Girl power

Acadia students become role models for local girls through Girls Night Out

Ava Nichols’ best friend is a student from Acadia.

“Getting to see my buddy each week is the best part of the week,” said the nineyear-old White Rock girl. “Her name is Kali, and she’s really nice. We do lots of fun stuff together.”

Nichols is one of more than 120 young girls in Kings County who participate in Girls Night Out. Open to girls in Grade 3 to 5, the third installment of the program recently got underway at Evangeline Middle School. Each Friday night, about 60 young women from Acadia hop in cabs and make their way to the school to hang out with the younger girls one-on-one.

The project is the brainchild of Kellie Shillington, an Acadia education student with a passion for kids.

“I have a passion for getting children active and this is both a social and a physical activity,” she said. “It also gives these girls role models, someone they can look up to through the program. And it’s good for the Acadia girls, too. They can spend time with these younger girls and they really enjoy it.”

Combining physical activity and friendship, the program has quickly become very popular with local kids. With a different theme each week, the girls have tried activities like yoga and Zumba, dressed in themed costumes for Hawaiian night and challenged themselves in Survivor and Amazing Race evenings.

“My favourite was probably the 90s night,” said Nichols. “There was a bouncy house and we got to dress like it was the 90s – kind of shabby and kind of dressed up.”

Bria Woods, one of the Acadia students who spends her Friday nights volunteering with the program, said the combination of physical activity and mentoring appealed to her.

“I thought this would be a good opportunity to get involved with the community,” she explained. “I love physical activity and it’s cool that they kind of intertwine the two. I know how excited my buddy gets…knowing she wakes up on a Monday morning and has this to look forward to, and knowing the difference it makes in her week, really makes me feel good.”

Acadia students must be very dedicated to participate and be willing to devote two hours each Friday night to spend at Girls Night Out.

“It’s more than just giving up your Friday night – we share our time with them and we give back to the community,” Woods added. “Getting involved with these kids as they grow up is very important. We learn just as much from them as we teach them.”

Emily Cunningham, who helps organize Girls Night Out, says the program has the same concept as Acadia’s SMILE pro- gram.

“They always have the same buddy unless someone’s sick. Some of them have the same buddies as last term. Seeing how that friendship is growing is fantastic,” she said.

The program is something Cunningham looks forward to every week.

“I love kids and I love helping out with this. I like getting them excited and laughing,” she added.

“It’s good for their self-esteem as well. When they’re around older girls and girls their own age, there’s nothing else to worry about except having fun.”

The program is the highlight of the week for many of the girls, Shillington said, who often write in their journals at school about what they do each Friday night.

“It makes me feel special, like I’m making a difference in their week,” Shillington said.

That’s true for Hannah Griffiths of Canaan, who has participated in Girls Night Out since the beginning.

“I’m always very excited to come, I always look forward to it all week. I’m always asking, ‘Can it be Friday yet?’ I love coming here and seeing my buddy,” she said.

The program, which launched in January 2014, has grown in popularity every semester it’s been offered. In the fall, New Minas gave the program a $500 grant, Shillington said, which allowed organizers to bring the girls bowling one night and bring in a bouncy house on another evening.

“It’s free for the girls – we fundraise ourselves, ask for donations, do bake sales, whatever we can to make it work,” Shillington said.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to the program can contact John Ansara at New Minas Recreation.