September 19, 2014 - The national Rosie’s Girls program received some well-deserved publicity this past summer for its innovative mission of fostering self-esteem, leadership and physical confidence in middle school girls through an exploration of the construction trades and nontraditional careers for women.
Rosie’s Girls from Santa Monica gave Today Show reporter Maria Shriver some power tool tips, and The New York Times noted the program’s work with promoting positive body image in girls.
Now it’s time for the Richmond, California, chapter to shine in the spotlight. The first day of each camp session was spent touring the sites of Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park. Rangers guided them through the newly-installed exhibits in the visitor education center and emphasized the personal role and responsibility the Rosie’s Girls have in carrying on the legacy that was begun by women who worked as riveters, welders, and in other war defense work during WWII.
The thirty campers maintained a fast-paced regimen of daily woodworking classes in June and July. Each girl’s final project was a handmade and hand painted “encouragement box,” which included multiple compartments where they could keep personal mementos that make them feel uplifted. These boxes served as a prototype and practice for a more complex group project planned for next summer.
The work with power tools was also interspersed with quieter activities such as journal writing, art projects, and group discussions. Community partner Richmond Art Center led the girls in a silkscreening workshop, where the girls printed their own Rosie’s Girls t-shirts, which they wore on many subsequent outings.
The campers made several physically challenging, and horizon-expanding field trips which gave them some respite from the sawdusty work. Highlights included a visit to a local firehouse, where the girls learned to operate the fire hose.
A bus ride over the Golden Gate Bridge brought them to the horse stables of the US Park Police in the Presidio, where they met with an officer and heard her speak about her career path. But the best part, according to one camper, was “brushing her horse and watching it eat five pounds of carrots in about five minutes.”
The culminating recreational experience – which tested all that the girls had learned about teamwork, trusting, and helping each other – was a three-night, four-day trip to Yosemite National Park, led by NatureBridge. An informal poll proved that s’mores around the campfire were more popular than climbing through the “Spider Cave” with no flashlight, but most girls said they wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.
Currently, the planning committee from Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park, the YMCA of the East Bay, and the Rosie the Riveter Trust are planning some exciting changes to the camp’s structure, curriculum and projects. Stay tuned for updates.
Submitted by Lucien Sonder, Outreach Specialist/Volunteers in Parks Manager
Rosie’s Girls Gain Valuable Tools For Work And Life at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, California
- Details
