French Hospital Medical Center Foundation is pleased to announce that it has received a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County through their Women’s Legacy Fund Grant. The funding will support the Dove Girl’s Self-Esteem workshops, provided by French Hospital Medical Center (FHMC). The program empowers girls with the skills, knowledge, and support to overcome gender inequities, stereotypes and build resilience.
By ages 8 to 12, studies show that girls are already beginning to compare themselves with advertising models; these comparisons are shown to increase further through adolescence. This age – 8 to 12 years old – is therefore a crucial time to help young girls develop positive self-esteem and body confidence, in the hopes of positively affecting their views of themselves as they progress through adolescence and into adulthood.
To help local girls develop healthy self-esteem and body image views, FHMC began hosting Dove Self-Esteem workshops. The workshop empowers girls to accept themselves for who they are and provides tools for success. Workshop curriculum was developed by Dove, the beauty product company, as part of the Dove Beauty Campaign.
“French Hospital Medical Center is proud to partner with the Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo County in order to provide a strong and confident foundation for young females in our community,” says French Hospital’s Vice President of Philanthropy, Debby Nicklas. “Our facility is a great supporter of local youth programs and works to create opportunities for them to create a positive self-image, which allows them to better thrive on their journey through adolescence.”
FHMC currently offers workshops at four Paso Robles locations – three elementary schools and a community center. Due to the success of this program in Paso Robles and thanks to grant funding from the Community Foundation, the program will be expanding to San Luis Obispo with two additional elementary school locations.
Workshops are offered four times per year at each location, with approximately one dozen girls participating in each session. The program also includes a two-hour afterschool session daily for one week. Workshops are led by FHMC’s bilingual Community Health Educator and coordinated by FHMC’s Community Benefits Coordinator. School counselors refer girls to the program who are identified as dealing with self-esteem issues or at high risk for bullying.
Workshops provide a combination of activities and communication tools that encourage conversation on difficult subjects: body confidence and self-esteem. Sessions are designed to build positive self-esteem using a variety of interactive learning activities, games, art projects and group discussions.
The Women’s Legacy Fund was established in September 2003 with a mission “To be a catalyst for philanthropy that improves the lives of women and girls in San Luis Obispo County.” Each year the fund has focused on a different broad issue area: basic needs, education, reproductive health, mental health, economic independence, or personal safety. Approximately $255,000 has been awarded since the inception of the fund.