Empowering Girls Through Community Engagement: The Final Pillar of the Step-In Curriculum
The final pillar informing the Step-In curriculum is Community Engagement. At Step-In, girls have the opportunity for personal growth and development by embracing new experiences and creating positive impacts outside of the classroom.
The Step-In Program incorporates monthly field trips for students. These opportunities include visits to an assisted living facility, an escape room, and a cooking class. These new experiences and interactions with new people give girls the chance to step out of their comfort zones and grow. Girls speak to individuals of all ages, gaining perspectives from college students and senior citizens. They learn teamwork and leadership skills by solving puzzles in an escape room. They acquire new knowledge, like the importance of nutrition, from community members. Additionally, girls deepen their empathy by knitting blankets for babies in the hospital.
All of these experiences outside of the classroom provide girls at Step-In with a sense that they belong to something greater than themselves. This encourages them to grow into active citizens who strive to positively contribute to others. Girls see how their actions—whether it's having conversations that spread joy to elderly individuals or creating blankets for infants—directly impact those around them. Step-In encourages girls to celebrate their agency by taking advantage of the opportunities they have to make a difference and positively impact their community.
The Community Engagement pillar that informs the Step-In curriculum completes the holistic approach to girls' development. In this way, each girl enrolled in Step-In is equipped with the skills and tools to grow into the best version of herself.