Tag: second saturday

Banding Together with Blue 1647

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Last week we shared with you the surprising truth behind women in technology careers. There is a serious need for women in technology and some serious barriers to break down to accomplish that.

The biggest is the stereotype that men are better than women at all things STEM–Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Now, we know this isn’t true! But, we need your help to convince the rest of society! Our girls’ interest in technology should not be diminished by stereotypes. If your daughter loves to be creative, loves solving puzzles, and loves to use her brain…join us this Saturday! We want to fuel her desire for technology careers.

Polished Pebbles is banding together with Blue 1647 to provide your girls with an exciting service and learning opportunity. Let your girls learn the power of code and computers! We want them to know that all doors are open to them, including those in technology!

We hope to see you there!

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Ladies, Let’s Get Techie

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We all know that women are just as good as men when it comes to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers. Society has been pushing to close the gender gap for jobs in these sectors—successfully! According to a HuffPost article, in 2013 more than half of all US biological scientists were women. More women are entering the careers in the life sciences; think biology, genetics, and even zoology.

But, this push towards gender equality in STEM hasn’t been felt equally across the fields. The number of men in technology/computing careers still ridiculously outweighs that of women. Consider this:

“At Google, women make up 30 percent of the company’s overall workforce, but hold only 17 percent of the company’s tech jobs. At Facebook, 15 percent of tech roles are staffed by women. At Twitter, it’s a laughable 10 percent. For non-technical jobs at Twitter (think marketing, HR, sales), the gender split is 50-50.”

original.jpgWhile women are getting careers at tech companies, they are not actually involved in computing roles. So, what gives?

It’s the same old story. Our society has perpetuated the myth that boys are better at maths and sciences than girls. While many of us know that this is a stereotype and does not actually reflect real abilities, it still influences how we operate. HuffPost states, “Men are twice as likely as women to be hired for a job in mathematics when the only difference between candidates is gender.”

That type of thinking is what needs to be stopped! We need our girls to know that their gender does not influence their intelligence or abilities. Girls, boys, and those outside the gender binary are all able to learn computing skills and apply those skills to future careers. And why would you not? Technology and computing careers are some of the fastest growing fields in the United States—it is a means for success.

According to General Motors CEO Mary Barra, “There will be a war for technical talent.” At Polished Pebbles we want to properly prepare our girls for this battle. Join us this Second Saturday, December 12 at Blue 1647 to learn about opportunities in technology and computing! You don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to jumpstart your daughter’s interest in these exciting fields.

Let’s combat the stereotype together!

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A Healthy Body Image Starts in the Mind!

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By: Lauran A. Smith, Polished Pebbles Correspondent 

What do you think of yourself? Is your perception of who you are determined by what you see?

I was very excited to sit with Polished Pebbles Mentoring on November 14th, as they hosted a discussion on “Healthy Body Image”. It brought me back to my own childhood days, and it forced me to recall that we ALL have experienced a time where we questioned our worth…whether publicly or privately. I was teased as a child about the hue of my skin, and I remember the countless days of returning home, informing my Parents about how the kids talked about me and what they said. One thing is for certain; the Guest Speakers for the Healthy Body Image discussion certainly provided insight as to how they managed to deal with their body image issues.

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Brandi advised: “…choose you, because there is no other you…”. Brandi dealt with the issue of children teasing her about her height, and instead of her allowing someone to make her feel out of place because of this, she embraced it and decided that she would take the route of building off of what others considered to be “different”. She started a special series called “Tall Tales”, and was even given 30 pairs of shoes from Oprah Winfrey herself!

Rocki taught us: “…you’re not going to be accepted 100%–so what…”. Rocki dealt with personal weight issues, and was (at one point) convinced that she would be at a certain weight for the rest of her life. Once she began to work out, change her eating habits, and started to see her results, she was then sought out to teach her own fitness classes, and even has a wait list for people wanting to attend her sessions!

Ashanti gave us a quote that has helped to sustain her: “my Father always said that if you pray for anything, pray for happiness”. Ashanti dealt with body issues, and wanting certain areas of her body to look differently. After leaving California for “The Windy City”, Ashanti had a continued vision to seek her happiness, and is now the owner of 360 Mind Body Soul, the “Physique Factory” which is a one of a kind fitness studio, returning You To You!

A Healthy Body Image truly begins in your own mind, and not in another’s perception of you. With social media, reality television, and the internet sensations running rampant with plastic surgery and the like, our girls need to be reminded that who they are is “enough”!

“Healthy” Body Image simply means that there is a positive view of “you”, flaws and all!

Healthy Body Image

Free Fun! Join Us For Second Saturdays!

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Polished Pebbles hosts a free Second Saturday event for girls every month. Our programming focuses on building positive relationships, increasing self-esteem, and most of all…having fun! Last month we celebrated October with some “Old School Games”. Check out our vimeo below!

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All this month we have been discussing healthy body image for our girls. This Saturday, November 14 we are hosting our Second Saturday event: “Too Tall, Too Skinny, Too…”. We will have guest speakers sharing their own journeys towards self-acceptance, self-love, and an overall healthy body image! Come listen to the owner of 360 Mind Body Soul Fitness studio, Ashanti Johnson! 

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White By Default Affects Our Girls

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When talking about body image and how it affects our young girls, it is important to address an important factor. Idealized beauty, in the United States and many other countries, is Eurocentric. Meaning, white facial features, fashion trends, body VF-2012-Cover-210x300shape, and skin tone are idealized. According to Beauty Redefined, “Images of white women dominate all media – especially roles or depictions featuring “beautiful” or desirable women, not funny sidekicks, the chunky best friend, the hired help or other stereotypes.”

It would be silly and ill-informed to assume that this does not affect our young, black girls. When they don’t see girls on TV with curly, coily hair or darker skin, they start to believe that their natural selves should be hidden. Kadia Blagrove writes fashion articles and for the longest time never noticed that all her articles centered on women that looked nothing like her. She had been socialized into believing that “white is default”. Kadia writes, “First of all, diversity within the media is largely unbalanced. Diversity really means 90% white people and a few token people of color here and there.”

Sometimes I feel as if I need permission to be black. –Kadia Blagrove

Before we start pointing to black women in media who have become popular role models, such as Beyonce, we must read this from Beauty Redefined:

Though beautiful women of color like Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Halle Berry and others have achieved renown in U.S. culture, media representations of these women have become increasingly “anglicized” or “whitewashed” over time, with lighter-colored, straighter hair, lighter makeup, colored contacts and often shrinking figures. –Beauty Redefined

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Check out the website for their photos on how these celebrities “looks” have been altered throughout the years by style teams and digital media.

We need to show our girls that beautiful women of color exist! That they are present and powerful. Girls should not be pressured to straighten their hair or lighten their skin to be beautiful. It should be a personal choice made by their own decision, not by society’s beauty standards.

How can you help?

  • Show your girls beautiful, strong women who look like them
  • Alter their media choices to include more shows, magazines, or movies that include women of color
  • Engage in conversations about beauty and race
  • Empower your girls to love themselves
  • Be a role model, be a mentor

And, attend our November Second Saturday event on body image with 360 Mind Body Soul Fitness Studio!

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