During WWII, women worked in manufacturing plants and shipyards while the men fought overseas. It was then they discovered economic strength and learned to be self-reliant.
For the next couple of weeks, 30 young girls in Glendale will learn just that - economic literacy and self-sufficiency - at
Rosie Goes to Wall Street (Camp Rosie), named for the cultural icon "Rosie the Riveter."
"Camp Rosie has been developed for young women between the ages of 14 and 18 to empower them to make personal, educational, financial, and career choices from an expanded set of possibilities so they can achieve self-sufficiency, career satisfaction, and long-term financial security," said
Lana Haddad, an administrative analyst with the City of Glendale and Commission on the Status of Women. "I am hoping that these girls get that their options are way more than they imagine them to be."
The program, open to adolescent girls living in Glendale, is for young women searching for self development. Broken into two, three-week-long summer sessions, the camp empowers these 60 "Rosies" to succeed in life. The first camp session was held July 9 -27.
The girls who participate in this day camp are considered at-risk and come from low-income households. They are taught business and leadership skills and about non-traditional career options. But they also learn about self-awareness, fitness and nutrition, healthy relationships and teen dating safety.
Although considered fun, this summer day camp has an academic purpose, said Haddad. The girls get to hear from experts (among them a financial advisor), learn about self defense, and get a visit from Break the Cycle - a non-profit that raises awareness of domestic and dating violence.
Camp Rosie was in development for more than two years, and it received funding this year from the Soroptimist International of Glendale -an international volunteer organization for business and professional women who work to improve the lives of women and girls, in local communities and throughout the world - and the Women's Foundation of California.
"One of our missions is to improve leadership opportunities for women in the community," said
Karla Kerlin, chair of the Commission on the Status of Women. "We thought it was critical to start with young girls and groom them to be in a position of leadership."
This program is a collaborative project with the support of many city departments, including the Community Housing and Development, Verdugo Job Center, Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Service, the Police Department, the Fire Department, and Glendale Unified School District and community partners, including the Glendale YWCA and the Glendale Unified School District.
To learn more about the Commission on the Status of Women visit,
www.ci.glendale.ca.us/women. For more information of the Soroptimist International of Glendale go to,
www.soroptimistglendale.org. Break the Cycle is at
www.breakthecycle.org.