Spun Gold

 

Websites for Girls, Part 5

by Anise Hollingshead
February, 1998

Just when I started to think I was nearing the end of girl's sites to review, I found more cool sites! (Actually, there appear to be more sites that are specifically aimed for young girls rather than for young boys, contrary to popular opinion). And with a spokesperson like Dominique Dawes, how can you go wrong?

Girl Power! is a National Public Education Campaign that is sponsored by the Department of the Health and Human Resources to help combat health issues that affect young girls ages 9-14. Started in November, 1996, this campaign is geared toward teaching girls about the dangers of substance abuse and eating disorders, and providing them with alternative and healthy lifestyles. There are many prominent sponsors such as The Girl Scouts of America, Suzanne Somers Institute, AAUW, just to name a few. Dominique Dawes, Olympic gymnast, is the national spokesperson for the campaign. Ms. Dawes's likeness is featured on a poster sponsored by the National Clearinghouse of Drug and Alcohol Information and will be doing public service announcements this summer.

The Girl Power! Locker is the web site for Girl Power! and features many different things for girls to do. Girl Power! Tips offers information about what drug use does to your brain through a series of posters narrated by Sara Bellum, a special message by Dominique Dawes that you can listen to, and a list of recommended books for girls. GP Diary offers excerpts from featured female Olympians, a profile of teenage author Jessica Wilbur, and a printable diary. Girlspeak is an area where you can submit what you think Girl Power! means to you and Girl Power Guests has interviews, material from and about, and messages from many different women. This month they are focusing on female athletes from the Olympics, and also Black History Month from February. There is a spotlight area for featured sponsors and Games and Puzzles to try your hand at.

What You've Said has your submissions about what Girl Power! means to you, suggestions on improvements, what you want added to the site, poster sightings, and who or what you would like to see featured next. Girls at Work is where you can submit your ideas and suggestions for site improvements. What's New is their calendar and Scrapbook has past articles. Girl Power! Picks is a list of links to areas of interest to girls and Girl Power! Stuff is a place where you can order, you know, stuff! They also offer lots of freebies, like a poster of Dominique Dawes.

Girl Power! is a good place for girls to find out lots of information. There is no chat, stories, advice columns etc. as in many of their sister sites; however, there is good content here. You can find many role models from many different specialties, like authors, athletes, and TV personalities. Their list of links is extensive and they also have a good reading list. However, one of the books on the reading list that is hyperlinked is Girl Power (no connection with this organization) which has material about sexuality/alternate lifestyles that some parents may consider inappropriate, and parents SHOULD read some of the excerpts at the hyperlinked book site before letting their daughters go there. There aren't many puzzles, but they may add more later. Their guest list is impressive, and reading the diary entries of the Olympians was a good idea! The information about eating disorders and drugs is great, and the poster presentation about what drugs do to your brain presented in a no-nonsense approach from a scientific viewpoint is very well done. Girl Power! is taking in suggestions, and who knows, your daughter may contribute ideas that may be used later. Girl Power! will give girls the most important power of all, the information they need to make good choices.

 

Have a favorite website for kids? Email Anise!

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