Classes and Events

Parent Programs

GTW offers programming for small groups to large audiences. Here is a list of our more popular programs. If one of these does not meet your needs, we are usually able to design a program just for your group. For more information, please contact us at programs@gtw-health.com or call our office at 972-733-6565.

Raising Resilient Children and Teens

What do we want most from the next generation? We hope they will become adults who can bounce back from stress, solve their own problems, and contribute to the world in positive ways. Dr. Sugerman teaches concrete skills that parents can use to raise resilient kids.

This program can be modified for families with special needs children.

College Prep 101 (For teens or parents or both)

Worried about roommates? Might miss your mom (or not)? Can you study hard and still party harder? This program for college hopefuls addresses what they really need to know to have a successful college experience. Sending your baby to college is a hard moment for many parents. Learn what to expect and how to prepare for this exciting but sometimes difficult transition.

From immunization recommendations to roommate crises to redefining the parent-child relationship, this program helps parents and kids to make leaving for college a positive transition for the family.

Stressed Out Teens (for teens or parents or both)

Do you know what stresses your teen out? How do our young people handle stress? When is anxiety or depression a normal reaction and when should we be concerned? We review strategies for helping kids to cope with the mountains and the molehills of life.

My Feet Are Too Big and I'm Taller Than All the Boys: Developing A Positive Body Image (For tweens or parents or both)

This program uses humor and vignettes to help kids and adults gain perspective on surviving puberty. Understanding the developmental tasks of adolescence can help us to be supportive of teens as they work their way in fits and starts toward adulthood.

E-Teens: Raising healthy children and teens in the digital media age

Children will be children, but their toys are changing. Parenting in the age of digital media requires new skills. How are we supposed to raise kids with facebook accounts when we still haven't figured out how to program the VCR (correction, the DVR)? Join Dr. Susan Sugerman in an interactive conversation about the influence of media and technology on our youth.

From email to facebook, from texting to sexting, our children need our guidance more than ever to navigate the challenges and opportunities that our modern culture presents them. Using a developmental context, parents and educators alike will come away with a sense of how to empower children to protect as well as how to recognize potential red flags when a child may be running into trouble in cyberspace.

Raising Great Daughters

What does it take to raise great daughters? An inspiring look at what our daughters really need from us to be the women we hope they will become.

Teen Talk - Helping Teens Communicate Effectively (or, how not to talk like you text!)

Adolescence is a time to develop skills necessary for healthy adult friendships as well as romantic relationships. Shani Romick reviews communication skills for teens that will last a lifetime.

Every Body is a Good Body

Media messages, cultural preferences, peers, and family all have significant impact on how we feel about our physical bodies, effecting self-esteem, identity, and relationships. Dr. Sugerman addresses what parents, educators and other adults can do to help adolescents and teens feel good in their own skin.

Bullies: They're Not Just on the Playground Anymore - A look at Social Aggression

A fresh look at 21st century bullying, giving adults tools they can use to help our kids handle social aggression.

Dinner - The value of eating together as a family and how to make it happen

Keeping kids strongly connected to their families has been shown to be protective against dangerous risk behavior. Learn how family meals help kids and parents communicate and prevent unwanted outcomes.

Lunch Box Make-Overs, Nutrition, and Your Child's Brain

There is always room for improvement! Learn how to influence your child to be more self-reliant by packing and eating their own school lunches. See the nutritional benefits of making small changes. Look at eleven different ways to feed your child’s growing brain. (30 min.)

Relationship Rights and Responsibilities & Healthy Relationships

Information for teens and young adults on developing healthy, safe relationships. What are the warning signs of an unhealthy relationship? This program defines healthy relationships and provides information on what to do if you are in an unhealthy relationship or know someone who is. For parents, this workshop gives you the tools needed to help your child learn to develop healthy relationships.

Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'N Roll: Saving Face and Staying Safe

A fresh look at the "romance of risk." A workshop for teens, parents, and educators on how to negotiate potential temptations safely and without humiliation.

Raising Sexually Healthy Children

his workshop reviews how to help kids have a healthy sense of sexuality across their life spans. For parents and educators.

Classroom Education

Girls to Women offers programs and workshops for schools, homeschoolers, and after school programs. Each program is designed to meet your school’s objectives. You may choose a one time program or a series of programs. For more information, please contact us at programs@gtw-health.com or call our office at 972-733-6565.

Self Defense Classes

Health and Nutrition

Middle School Friendships

The focus of the workshops will be on healthy friendships and will include the following topics:

• What is a friend?
• What values matter to you in a friend?
• Misconceptions and problems with cliques.
• How to make new friends and when do you let an old friend go?
• How to be a friend when they’re not your friend?

Through collaborative discussion and problem-solving, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on past experiences and to leave with new skills to help them keep old friends and make new ones.

