Indiana Teacher Founds Girls Positivity Club to Teach Personal Development Skills to Young Girls
Melissa Jones founded the Girls Positivity Club with her fourth grade class in 2018. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Jones)
Melissa Jones is an elementary school teacher of 23 years and it was her on 20th year that she was inspired by her own experiences to go above and beyond to help girls everywhere.
Girls Positivity Club Founder Melissa Jones. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Jones)
“There's so many amazing girls out there who have the potential and I think the main thing is, for all of us, is getting out of our own way [and] doing the scary thing anyway… If we teach girls to take chances, other girls will see that and they'll be inspired to do the same thing,” Jones said.
In 2018 Jones founded the Girls Positivity Club, an enrichment program with some girls in her classroom. While she was in school, Jones struggled with confidence and she started noticing similar behavior among the girls in her classroom, so she decided to help.
“Reflecting back on my life, I kind of lost my confidence back when I was in second grade going into third grade, and just struggled with it all through school even though my parents tried to help me with it. I was in activities and things but nothing really clicked. I guess. And so it wasn't until 2018 when I was learning about personal development…from a women's group that I joined online. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to teach this to my girls.’ So I got this idea. And I decided I was going to try it out.”
The Girls Positivity Club, named by the founding club members, focuses on four pillars to help girls become more in touch with their identity: inner power and mindset, self-care and stress release, confidence and identity, and leadership and visibility. Jones created the curriculum herself.
“Inner power and mindset is the first week of the month…having that growth or positive mindset…Then the second week of the month is always self care and stress release – positive ways to release stress and anxiety. Because that's a big issue that girls are facing right now,” Jones said. “And the third week is on confidence and identity. So, how do you have confidence all the time? It doesn't just magically appear… And then their identity, who am I? Who do I want to be? Who do I surround myself with? Those types of things. And then the fourth week is all about leadership and visibility. So how do I feel seen? And then also, how do I lead in different ways?”
Girls Positivity Club uses creativity for its lessons. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Jones)
The Girls Positive Club has expanded to include women running clubs in multiple states using Jones’ curriculum. It has grown outwards from Indiana to California, Michigan, Virginia, and there’s even a chapter in Nairobi, Kenya. The club’s age range now covers girls from six to 18 years old.
Jones said she could tell the club has had a visible impact on the girls and that their parents have noticed as well.
“Literally, before my eyes, I see them raising their hand more in class. I see them not being afraid to share their opinions. I see them walking taller and being kinder to friends and being more inclusive to other girls...The parents really noticed their habits changing at home to where they're doing positive things…They hear them telling themselves affirmations or they're giving themselves a high five in the mirror or they're noticing that they're getting along better with their siblings. So those are direct effects.”
Jones said she wants to see a club in every school across the country with plans to continue expanding internationally. She would also like a version of the curriculum to reach girls in college who experience unique issues like getting along with roommates.
Girls Positivity Club uses techniques like positive affirmations and group share in its lessons. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Jones)
“What we teach in our clubs is looking for the good. It's not that we tell girls that there isn't bad or that hard things don't happen,” Jones said. “But we teach them that if and when a hard thing happens…that there are always positive ways to handle it. And just knowing that it's okay to make mistakes.”
To learn more about the Girls Positivity Club click here.