By Rose O’Connor | Correspondent

“Part of our mission at Trenton Catholic Academy is to educate a culturally and academically diverse student body to be responsible citizens of a global community,” Anne Reap, Lower School director, explained. “The Girls Emerging, aka Girl Power, program does that.”

The Girls Emerging aka Girl Power program is in its inaugural year in Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, and is led by Luray Gross and Helen Wise.  Both Gross and Wise belong to Storytelling Arts Inc., a group of 10 teaching-artist storytellers whose mission is to “develop literacy, strengthen communities and nurture the human spirit. We work to bridge the literacy gap, build social skills and help students succeed in school and the outside world.”

Girls Emerging was formed to develop middle school girls in the Trenton area after a program entitled Girls Surviving was successful for high school students in Morristown, N.J.

The program uses oral storytelling and visual arts as a method to meet many of the objectives of the program including, “to develop the girls’ communication skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing; to develop the girls’ awareness of the effects of oral and written communication on the attitudes and behavior of self and others and to support the girls’ developing a more positive view of themselves and their place in the world.”

The students who participated in the program were nominated by their teachers and met weekly to develop necessary communication skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The culmination of the program provided the opportunity for the students to share their stories, all traditional folktales infused with a message, for family and friends.  On Feb. 25, the young ladies recited their stories with excitement and confidence. The girls also created and presented art pieces that represented their stories.

“I am so proud of this program and the work that Luray Gross and Helen Wise have done with our students,” Reap stated. “The small group is conducive to individual attention and personal guidance as the girls progress through weekly opportunities for not only communication enhancement, but also emergent leadership formation.”

“We want our students to grow spiritually, academically and emotionally and I have seen such growth in the girls who have participated in this unique program,” Reap said proudly.

“This was an experience we are going to remember and keep in our hearts,” eighth grade student Darlyn Kumeh offered. “I learned how to break out of my shell and I thought – I can do this!”

Ruth Domah, a seventh grade student, “learned to be more confident in myself.”

Fellow seventh grade student Sophia Serrano summed up the feelings of the girls in the group: “This was a special experience. It helped me improve my communication skills. And the stories also taught important lessons.  I feel so confident – I love it!”