"Batter Up!" - From Dolls to Bats and Stolen Bases!

"I teach English Language Arts at an urban inner-city middle school. Historically, the school has been known for its high crime, poverty, drugs, violence and notorious adolescent pregnancy. Middle school is a critical time for young children to build a defining sense of identity, specifically for the..." more»

"I teach English Language Arts at an urban inner-city middle school. Historically, the school has been known for its high crime, poverty, drugs, violence and notorious adolescent pregnancy. Middle school is a critical time for young children to build a defining sense of identity, specifically for the young women. Unfortunately, many of the young women in the community lack the guidance and resources to build strong self-esteems and an enlightened sense of self. There is a strong correlation between confidence, acceptance and sense of belonging that impact educational strives for young people.

It is true in our community that many times young women are unaware of the importance and value of exploring all aspects of themselves including physical strength, tenacity, leadership, and independence. These are qualities that are difficult to explicitly teach in the classroom, especially in an English classroom where the literary canon tends to be mostly dominated by men. Young women need more moments of “relevancy” in their lives. In terms of gender equity at my school, there is a great need for a "space" where young women can build meaningful relationships with other young women. Most importantly they need a space where they can break away from the prescribed female roles in the community. And though this “space” can virtually take many different forms, it is my vision that this “space” takes the shape of a DIAMOND- I WANT TO ESTABLISH A GIRL’S SOFTBALL TEAM.

As an educator my mission is to instill in my students a desire for reading novels and books as a venue to critically examine the world they live in. As a young professional, I strive to be a role model for the students I serve. As an educated Mujer (woman) it is ABSOLUTELY critical that I represent a sign of Strength, Empowerment and Possibility for the young women who are just beginning to explore their roles in society.

With your help, I want to provide a space where girls can shout, be bossy, create a game plan, get dirty, feel part of team, create a sisterhood, feel strong, have fun, and discover the great feeling of accomplishment and self-worth when they do something they didn’t think was possible. YES! This is exactly what sports did for me, and now I want to share it with the girls at my school. I am so excited! With your support my young female students will continue to develop an appreciation for alternative positive behaviors that may lower their risk of becoming yet another statistic. I know the young women are eager and dedicated learners, and with your support they will have an opportunity to feel love, for the game and for themselves. hide»