Phone: (309) 786-3006
betsyzmudaswanson@gmail.com
1800 3rd Ave, Suite 412
Rock Island, IL 61201
Betsy Zmuda-Swanson, MSW, SEP
Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Illinois & Iowa

Girls' Groups

How to Create a Teen Girls Conference

Girls have a special role in our world. Their enthusiasm,  joy for life, for people, and creativity make them fun to be around. They are also vulnerable to negative cultural messages. Girls get confusing messages to be a good girl yet look very sexy.  Be healthy yet diets can lead to anorexia or bulimia. Being nice can land a girl in the wrong group of friends and being trampled. These are just a few pressures that teen girls find hard to navigate.

Authentic Voices was developed in 1997 to provide teen girls with support, knowledge, and skill. Every year groups of girls use an exercise, "Open Space Technology", to generates the topics for the school year. Facilitators search out local talent who present at the annual conference. We yearly hosted a hundred girls for under $800. In honoring those volunteers, here is the formula for how to arrange a young women's leadership conference.

Once the registrations are returned, slot girls into their selected session. They will need this information on the conference day. Make sure all sessions have an adequate number of participants. Be sure to coordinate thank you gifts for your presenters, and a stipend for the keynote. This is a special time to have fun with the girls, and the presenters.

Part 1 of the flyer for Authentic Voices young women's conference

Part 2 of the flyer for Authentic Voices girls group conference