In an environment where women politicians are scrutinized more for how they dress (promising an interview with Michelle Obama on the campaign trail this month, Vogue focused only on her choice of a Gap dress) than how they lead, Cambridge based activist and fundraiser Barbara Lee continues to push the power of female political leadership to the fore.

Since 1999 Lee has been advancing her two primary causes - women in politics and women in the arts through the Barbara Lee Foundation. A key supporter of Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency, she brought the candidate to Boston for one of her first major fundraising events.

The outcome of Hillary’s run for office has enlightened and motivated her, Lee says. The media onslaught was “eye opening” for much of the country and it has mobilized many women. “Sexism smolders under the surface until something so outrageous happens that people have to take notice.” She says she is witnessing the growth of a new girls network and she’s determined to keep it going.

Last night at the DNC, delegates approved the Democratic Party’s platform, entitled “Renewing America’s Promise.” The platform, which articulates Obama’s policy ideas and holds the party to them, also recognizes many ideas from Hillary’s campaign. And thanks to the tireless efforts of many women’s groups, Obama agreed to concessions in the platform that include recognition of sexism during the primary battle.

Lee is in Denver this week with a singular mission – to support women in politics and make sure progress like that continues. And she is inspired by what she has found. “Women,” she says, “are on a roll.”

Included in Boston Magazine’s list of “The 100 People Who Run This Town,” and one of the 50 most powerful people in Boston (Boston Magazine, May 2008), Barbara Lee is part of the force of change that is happening in politics today as a result of the momentum generated by Clinton’s historic run for the presidency. Michelle Obama even mentioned the “18 million cracks in the glass ceiling” that refer to Clinton’s votes of support.

Lee spoke at the Unconventional Women symposium in Denver on Monday evening, which drew over 3,000 people. Along with Ellen Malcolm of Emily’s List she addressed a highly charged crowd about her area of expertise, getting women elected governor.

Other speakers at Unconventional Women included Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama, Senator Barbara Boxer, Kathy Cloninger, CEO of Girl Scouts and Hillary Clinton.

Lee’s goal is to be the political equivalent of a race car driver’s pit crew for female political candidates. She’s there for women even before they announce a candidacy, much as Danica Patrick’s pit crew is there lap after lap till the end of the race. And she has launched a staggering number of successful initiatives to promote women’s leadership. Emerge Massachusetts is a training program to train Democratic women in the state. She has made endowments at her alma mater Simmons College - the Barbara Lee Political Intern Fellowship Program and at at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government - The Oval Office Program.

There has been much success since 1999. Just in the past two years, Massachusetts has seen a series of individual gains for women in politics, most prominently Niki Tsongas’s election to Congress, Therese Murray’s to State Senate president, Martha Coakley’s to attorney general, and Maureen Feeney’s to Boston City Council president. And in New Hampshire, Governor Jeanne Shaheen is currently running for Senate against John Sununu. She would be 1st woman Senator from NH and the first woman governor to become a senator.

Misstropolis joins Barbara Lee in hoping that this transformational moment in political history will motivate more women to run for office. Support women candidates whenever you can, and recruit women who aspire toward political office but hesitate for one reason or another. According to Lee, we can dramatically increase the number of women who get elected if we can just convince them to run.

As she writes in the forward to her guidebook, Keys to the Governor’s Office “We must continue to advance the cause of women’s equality. In my case, that means helping to remove the last roadblocks to full and equal political power.”

That’s what she’s doing this week in Denver, and that’s what she’ll do when she returns to Boston. Women in MA too, are on a roll.

A Step Up is a giving collaborative, a local, social model for educating people about ways they can truly make a difference and benefit from the wonderful feeling of giving of oneself. Recently Misstropolis spoke with Carolyn about A Step Up.

A Step Up was founded by Carolyn Shaughnessy, Amy Briney, Stacey Keenan, Gina Saltenstall and Pam Foreman. As Carolyn explains it, she was looking for something in her life, she just wasn’t sure what. She wanted to give back but also have something to take away for herself. She wanted to feel engaged, committed, a part of something, not just by sending a check or attending a benefit. Carolyn is like many women - highly educated, skilled, social and keenly aware of the needs of others in the world around her. But she and her partners did something most people never do - they took action.