High School Drama

For some students high school is the most stressful time of their lives. Worried about making new friends or keeping the friends you have? This workshop will help girls and/or boys in high school learn strategies to handle some of the sticky situations all teens face.

Topics that will be covered during the series include:

• Rumors and dramas: how to avoid and handle getting caught up in gossip.
• Fitting In: Honest conversations about what people are willing to do to fit in and how to set boundaries with friends.
• Peer pressure: What to do when your friends start experimenting with alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. · How to get yourself out of a bad situation.
• How to have an important conversation with your parents and other important adults in your life.
• What worries and questions do you have about high school? Learn from others and develop strategies for making new friends.

Sexual Health

NCL Workshops

Girls to Women offers a variety of workshop ideas to help NCL Chapters complete their program objectives. Each program is developed to meet the NCL Chapter's individual goals.

Daisies and Brownies

First Aid - Brownie Badge

If someone was sick or hurt would you know how to help?  In this badge, you'll find out what to do to help treat minor injuries.

Making Friends - Brownie Badge

Making friends can be fun!  Try this workshop to learn how to make new friends, how to be a good friend, and what to do when you don't agree with your friends.

Activities and discussion includes:

• How to make new friends
• How to be a good friend
• How words and actions can hurt your friends
• How to disagree with your friends

My Best Self

We only get one body; so it's important to take care of it!  Learn to pay attention to what your body needs an how to ask for health help if you need it - so you can keep yourself feeling great.

• Get to know what makes you unique
• Learn the importance of eating and playing in a healthy way
• How you can take care of your body
• What to do when something is really bugging you
• Visit with a counselor and learn how they can help students
  

Girls will have the opportunity to try new foods!  This workshop completes Steps 1 - 5.

Yell and Tell Self Defense

This fun and interactive program helps young girls discover practical life skills that are simple things to remember to avoid danger. The focus of the class will be: how to say "NO"; avoiding dangerous situations; learning to set boundaries so they recognize when someone is too close; and what to do if a situation makes them feel uncomfortable. The goal is to encourage young people to "yell" when threatened and to "tell" a safe adult immediately.

Real life scenarios include answering the door, answering the phone, stranger danger, and what to do in an emergency. At the end of the class girls will take action to and break a board to help them feel empowered! Parents are encouraged to stay.

Saturday, February 4, 2012, 11:00 am - Noon

Juniors

aMUSE Journey - Stereotypes & Friends

Stereotypes can hold girls back from achieving their dreams and can be hurtful.  In this workshop we will explore what interests and skills each girl has to help them feel confident about their ability to try on any role that interests them now and in the future.  Topics include:  stereotypes, friendships, and "mean girls".   Girls will complete the Speak Out requirement for the Journey in this workshop.

aMUSE Journey - Beauty & Self Esteem 

Girls explore what beauty means to them, how they see themselves, and define Real Beauty.  Learn how a healthy body can support you in tackling life's challenges and help you achieve any role that you choose.   Topics include self esteem, body image, beauty, and healthy bodies.

$25/girl
Monday, February 20, 2012 - 1:00 - 3:00 pm

Agent of Change Journey

Learn about what makes you, YOU!  Define what qualities leaders have and what strengths and skills you already have to help you be a leader.  What makes a great team?  From the power of ONE to the power of a TEAM, this fun workshop helps girls discover their interests, skills, strengths, and passions.

First Aid - Junior Badge Workshop

Learn what to do to help people that are sick or injured. The workshop completes Steps 1, 3, 4, & 5

Social Butterfly - Junior Badge Workshop

Have you ever been in a group and you weren't sure how to fit in or how to act?  It happens to everyone!  From new friendships to large special occasions, knowing good manners and how to hold a conversation will make you more comfortable.  The workshop completes Steps 1 - 4.

Becoming A Teen - Junior Badge Workshop

The journey girls will make to become a teenager is an exciting and challenging one. At Girls to Women we believe "She Only Grows Up Once". This fun and interactive workshop will help girls identify people and resources to guide them on their journey.  Girls will discover what to expect as their body changes and tips to help them develop daily rituals for skin and hair care. They will have an opportunity to connect with other girls as they discuss the new responsibilities that tweens face and if the media accurately portrays today's tweens and teenagers.

One of the favorite activities in this workshop is the book exchange. Reading is a great way for girls to take action to help them handle the stress that some teenagers experience. Girls should bring one of their favorite, gently used books, for the book swap.

Caring for Children - Junior Badge Workshop

If you are trusted to watch young children, your most important job is to keep them safe. Keeping young children safe and happy requires lots of patience and good judgment. This workshop teaches some important child-care skills and reviews the responsibilities of babysitting so girls can decide if they would like to take a more in depth classes in the future.

