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Go Girls continues to make an impact

The Big Brothers, Big Sisters (BBBS) Go Girls program will be picking up again soon, promoting healthy minds

The Big Brothers, Big Sisters (BBBS) Go Girls program will be picking up again soon, promoting healthy minds, bodies, and positive impacts for young girls.

The Go Girls program is an incredibly successful way to teach young women the value of being happy with themselves, being respectful of others and educating girls on issues surround body image and mental health.

“We’re bringing the girls in and helping them to come up with their own positive ideas of mind and body image. At the end of the week, they’re leaving with a positive impact, and spreading it as they grow. It’s something they can hold on to,” said Program Coordinator and Senior Case Worker for the organization, Miranda Faulkner.

“We spend the week with the girls introducing them to friendship and trust building, and working on some healthy eating, healthy bodies, healthy minds and do things like inspirational women’s lunches. We work really hard to promote a large healthy group of girls at the end of the program.”

Faulkner has worked on the Go Girls program for several years, and said she enjoys the program, looking forward to it each year. The program begins on July 21st and ends on the July 24th. There are interactive sessions, group activities and time spent with women in the community who have made an impact and demonstrate strong values.

At the end of the program, girls are graduated from the program. This promotes a sense of competition and opens the summer camp to new girls each year.

“They feel that once they’ve done the program and graduated, they move on and have something to carry with them,” said Faulkner.

The program opens up to girls in the BBBS program first. Sometimes the organization subsidizes the costs for a child who may have never been able to attend otherwise. There are a total of 24 girls accepted into the program each year so early registration is key.

“We have a lot of cool things planned. We do slightly change up the programs year-to-year depending on what we can get booked. This year is looking a bit different than before,” said Faulkner.

“We have a new team member with us and she’s fresh and has wonderful ideas. I’m really excited for Go Girls this year – I think it’ll be really amazing.”

There is still some space for girls to register, but it will fill up quickly. Faulkner said that BBBS would accept girls right up until the July 21st, as they don’t want to leave anyone out if they can.

Faulkner said she is most looking forward to an event day called ‘Beautiful You’, where the girls are taken to get pampered and get creative as they get their hair done.

“It’s a real transformation day because it’s mid-week, and they’re still trying to figure out exactly the message we’re trying to send. We take them to ‘Beautiful You’, and it all comes together. They feel good about themselves, and are complementing everyone else’s hair – it really brings the girls together. They all seem to glow and love it.”

For more information regarding summer programs, how to register or general inquiries, please contact Big Brothers Big Sisters Lacombe.

kmendonsa@lacombeexpress.com