When my mother read me Where the Wild Things Are as a child, she always changed the protagonist’s name, Max, to Maxine. When she grew up in the 60s & 70s, she struggled to find books and movies for children with heroines and wanted to make sure I knew that girls could go on adventures …
Recently, I’ve heard the same story from students, parents, and teachers: too much screen time is affecting children and teens. Since online school became the norm, students have spent the majority of their days in front of computer screens. Should parents be worried? All of this screen time has many parents worried. Studies show …
You’ve probably heard of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), but may be mystified. What is this tabletop game with no board and so many strange dice? From its basement origins in the 1970s, Dungeons and Dragons has now firmly cemented itself as a beloved staple of geek culture. It works by collaborative storytelling. In this role-playing …
Since moving to Eugene almost four years ago, I’ve looked for a permanent space for Girls’ Voices Matter. I’ve taught classes at various locations, including my house. I had a hard time finding a place that I could afford and had the space for all of my equipment. Enter the Covid-19 pandemic: all teaching shifted …
The film Hidden Figures focuses on the little-known story of a team of female African-American mathematicians. These women served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. Because of this, teen girls especially can benefit from the portrayal of the powerful women of Hidden Figures. The film is based …
With a global pandemic and political strife, stress seems to be an unavoidable part of daily life, making self-care more important than ever before. This holds true even for young people, as anxiety and depression become increasingly common among teenagers. Fortunately, creativity (while not a cure-all) can help one’s mental and physical well-being. It can …
I was an “art-nerd” as a child and teenager. I took drawing lessons, played piano, guitar, and sang in the school choir. I sewed elaborate quilts, wrote poems, stories and, at the age of twelve, attempted to write a novel. In high school, I took modern dance and ballet. As a teen, I acted in …
By Claire Graman TikTok and the Teenage Girl Though TikTok is popular for all, expected to pass 1.2 billion users next year, young people have made the platform what it is, and specifically young women. According to The Atlantic, an estimated 40% of TikTok users are between 16-24, with a significant portion even younger than …
National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo By Claire Graman When I was a teen, I would come home from school, eat an enormous snack, and embark on a journey to a fantasy world, retreating to my room where I would write stories on my laptop. Writing always made me feel inspired, empathetic, and powerful. Yet I …
By Claire Graman For this International Day of the Girl, I thought back to the films that inspired me when I was a girl. A plethora exist, from The Wizard of Oz (1939) to Spirited Away (2001). Heroic girls going on epic journeys is a staple of children’s movies. However, I immediately recalled a much …