A Step Up is a giving collaborative, a local, social model for educating people about ways they can truly make a difference and benefit from the wonderful feeling of giving of oneself. Recently Misstropolis spoke with Carolyn about A Step Up.

M: What kind of experience did you have with philanthropy before starting A Step Up?

CS: Before having kids I was always involved in hands-on volunteer work. For me it was through high school, college and beyond. As I had my kids, that stopped and I put my energy toward my family. Philanthropy became more about giving money to worthy organizations. A Step Up was a way to step back in… I think this is similar for all of us.

M: What did you feel was missing from the philanthropic landscape?

CS: I really wanted to learn about worthy causes and know that the donation I gave was having an impact. I also wanted to feel a real connection to the organizations where I was giving money. We guessed other people felt similarly. When the five of us got together and started talking about doing “something” we realized that we wanted to really educate people about worthy, local, grass roots organizations and show that a small donation can make a big difference especially if we give together.

We decided on a three-pronged approach: first, we wanted a speaker who could teach us something about the organization and also teach about what inspired them to get involved. Second, we decided to seek out organizations that had very specific needs where even a modest donation would make a big difference (show people that giving at any level can make a difference). Finally, we wanted to offer women an opportunity to get together and socialize; our goal is to have fun and learn something.

We had a couple of “rules” as well. We felt strongly that A Step Up have NO overhead costs. All of the food and drink and paper goods at our events are donated by local businesses. We had a friend in the stationary business design our logo and invitations (although we are doing on-line invites now) and we host the events in our homes. We are really clear on exactly what the money will be used for and we communicate that to our guests in a follow-up email. This way we learn about all needs of an organization, not just financial but volunteer opportunities as well. We hope that some of our guests continue their relationship with organizations that inspire them.

M: Did you find people were excited to get involved in your organization? What kind of feedback did you get when you explained your idea?

CS: The feedback has really inspired us. As we started to talk to other women (mostly our girlfriends) about our ideas, we were very encouraged. Women have been really excited about the idea. Now people are bringing their friends to the events and the word is spreading. I think that is the best testament for us. Also, people are getting to know one another through ASU and each event seems to become a little more social.

We try to stay somewhat small and uncomplicated and we wondered if organizations would be wary about working with us, but in fact we have found just the opposite. Organizations love our approach and our fundraising really makes a difference.

M: Do you feel like you have built a giving community?

CS: I hope so – We just learned yesterday that one of our guests who learned about Women Of Means (WOM) through our recent event, recommended the organization to her company which is now donating $5000.00 to WOM.

On a different note, I think the women who come to our events feel good about their contribution and feel that the request for $35 is reasonable. We have many guests that generously give more then the $35 suggested donation, but we truly feel that any gift is an appreciated and important one. I think we have made giving easy and hopefully fun. Also, people are approaching us more and more with ideas for charities to support.

M: How do you identify organizations with whom to work, and how do you find the groups of women or men and women?

CS: The first organization was one we read about in the Boston Globe. We are open to any avenue for finding organizations to work with. We do have specific criteria – we want to learn something new at our events so we look for organizations that have found an innovative approach to meeting a need or solving a problem. We also require they be willing to speak to our group. They need to be relatively small and be very specific about how they will use the gift.

M: What are some of the challenges you have faced with this endeavor?

CS: I think what has been surprising is that it really hasn’t been hard. We are having fun. One of the things the five of us talk about often is how we want to grow. We really enjoy the intimacy of a small group but love the idea of getting the word out in a broader way. I think for now, our goal is to get a website up and running and use that as a way to get the word out about A Step UP but the conversation will continue I’m sure.

M: Have there been any surprises? For example have people surprised you - with generosity or creativity or support or on the other hand, reservations about involvement?

CS: First, the creativity of the organizations we have showcased has amazed us each and every time. The speakers have astonished us, sharing their experiences dealing with huge issues: the foster care system, lack of medical care for homeless women, children who have suffered trauma, domestic abuse and others issues that are just as serious. After each event we wonder if we can find another organization and speaker that offers so much hope and can teach us from their example – I think the greatest surprise is that we do.

