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This summer, we are challenging our audience to #CaptureCourage and try something brave. For some, brave means setting a boundary, sharing their art publicly, or voicing their opinion.
For our Trailblazers, summer is often a time of possibilities, changes, and new beginnings. By escaping our comfort zone, we can expand our horizons and reimagine what is possible for ourselves.
We asked some of our grantees to tell us one fun thing and one difficult thing they are doing this summer. Check out their responses!
Want to share your courageous moment with us? Use the link below to let us know!
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Syd, 8th Grade
What is one fun thing you are going to do this summer?: I’m going to a creative writing camp. I’m extremely excited for this opportunity. I love to write and this camp will really help me!
What is one hard thing you are going to do this summer?: I’m going to continue to write my book. Sometimes it’s hard to keep myself writing, but I know if I keep pushing myself, I can write a great book! I’m going to print it out and let friends and family read it.
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Harper, 2nd Grade
What is one fun thing you are going to do this summer?: I know that I’m going to go camping with my Grandma. We’re going to a camp ground in tents and a camper and it’s going to be double fun.
What is one hard thing you are going to do this summer?: That’s a good question. When I’m walking into small spaces when camping you could get smushed or get a cut so you have to be careful. The good thing is that I get to see lots of nature.
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Meet Our New Board Member, Dr. Gigi Chawla
Dr. Gigi Chawla is currently the Chief of General Pediatrics at Children's Minnesota. In her role, she has oversight over primary care, rehabilitation services, and mental, developmental, and behavioral health, including development of an inpatient mental health pediatric unit, and partial hospitalization mental health programs. She is often called upon by the media for her pediatric expertise and is a regular contributor for the Minnesota Parent's column and WCCO's segment to "Ask the Pediatrician." She received both her medical degree and business degree from the University of Minnesota. Please join us in excitedly welcoming Gigi to our ABF Community. Check out the link below for seven lessons that Gigi would tell her younger self.
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RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES | |
Ending the Silence on Mental Health- Top 5 Takeaways
On May 30, the Ann Bancroft Foundation and NAMI-MN co-hosted a webinar on mental health. Renee Labat is the youth program coordinator at NAMI-Minnesota (National Alliance on Mental Illness.) In case you missed it, you can read Renee's top 5 takeaways from the session below.
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Sign Up for Summer Fashion Workshop
This summer, St. Catherine University invites high school students to explore the world of fashion from design principles to merchandising techniques. The five-day Summer Fashion Workshop is open to students in grades 10-12 who identify as women, nonbinary, or genderqueer. The workshop starts on July 10, so sign up now!
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Writing Tips & Tricks
Looking to sharpen your writing skills? Thinking about your essay for college applications, scholarships or other important essays? This interactive workshop will walk through writing exercises for participants. Join ABF mentor Karlyn Coleman an author, teacher, and educational specialist at Lerner Publishing and her mentee, Trailblazer Maya, as they share advice for writing your college application essays.
The workshop is on Wednesday, August 2, from 1:00 - 2:00 PM on Zoom. Register with the link below!
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Adventures in Camping
Earlier this month, some of our 2023 Trailblazer Fellows joined staff members for a camping trip in St. Croix State Park. The trip included canoeing, hiking, s'mores, card games, a ukulele performance, and lots of bug spray. For some of our Trailblazer Fellows, it was their first time in a canoe! As always, the Ann Bancroft Foundation is proud to channel our founder's legacy to support girls as they break barriers and explore new horizons. Thank you to Wilderness Inquiry for partnering with us!
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Drive to Change
For the month of June, Walser Auto Group chose the Ann Bancroft Foundation as a Shop For A Cause Partner. For every car purchased, Walser Auto donated $25 to a nonprofit of the customer's choice. Check out this photo of a child choosing the Ann Bancroft Foundation!
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News You Should Know About | |
[Via CNN] According to a recent UN report, 9 in 10 people worldwide have "fundamental biases" against women. Read the article to learn the many ways that these biases manifest. UN experts predict that gender equality is at least 300 years away. The Ann Bancroft Foundation commits to being a "yes" in a sea of "no's," supporting girls through these challenging global circumstances. | |  |
[Via MPR News] The nonprofit Nexus Community partners plans to give out $50,000 grants to Black residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Applicants must be at least 14 years old and be descendants of the Atlantic Slave Trade. This grant program was funded by a $50 million donation from the Bush Foundation. The foundation also gave $50 million to the NDN Collective, which will operate a grant program for Indigenous residents. Both applications close in July. | | | |
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Minnesota's most famous statue of a woman depicts the (fictional) Mary Richards of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. But, as the Star Tribune's Laura Yuen points out, there are many real-life women from Minnesota that deserve a statue to honor their accomplishments. Our founder, Ann Bancroft, is a major contender. Yuen lists some of Ann's accomplishments, from traveling to the North Pole to starting the Ann Bancroft Foundation to fund other girls' dreams. One day, our grantees may get statues of their own! | | | | | |
