Ellis School Celebrates Day of the Girl 2013

Students and faculty of The Ellis School are celebrating the International Day of the Girl during ten days filled with activities meant to encourage understanding, collaboration and support for girls’ education worldwide. These include a keynote speaker, an art installation, and participation in the regional International Day of the Girl celebration on October 11.
The Empathy Wall: Girls in all divisions watched segments of the film Girl Rising, which explores the personal stories of girls around the world as they struggle for equal access to education. Then using questions crafted by girls in the Upper School’s Gender and Power Class, taught by Dr. Susan Corbesero, girls in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools interviewed one another, asking how we might:

  • Change attitudes in developing countries so girls have an equal opportunity to learn?
  • Improve the literacy rates of girls living in rural areas where no libraries exist?
  • Have girls help each other to learn?
  • Rethink the resources needed for girls to get an education?
  • Make it safer for girls to get to school in developing countries?
  • Build a learning network to help girls get an education?
Because the activity requires girls to interview one another and document responses, girls understand one another’s perspectives more deeply. Girls are then photographed with their responses to encourage personal responsibility and ownership of the ideas proposed. The goal is for girls to develop empathy for girls everywhere, especially those who don’t have safe or easy access to education. Ellis will bring its Empathy Wall project to the regional Day of the Girl celebration taking place Friday, October 11 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Goodwill in Lawrenceville

In Her Shoes art installation: The Empathy Wall responses are being shared through an art installation on the Ellis campus. In the installation, girls’ and women’s shoes are lined up on the breezeway on campus. An Empathy Wall response is placed carefully in each shoe. A label at the installation states that “Over the next 10 days you will see the line of shoes on the breezeway grow longer. Consider that each shoe represents the step that a girl somewhere must take to educate herself. Can you step into her shoes?”

Ellis community members are encouraged to add pairs of shoes to the installation. All shoes will be donated to women and girls who can use them.  Throughout the process and at the end of the period we will collect and document all of the responses that have been made. To donate shoes, Ellis families may simply leave them on the breezeway.
Inspiring speakers at Ellis: On Friday, October 11, Jui Joshi, Director of Philanthropic Engagement at the Women and Girls’ Foundation, will speak to Ellis Middle and Upper School students about the role of activism, education, and community engagement in empowering girls and young women. Ms. Joshi  graduated from Ellis in 1981.

On September 25, author and journalist Courtney E. Martin also spoke at Ellis about empowerment for girls and women. Her talks with Ellis Middle and Upper School students asked each girl to consider what her own unique power might be. By considering and documenting her thoughts, each girl is equipped to better understand what truly matters to her, and how she can be of meaningful service to others.

Special thanks go to The Ellis School Day of the Girl Planning Team members for their thoughtful work creating, implementing and documenting  these International Day of the Girl activities at Ellis. The planning team members are: Dr. Lisa Abel-Palmieri, Dr. Susan Corbesero, Mr. Jean Mercier, Ms. Sara Sturdevant, Ms. Jessica Nolan, and Ms. Lauren Laschon.
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