Safety is first: learn first aid tips, what to do if the child becomes ill, when to call the parents, and when to call 911. Discover practical life skills that will help you learn what are the different developmental stages for babies, toddlers, and young children and is needed to assure that during each stage of development you know to keep them safe and happy. Learn to take action to assure that young children in your care are safe.

$20/girl
Saturday, February 18, 2012, 1:00 - 2:30 pm

The Choice is Yours - Junior Badge Workshop

When the girls were babies and toddlers, adults made every decision for them. Now that they are tweens/teens they make decisions and choices every day. In this interactive workshop with a school counselor, girls will learn how to make good choices that work for them and identify what decisions teenagers may have to make. They will role-play and learn solutions to help them in some of life's sticky situations.

This workshop offers girls an opportunity to discover positive role models in their life who they can turn to if they are faced with a difficult decision. Through role playing they will connect with other girls to learn about healthy friendships and strategies to use when they are bullied or find themselves in an uncomfortable situation. Role playing scenarios include what to do if a friend offers you a cigarette, you and your friend are at home alone, bullying, and social aggression.

First Aid - Junior Badge Workshop

Do you know how to act quickly if you or your friend is injured? What should be in the first aid kit and do you know how to use it? Work with a nurse who specializes in adolescent medicine to learn what to do for sprains, cuts, nosebleeds, and other injuries. This workshop includes a information on when to call 911 and how to help a victim until emergency help arrives. At the end of the workshop the girls will have fun practicing their new skills with role playing scenarios. Girls will discover and learn new life skills and how to take action to help others.

A Healthier You - Junior Badge Workshop

Discover what healthy habits you can learn now that will help you develop a fun and healthy life. Included in the workshop will be information about healthy bones, physical activity, and sun safety. Some girls and women see a distorted picture of how they look. Together, the girls will talk about body image. Girls will use their creative talents to take action and make a card for a person living in a nursing home in our community.

Healthy Relationships - Junior Badge Workshop

The focus of this workshop is healthy friendships and relationships. What is a friend? What values matter to you in a friend? How do you make new friends and when do you let an old friend go?

Connect with other Girl Scouts and discuss friendship characteristics and challenges. Girls will work with a GTW counselor to discover how to be a good friend and how to develop good friendship skills.

This program is best for Girl Scout Troops or Service Units and will be scheduled at your convenience.

In the Zone - Living Drug Free

This workshop is based off of the Girl Scout book "In the Zone - Living Drug Free".  "Life is full of choices.  The older you get, the more freedom you have to make more of your choices.  Some choices are simple, like choosing clothes to wear to school.  Other choices are harder.  This book (and workshop) will give you information to help you control your own future.  You can choose to be on the path that encourages good health and positive living, or choose to damage your health by smoking using drugs, eating poorly and not exercising.  It's up to you."

Mother / Daughter Self Defense Classes

This program is designed to help mothers and daughters learn simple techniques to keep them safe. Learn what little changes you can make in your every day lives to make you more aware of your surroundings and safer.

Discover how to develop good habits and gain the practical life skills that are needed to avoid trouble and the importance of moms modeling these habits for their children. Discussion includes how to set boundaries; listening to your intuition; and every day habits you can practice to be more aware of your surroundings. Take action and learn simple self defense techniques so that you feel empowered to help escape a potentially dangerous situation.

Saturday, February 11, 2012, 1:00 - 3:00 pm
$25 / person

Cadettes and Seniors

Uniquely ME!  - The Real Deal, For girls in 6th - 8th Grades

Grab a friend or come to make new friends - this workshop is all about friendships, pushy peers, boys, sticky situations, and taking risks.  Girls will discover how what they value helps them develop a strong sense of self that they can rely on when faced with a difficult decision or future stresses.  The workshop is interactive and full of games and role playing.  Girls will be able to connect with peers in a safe and nurturing environment so that they can learn to develop healthy relationships at school and resolve conflicts that teens may face.  Learn how to take action to advocate for yourself and inspire others to make good choices.

Friday, February 10, 2012, 5:30 - 8:30 pm

Netiquette- for Cadettes

Our digital world makes it easy to stay in touch and share friendships, memories, and ideas.  But when not used properly our digital world can be mean, dangerous, and have consequences that can last many years.  This workshop helps teens navigate media and communication.

Topics will include:  texting/sexting; email etiquette, social media & privacy; bullying; and internet safety.

$25/girl
Saturday, February 11, 2012, 10:00 am - Noon

aMAZE! - A Leadership Journey for Cadettes

The twists and turns of friendships and relationships are the focus of this journey. Work with other Girl Scouts and a GTW Counselor to define what healthy friendships are, how to be a good friend, and what to do when your best friend is no longer acting like your best friend.

Topics will include: making first impressions, healthy friendships, peer pressure, cliques, bullies, and cyber relationships.