In terms of our guests – At our first event, a guest was so inspired by the organization that she gave $10,000. When you are only asking for $35 that is pretty exciting! We’ve received wonderful feedback from people who love the concept and are excited to be involved with us.

Finally, I don’t know if it’s a surprise, but it’s certainly important - the five of us work so well together as a group. We support each other’s ideas and share the responsibility easily. I really love the way we work together.

M: Any stories of extraordinary happenings during your time running the organization?

CS: Our first event raised $14,000. We were raising money for an organization called Camp to Belong. They bring siblings together who have been separated in the foster care system for a week-long camp experience. It costs $500 to send a child to camp and we had hope to send two or three. We sent over 25 kids!

I think what is most extraordinary is that we are building relationships – we are meeting people who are doing amazing work in our communities and spreading the word. Our hope is that when we get our website up (soon we hope), we can put our model on-line and people in other communities will start to do the same thing. We are hoping to be contagious! 

This June the seaside town of Gloucester, MA made international headlines when High School Principal Joseph Sullivan told Time that skyrocketing pregnancy rates in the school were the result of a “pact” made by a group of students to get pregnant at the same time and raise their babies together. This line showed up again and again in news reports: “some girls seemed more upset when they weren’t pregnant than when they were.”

As many as 18 students were pregnant, according to the town newspaper. Concern had initially been raised when the school health clinic reported increasing requests for pregnancy tests.

The pact theory has since lost much of its credibility, the mayor has launched an investigation and Principal Sullivan has buckled under pressure, claiming his memory has escaped him. But the fact of the pregnancies remains and if nothing else, the Gloucester story brought serious attention to an issue that few want to think about.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last month that almost half (48%) of high school teens say they have had sex - an increase of 2% between 2005 and 2007. During the same time period, the proportion of high school teens who say they used a condom the last time they had sex decreased 2%.

This is where The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy comes in, and it’s an organization every parent should know about. One of the largest and most powerful national groups working to prevent problems like those Gloucester is facing, The National Campaign has a Board of Directors that looks like it belongs to the Carnegie Corporation or Apple. In 2002, they were awarded a grant from the CDC to help states and communities improve their teen pregnancy prevention efforts.

Their mission is simply stated yet chronically difficult to achieve: improve the lives and future prospects of children and families and, in particular, help ensure that children are born into stable, two-parent families who are committed to and ready for the demanding task of raising the next generation.

As Gloucester and many other communities around the country know, this goal takes a commitment from legislators, educators, teenagers and parents. Since teen pregnancy is closely linked to so many other social problems - poverty, overall child well-being, out-of-wedlock births, responsible fatherhood, health issues, education, child welfare, and other risky behavior, finding new and effective ways to reduce its occurance is crucial work.

Following are ten steps outlined by the National Campaign to help parents do all they can to prevent pregnancies in their own young families.

1. Be clear about your own sexual values and attitudes.
Communicating with your children about sex, love, and relationships is often more successful when you are certain in your own mind about these issues.

2. Talk with your children early and often about sex, and be specific.
Kids have lots of questions about sex, and they often say that the source they’d most like to go to for answers is their parents. Start the conversation, and make sure that it is honest, open, and respectful.

Age-appropriate conversations about relationships and intimacy should begin early in a child’s life and continue through adolescence. Resist the idea that there should be just one conversation about all this - you know, “the talk.” The truth is that parents and kids should be talking about sex and love all along… And if you have regular conversations, you won’t worry so much about making a mistake or saying something not quite right, because you’ll always be able to talk again.

By the way, research clearly shows that talking with your children about sex does not encourage them to become sexually active. And remember, too, that your own behavior should match your words.

3. Supervise and monitor your children and adolescents.
Establish rules, curfews, and standards of expected behavior, preferably through an open process of family discussion and respectful communication… Supervising and monitoring your kids’ whereabouts doesn’t make you a nag; it makes you a parent.

