Real Life Real Talk Events

Planned Parenthood's Real Life Real Talk program is offering a special workshop at FSP on March 11th -- bring your questions and be ready to learn about the questions you didn't even know you should have :-)

They are also offering a number of fascinating sounding community events this spring, including:

Self Defense – Self Awareness for Women and Girls With Clara Porter, MSW Thursdays, March 5 and 12 6:00-8:00 pm East Tower Learning Resource Center, Maine Medical Center 22 Bramhall St., Portland

Is This Love: Adolescents and Dating Violence Join Real Life. Real Talk. and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England for a Professional Training Our keynote speaker is Vicki Crompton, author of Saving Beauty from the Beast: How to Protect Your Daughter from an Unhealthy Relationship Thursday, March 19 3:30 pm – 6:30 pm Earn 3 CEUs $ 40.00 registration fee For more information please visit this page.

Free Parent Night With Vicki Crompton, author of Saving Beauty from the Beast Thursday, March 19 7:00-9:00 pm Portland High School Auditorium

Sexuality and Health, Women & Girls—A Training for Health Professionals With Gina Ogden, PhD Friday, April 3 9:00 am – 2:00 pm $60 per person, discounts available for groups of 3 or more

The Heart and Soul of Sex With Gina Ogden, PhD Friday, April 3 7:00-8:00 pm Charles A. Dana Center Auditorium Maine Medical Center 22 Bramhall St., Portland

Real Life…Girl Talk: A Conversation With Gina Ogden, PhD Saturday, April 4 10:00 am – 3:00 pm True North Health Center Women: $25; Girls: $15 (scholarships available)

An Interesting Looking Event @ Merriconeag

Planting the Seeds of Kindness: Creative Ways to Work with Aggression in Children A public talk by Kim John Payne (www.thechildtoday.com) Wednesday, March 4, 7:00 PM Community Hall Merriconeag Waldorf School, 57 Desert Road, Freeport

Girls, Boys and Gender Specific Programming

What is it to offer an anti-sexist enviornment? Barrie Thorne, in her groundbreaking book, Gender Play, on how kids police gender expression with each other, suggests that when teachers and adults refrain from using sex as a major organizing system or for imputing a lot of meaning to gender, kids also deflect attention -- it becomes a less important trait for organizing behavior, play, etc. On the other hand, psychologists like Lyn Mikel Brown, argue that the cultural context that girls and boys grow up in shapes their development and lived experience in particularly gendered ways. Are there strategies for downplaying gender and being conscious about gender and sexism all at once? Two Maine organizations specialize in thinking about anti-sexism in gender specific ways. Hardy Girls, Healthy Women will be offering a workshop for adults who work with girls to build programs that build on girls strengths, and help girls see themselves as strong and capable problem solvers (rather than the endless labeling of "mean girls" to pre-adolescent and teen girls).

Boys To Men offers similar programming for boys and adults who work with boys, and is currently seeking feedback to help them plan the 2009 conference.

I am grateful for the anti-sexist tradition of Quakers and the ideals of seeing the unique light in each individual and am encouraged by the pretty big range of ways of doing gender that kids express at Friends... Perhaps they will grow up "Free to Be You and Me" -- but still, they have to negotiate the larger society in all sorts of ways and and I really welcome all strategies for building consciousness and skills.

FSP Auction Update!

The Auction Committee is churning along, bringing in tons of fabulous donations.  Check out a sample listing on our newly inaugurated website, found under the Events listing on the FSP website!  More listings to come!  After the donation cutoff date (March 4th) the list will be completed and a proxy bidding sheet will be available online for those who will not be able to attend the auction.  Keep checking in to see the developments....

First Friday Art Walk - from Ellie

Please help spread the word that this Friday's "First Friday" Art Walk in Portland will feature the Youth Boatbuilders Workshop at the Compass Project (Ellie's husband, Clint's gig) for the first time. Their shop will be open 5-8pm and there will be coffee by CBD and Baked yummies by 2 Fat Cats. FYI: Compass Project is donating a dory for the FSP Auction this April. Hope to see some of you there! Compass Project Address is at 170 Anderson Street (off Cove, near U-haul/Marginal Way area) for more info: 774-0682, or compassproject.org (Clint and I are singing and I'm playing guitar on their promotional video!) Ellie

Interesting Research on Kids and leadership

from the Girl Scouts

Storytelling & Social Justice

This comes from Michelle at the Cumberland Family Network.. I heard great things about this last year -- Valerie Tutson will be here February 8 for two great events. She will have a storytelling workshop at 2pm on February 7 and she will perform that night at 7pm. Both events will be at the Congregational Church in Cumberland, 282 Main St. Both events are free and open to the public. (The programs are secular, just held at the church.) For those of you who have not Valerie, I can not say enough good things about her. She has a tremendous energy. Her workshop is a great way to learn how develop your own gifts in storytelling. (We all have them-truly!) She leads you through the process so it's easy and fun. This is a great experience for anyone- any age. Children are welcome. (Probably best for school-aged and up.) And the performance- just a great family night out. I'm happy to answer questions folks have, or you can call the church- 829-3419.

More about Popular Culture

Audra Zarin forwarded me this blog post about 1 mother's failed attempt at being less controlling about popular culture and media with her daughter. I really hope that the Obama administration takes on regulation so that we don't have to be "those parents" quite so much...

Movie Review Sites

Parents on the Cumberland Family Network recently shared movie review sites for parents. Some that got high marks included: Common Sense Media

Kids In Mind And MovieMom

Jan 26th -- Free admittance to the Children's Museum

Here is the scoop: The Children's Museum of Maine and The Children's Theatre of Maine have merged to form one organization: the Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine. We need new pictures to represent our new identity! Please join us on Monday, January 26, from 11am-5pm for an informal photography session! Instead of admission, you will be required to sign a photo release form allowing the Museum & Theatre to use any pictures taken of your child(ren) in our promotional materials. Local photographer Claudia Dricot will be at the Museum all day snapping photos while kids play. You might even see your kids in our new brochure!