WOW (Working on Womanhood) is a program that helps young girls from Chicago schools to guide and help achieve personal and future success. I am fortunate to be a part of the WOW program. It offers a safe place for young girls in high school.
WOW offers emotional support and social support for young women. WOW advocates for mental health awareness. WOW has helped me in many ways. I have an amazing counselor for WOW and an amazing group of supportive students here at Taft.
I started WOW in my sophomore year. I remember being nervous because I didn’t really know anyone in the program. Also, at first I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of talking about myself in front of people I did not know. It took a good month before I started to feel comfortable and open up.
When I first started there were seniors who spoke about their experiences while being in the WOW program and how the program has helped them make new friendships and help with their future outside of high school.
WOW gave me perspectives to look at in tough situations and a safe place to have open conversations but also a break from stress during school. According to youth-guidance.org 96% of WOW students reported that the program has made them make better decisions about themselves.
The WOW curriculum is a curriculum that targets tough topics about personal or society expectations, but not everything is so serious, WOW is a place to chat and have good laughs, also eating good snacks and getting to know new people.
The WOW counselor here at Taft, Olivia Skummer, shared her experience working here at Taft and working in the WOW program. “I love working with the students at Taft! They are so smart, insightful, emphatic, kind and supportive of one another. It has been a great experience watching WOW students grow and become more confident and trusting of themselves and their ability…”
She continued, “ I enjoy facilitating the groups with students and supporting them with their mental health and other challenges high school can bring. Also, having students spend their lunch periods in the WOW room just hanging out and having fun.”
She furthermore said, “It is a once a week girls group therapy program that focuses on mental health and personal development. The main topics groups focus on are self-awareness, emotional intelligence, healthy relationships, visionary goal setting and leadership. I do my best to keep the curriculum fun and engaging for students. The WOW program can also offer financial support to families in-need, individual counseling, career exploration field trips and scholarship opportunities.”
Working on Womanhood addresses many girls’ experiences during adolescence. Opportunities to hear from each other and continue the rest of high school strong and united and have a positive impact from the guidance in WOW.