$45/girl, includes snacks, drinks, and workshop materials
Saturday, March 3, 2012,   1:00 - 4:30 pm

MEdia Journey - For Cadettes

Media - the good, the bad, and the ugly - are very much a part of our teen's lives.  This workshop explores how media influences our opinion & our lives; how to tell fact from fiction; and how to define the real you!
 
Topics Include:

• How does media portray young women
• How does media define beauty
• Internet safety and social media
• TMI - Too Much Information; Social Media & Texing
• Stereotypes
• Your body, Your friend - Body Image & the Media
• Identifying trusted adults in your life

$50/girl - Includes workshop materials & pizza lunch
Saturday, February 25, 2012 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Girltopia - A Leadership Journey for Seniors

This is the journey about girls in our community and in our world. On this journey, you will create an ideal community where girl's values, needs, and interests are respected and celebrated - always. And along the way, you just might discover that when you can envision a change, you can make it happen.

Eating For Beauty - a Cadette Badge Workshop

Learn how food, sleep and stress affects your health!  Girls will discuss how to make healthy food choices to care for their bodies.  Topics will include:

• Stress - how to handle the bumps and turns in life
• Skin health
• Sleep
• Energy
• Food Choices

$25 / girl
Monday, February 20, 4:30 - 6:30 pm

Understanding Yourself and Others

Rumors and dramas; peer pressure; sticky friendships, & all of these will be covered in this interactive workshop with a GTW counselor. What does it mean when your friend gives you the look? Body language can tell you a lot about what someone is trying to tell you. Work as a group to practice reading what others are communicating when they don't say a word.

To gain new insights on how to avoid and resolve conflicts with your friends connect with other Girl Scouts and role-play a series of sticky friendship situations and collaborate on possible strategies on how to handle them.

Many girls know about bullying and social aggression - whether they have been targets, by-standers, or bullies themselves. Why do bullies do it? What do you do if you witness someone being bullied? As a group discover what you can do if someone is bullying you and the power that you have to stop bullying before it has a chance to spread.

Your Best Defense

The best self defense is learning how to avoid potentially dangerous situations. Most violence against young women is at the hands of someone they know. A GTW counselor will begin the workshop talking about healthy relationships, and what young women need to know to be safe. Discover practical life skills that include identifying your personal space, defining and listening to your intuition, and how to set boundaries.

Our self defense expert will then use hands-on teaching as she instructs participants in how to avoid and handle dangerous situations. In this portion of the program girls will learn how their "Attitude" can deter an attack; how their "Awareness" can prevent trouble; how to "Avoid" becoming a victim; and "Action" moves to get out of trouble. Techniques learned will be simple yet effective.

$45/girl
Seniors - Saturday, February 4, 2012, 1:00 - 4:00 pm

Stress Release - For Stressed Out Kids (ages 12+)

All teens experience stress.  How you handle the stress is what is important.  Join our GTW Yoga instructor for this relaxing workshop where you will explore and practice yoga techniques, meditation, and aromatherapy.   You will leave renewed and with new ideas on what to do when you are feeling stressed out!   (Mothers are invited to attend with their daughters.)

This workshop completes the Journey Assets from the Breathe Journey Adult Book, p 27, 41, 42, & 50.

$20 / person

Uniquely ME! The Real Deal- For Cadettes

Grab a friend or come to make new friends - this workshop is all about friendships, pushy peers, boys, sticky situations, and taking risks. Girls will discover how what they value helps them develop a strong sense of self that they can rely on when faced with a difficult decision or future stresses. The workshop is interactive and full of games and role playing. Girls will be able to connect with peers in a safe and nurturing environment so that they can learn to develop healthy relationships at school and resolve conflicts that teens may face. Learn how to take action to advocate for yourself and inspire others to make good choices.

As a group, the girls will choose which activities and topics of discussion they would like to explore during the workshop.

American Heart Association First Aid, CPR, and AED

Course teaches how to manage illness and injuries in the first few minutes until professional help arrives, as well as how to perform CPR and use and AED.

Course content includes General Principles, Medical Emergencies, Injury Emergencies, CPR and AED. Students must be able to perform the required CPR in order to successfully complete the class and receive their AHA First Aid & CPR card.

Girls to Women Babysitting Class

For girls ages 11 and up who are ready to start babysitting. Class includes basic CPR, first aid, rescue breathing, infant/child choking, safety issues and general babysitting guidelines.

$45 / person

From Stress to Success - Workshop

How do our bodies handle stress? Review the sources of stress and strategies for helping teens cope with the mountains and molehills of life. Our physicians or counselors will discuss the good and bad of stress in our lives.

Women's Health

Adolescence is the best time for young women to develop positive health habits. Topics will include: healthy diets, drugs, bone health, careers in medicine, medical technology, and how stress can impact our health. In addition we will discuss healthy relationships and how to identify the signs of unhealthy relationship.