Girls of Summer teaches students about community

By Lauren McDonald lmcdonald@thebrunswicknews.com

Participants in this year’s Girls of Summer experience, hosted at College of Coastal Georgia, ended their two-week program Friday with a promise that their community is invested in their future success.

The college hosted a graduation for the middle school girls who took part in two weeks of academic and social enrichment.

Girls of Summer is a sister program to the Boys of Summer, and both are overseen by the Minority Outreach program at the college. Both programs recently were revamped, to expand the curriculum’s learning opportunities, said Quinton Staples, director of diversity initiatives at the college.

“We wanted to not only support their academic success but also expose them to amazing opportunities as it relates to who they could be in the future,” Staples said.

This summer, topics included community involvement, career planning, mental and physical health, professionalism and more.

The students heard daily from speakers who included Dr. Markisha Buttler, Brunswick Police Capt. Angela Smith and more. Many of the program’s speakers also attended Friday’s graduation.

“A part of this program is again to show the girls that there are women who look like them, who talk like them, who are from the communities that they’re from and show them all the examples of who they can be in the world,” Staples said.

And a constant theme throughout the program was the power of community.

“Your teachers are here to support you and support you throughout the community,” Staples told the students, who sat on the front row of Stembler Theatre during the graduation ceremony. “Your families are here to uplift you. We’re all here to support you in your journeys now and every step forward, so don’t forget that.”

Michelle Johnston, president of the college, said she’s proud to see the program continue at CCGA.

“We built this program upon the success of the Boys of Summer program, extending to the girls in the community thanks to the support of the Links of Brunswick,” Johnston said. “Our partnership with the Glynn County school district makes this program possible, providing grant funding that allows us to hire the best teachers, providing transportation services and food services.”

Kendra Rolle, a family advocate at Coastal Georgia Area Community Action Authority, shared her own story and many pieces of wise advice with the students during her keynote address.

“I am a daughter of the city of Brunswick,” Rolle said. “I moved here with my family at the age of 3. We moved here from a tiny island in the Bahamas, and we’ve been here ever since.”

Rolle encouraged the students to strive for greatness.

“Now, to continue to be great, you need to make good grades,” she said. ”You need to listen to your teachers. You need to go to school every day. You need to study. And you need to work hard.”

The students each received a certificate at the end of the ceremony. Staples also encouraged those in attendance to consider donating to the Minority Outreach program at givecampus.com/schools/ CollegeofCoastalGeorgia.

“The programs like Minority Outreach programs for Boys of Summer and Girls of Summer are funded by you all, by moms, by dads, by teachers, by community leaders,” Staples said. “Everything that we’re able to put on for this summer is totally funded by the community.”

Reprinted with the permission of the Brunswick News. Originally published in The Brunswick News.