Beyond The Classroom: How an Educational Nonprofit is Empowering Appalachian Girls
Beyond The Classroom: How an Educational Nonprofit is Empowering Appalachian Girls
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I would describe PAGE as an innovative pedagogy or interdisciplinary classroom. The methods and materials used to engage girls are unique, providing skills to help boost their self-efficacy and interest in learning all together. The interns and staff involved, all have experience in niche or unique subjects.
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We are a group of people who value learning, not just the kind of learning that happens inside a classroom or school, but learning as a life-long process that is available to all of us, whether our youngest participants in 6th grade, our seasoned high school students, or myself, Debbie or Ryn, adults who spend time with PAGE girls on the ground, or with Deborah and the Board members as we figure out how to better run the organization. We're all constantly learning together. Another thing that I am proud of in PAGE: we're not afraid of change. We know that our programs need to adapt to meet the needs of the people who are PAGE, so we seek feedback and try to get better. For example, we recently had a lunch with our High School Fellows from the Summer of 2023. We reflected together on the Fellowship Program and asked their opinion on how to make it better.
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PAGE is different compared to other student and youth programming I’ve done in the past, because of its opportunities for direct experiences with feminine leaders in various fields. Bringing people like Amelia, Natalie, and Joanna, create relationships and role models for students in ways I have not seen before.
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I've been working with the girls since 2018 and have been serving as the Program Director since 2020. Over the course of that time, a lot has changed in my personal life, too, and PAGE has been a grounding force for me. So, it's more than a job for me. It's helped me actively create a community and establish a sense of purpose beyond myself.
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I feel like I will always hold close to their ideas of learning from local resources first. I loved the ways they gathered local scientists, and carpenters, and included community members in the archival process. Even with their gardening and beekeeping efforts, they make sure to create spaces to uplift the natural landscape. Centering local community values for aiding environmental sustainability is so important, and PAGE does this incredibly well.