Vacancies for Girl Power Facilitators

Vacancies for: Volunteer Facilitators - Female
Programs: Girl Power
Location: Various High Schools on St Maarten
Commencing: October 2009

Background

The Girl Power program has been implemented in St Maarten’s high schools for the benefit of female students aged from 12 to 18 since November 2007. The program, created with the assistance of Loma Linda and Emory Universities in the USA, seeks to provide girls with a forum within which they can develop their self-esteem, learn how to value themselves and set goals for their future. It provides them with information necessary for them to be able to make appropriate choices about their sexual relationships whilst understanding how decisions they make may affect their sexual health, life goals and ambitions.

Included in the program are sessions on setting personal boundaries in relationships and importantly, how to communicate these decisions to partners. Discussion is facilitated on what constitutes a healthy or unhealthy relationship and how the media can influence an individual’s view of themselves or others.

A significant part of the workshops are sessions on safe sexual practices as well as the benefits of abstinence in a relationship. Major objectives of the program are to reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS as well as achieving a reduction in underage teen pregnancies in St Maarten.

Could YOU be a Facilitator?

The Girl Power team members work together to support each other both in and out of the workshops. The students provide us with moments of joy, a huge sense of achievement and very occasionally, some personal emotional challenges for us to overcome. You would be part of a team that continues to grow from strength to strength and able to work side by side with each other, co-facilitating with another team member an energetic and lively session for the students or if required, to keep that same group of girls energized and engaged on your own.

The role of facilitator for these workshops requires some specials skills.

What commitment would be required of you?

If selected, you will need to attend a trainer’s workshop that will help to equip you with the information and skills you need to facilitate the Girl Power workshops. This will take place on Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur 29th Sept to 1st October 5pm till 9pm and Saturday 3rd October 9am to 4pm

You will then be part of a small team allocated to a specific school and will need to give a commitment of your time to help facilitate one full workshop consisting of three consecutive half days and one half day follow up workshop later in each school year. There is a small amount of preparation and organization time required for both occasions. Other times when your support will be asked for include two meetings of all the facilitators for review and updating of information for the team and assistance with the end of year evaluation exercise.

If you are unable at the moment to commit to the time required but still feel that you would like to assist with the workshops, please talk to us, as there may be other opportunities for you to be involved in the program that would fit with your availability.

What do you do next?

If you feel you have the right skills, confidence and attitude to become one of our volunteer facilitators, please email jbgirlpower@gmail.com or telephone 557-8700 and talk to one of the team. You will be invited to meet Girl Power team members and selection will take place before the end of September 2009.