A new program by Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland is giving voice to Grade 4 and 5 students at Panorama Park Elementary this semester, offering a safe and inclusive environment for girls and gender-diverse youth to connect and build community.
My Voice, My Power! is a new group mentorship program that supports students who identify as female, non-binary, two-spirit or other gender-diverse identities, providing a platform to explore who they are while instilling confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills. It's Panorama Park's second collaboration, following their work with the Go Girls! Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds program over the past two years.
"This is an opportunity to really empower students and give them the tools they need to be successful," said Panorama Park principal Zahra Kabani. "It's hard enough just trying to figure out who you are, and with so much coming their way, especially with social media, it really gives them the chance to delve into some of these topics and know how to deal with them and the support system they can find within each other.
"It's about their rights, their community, who they are as individuals and within the community piece, what they want for themselves and their future."
The eight-session pilot has a focus on gender-based violence prevention and addresses a number of related topics through understanding systemic inequalities, deconstructing gender stereotypes, setting boundaries promoting internet safety.
"Some of those ideas and thoughts are happening so early that helping them identify what healthy relationships are at an early level is so important," said Kabani. "That's part of the foundation that they're building for themselves on who they are and who they want to be."
While the pilot is currently only open to Panorama Park students, Big Sisters is accepting applications for volunteer mentors. Mentors are screened and trained by Big Sisters staff and provided with research-based curriculum to lead activities and discussions with participants.
"To be able to give these students the opportunity to own into who they are, and to know they can use their voice and that it matters, it's a really wonderful thing," said Kabani.
For more information on the My Voice, My Power! pilot program or to apply to be a mentor, click here
