GIRLS WITH GOALS

 

The Zonta Club of Bowling Green Area has originated a program know as"Girls With Goals". The program is designed to encourage

teen girls to consider the many alternatives available to them. The idea is to stimulate girls and young women to think beyond today.

The program encourages girls to set goals which may fulfill their dreams.

 

When girls begin to plan for the future, they hear about the importance of organization, education and setting goals.

They begin to learn the choices they make today may influence their choices for the future.

 

The "Girls With Goals" program varies from year to year.  In the first year,  five community women read the book, "Composing a Life", and

participated in a panel sharing information about their personal and professional lives, choices made, obstacles encountered and gender-related

issues confronted as they determined their destiny.  They addressed the impact of cultural traditions, educational opportunities, changing

lifestyles, raising a large family, family mobility, etc.

 

In the second year, the teenage Czisny twins shared the events of their lives as ice-skating stars.  They explained the sacrifices made as they

pursue their dreams of being professional skaters.  The audience heard how they juggled home-schooling, skating, traveling and social activities.

 

In the third year, several area entrepreneurs discussed the process of taking an idea for a business and bringing it to reality.  The women owned a

jewelry store, a sewing shop and an antique store.

 

In the fourth year, the Club took advantage of a NASA exhibit at the local library which allowed the public a "hands-on" experience with

technology and highlighted the importance of women in science.  A Zonta sponsored series at the Bowling Green High School allowed students to

experiment with food preservation for space missions.  This series was aimed at increasing interest in science-related careers.

 

Future programs will continue to expose teen girls to thought-provoking experiences as they consider and plan their future.

 

These efforts promote the Status of Women, the underpinning goal of Zonta.