Middle school girls and drama, drama, drama! People usually joke that these two phrases are often interchangeable. But what makes middle school such a drama-filled time in a girl’s life? Could it be that gossip, rumors, jealousy, boys, hurt feelings and changing friendships have anything to do with it? More than likely, one of the above-mentioned issues is the reason for all of the drama and tears. So how is a girl expected to deal with all of this? Well, Darlington School has found the solution – Girl Talk.
Girl Talk is a student-to-student mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with high school mentors. Our middle school girls meet with their mentors every other week to discuss issues they face on a regular basis, such as how to be a good friend, how to deal with feeling left out, cliques, etc. The middle school girls are encouraged to share any positive news, concerns or problems they may have, and their high school mentors are there to listen and offer support and guidance when needed. And the great thing is – our high school mentors have been through Darlington’s Middle School program and understand what it’s like to be a student in this environment.
Girl Talk was created to help our middle school girls deal with the pressures and anxieties of being a young teen by providing them an opportunity to talk to and learn from high school mentors who understand what they are going through. This program helps girls build self-esteem and benefit from positive, valuable relationships with other girls. In turn, the mentors gain a sense of accomplishment knowing they’ve helped make a difference in the lives of many young girls.
This marks the second year of our Girl Talk program, and the group is twice as large as it was last year. The interest and enthusiasm for the group continues to grow. The girls who are involved really seem to enjoy the time they get to spend with each other and gain a greater sense of togetherness with every group meeting that takes place. So rather than experiencing the typical drama in a room full of girls, the teens involved in Girl Talk get to experience an atmosphere of friendship, understanding and solidarity.
For more information on this program, visit www.desiretoinspire.org.
