“Bloom” Seminar Intended to Grow Confidence in Middle School Girls
Media Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579
April 5, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—On Sunday, July 10 Saint Mary's College will host its third annual “Bloom for Girls” one-day seminar for middle school girls and their moms or guardians. Molly Schleeter Bell, a mom of an eight-year-old daughter and a 1997 alumna of the women’s college, leads the program.
Nine years ago, Bell, who was then an advertising executive and soon-to-be mom, couldn’t help but question the gender biases presented by children’s products. Flowers, hearts, and the color pink consistently characterized toys and clothes intended for girls. As a mom now, she is even more passionate about what she sees as a need to aid young girls in their understanding of who they are on the inside.
Girls at a "Bloom for Girls" seminar participate
in a "What is Beauty?" workshop. The girls cut photos
from fashion magazines to create collages to show inner
versus outer beauty.“There are lots of things happening in the market that are affecting our daughters’ self-esteem at a very young age and starting to push them in directions of thinking that their only purpose in life is to be a beautiful, sexual being that doesn’t have a mind of her own,” Bell said.
With the help of Saint Mary’s Office of Campus and Community Events, Bell is hosting the seminar again. She designed the self-esteem building program with five women ranging from pediatricians to educators to therapists. “Bloom” promotes positive conversations on issues like friendships, your digital footprint, beauty, and loving and accepting your body.
The Status of Girls in Indiana 2013 report—a comprehensive study released by Saint Mary’s faculty and students on the health and well-being of Indiana girls ages 10-19, brings perspective to many of the topics “Bloom” addresses. Among the data, the study found that girls suffer from low self-esteem and depression because of an array of outside factors. (To read the report, go to saintmarys.edu/StatusOfGirls.)
“This is something actionable that shows we, as a community, are responding to those statistics, primarily those that indicate girls are experiencing depression at a higher rate and their self-esteem seems to go down after puberty,” Bell said.
The program will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 10 and is intended for middle school girls between the ages of 10 and 14 and their mothers or guardians. For more information on the seminar or other Saint Mary’s summer camps, go to saintmarys.edu/camps or call the Office of Campus and Community Events at (574) 284-4625.
About Saint Mary's College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews.
Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579.