4. Know your children’s friends and their families.
Some parents even arrange to meet with to establish common rules and expectations. It is easier to enforce a curfew that all friends share rather than one that makes him or her different - but even if your views don’t match those of other parents, hold fast to your convictions.

5. Discourage early, frequent, and steady dating.
Let your child know about your strong feelings about this throughout childhood - don’t wait until your young teen proposes a plan that differs from your preferences in this area; otherwise, he or she will think you just don’t like the particular person or invitation.

6. Take a strong stand against your daughter dating a boy significantly older than she is. And don’t allow your son to develop an intense relationship with a girl much younger than he is.
Try setting a limit of no more than a two- (or at most three-) year age difference. The power differences between younger girls and older boys or men can lead girls into risky situations, including unwanted sex and sex with no protection.

7. Help your teenagers have options for the future that are more attractive than early pregnancy and parenthood.
Community service, in particular, not only teaches job skills, but can also put teens in touch with a wide variety of committed and caring adults.

8. Let your kids know that you value education highly.
Encourage your children to take school seriously and to set high expectations about their school performance. School failure is often the first sign of trouble that can end in teenage parenthood.

9. Know what your kids are watching, reading, and listening to.
The media are chock full of material sending the wrong messages. Sex rarely has meaning, unplanned pregnancy seldom happens… Is this consistent with your expectations and values? If not, it is important to talk with your children about what the media portray and what you think about it… You will probably not be able to fully control what your children see and hear, but you can certainly make your views known and control your own home environment.

10. Strive for a relationship that is warm in tone, firm in discipline, and rich in communication, and one that emphasizes mutual trust and respect. Express love and affection clearly and often. Hug your children, and tell them how much they mean to you.

It was a heart-wrenching story of a 5-month-old baby boy, stolen from his crib in his foster home. It was shocking to her that no one noticed his absence until it was too late. None of the neighbors saw anything. No one heard anything. And she was stunned that no one seemed outraged that this could happen. 

It’s been said that it often only takes a moment for the course of a person’s life to change. For Judy Cockerton - a teacher, a small business owner and a mom - all it took was her husband passing her a newspaper article across the dinner table on an evening in 1988.

It was the story of a five month old baby boy, stolen from his crib in his foster home. It was shocking to her that no one noticed his absence until it was too late. No one heard anything, no one saw anything. And no one seemed outraged that this could happen.

“It was then that I realized we are all responsible for children when they’re removed from their homes,” Cockerton said. And it was enough to make her take action. In the following days, she called her local Department of Social Services and offered to become a foster parent.

But becoming a foster parent herself wasn’t enough. Not by a long shot.

“There are 800,000 children in this country who are in need of care,” she said. “They’re never adopted, they never go home, they’re bounced through the system throughout their young lives, and on their 18th birthdays, they’re given $350 and turned out. After that, they’re at risk for homelessness, unwanted pregnancy, drug use and jail. They just don‘t have people in their community to go to.”

So Judy came up with a plan. She realized that now more than ever, these children require not only a loving family, but a special place where they can feel that sense of connection, of permanency… a place they can call home.

“There are realities that these young people are required to face every day. I wanted to find a place where we can give children the best possible foundation, where we could invest in their lives with as many safety nets as possible,” she said.

Cockerton was inspired by a woman named Brenda Hart, who started a community of foster care by negotiating with the Pentagon for 8 units of housing. The Pentagon sold her the units for $250,000 and created her community. Cockerton was so impressed with Hart’s success, that she decided to build a similar community in Massachusetts, one that could be a model for the rest of the nation.

And from that vision, Treehouse at Easthampton Meadow was born.

The Treehouse Foundation, led by Cockerton and run by a dedicated, giving staff, provides children, as well as foster parents and adoptive families, a special place to call their own. This is a community where continuity, belonging and enduring relationships help shape the lives of children and their foster/adopted families, providing them the tools and resources they need to reach their true potential.

“This isn’t rocket science,” she said. “These are children. I kept asking myself ‘Why is there such a huge disconnect?’.Our first priority is to stop the bounce from home to home, and give them a community.”

“I went to the commissioner of the Department of Social Services at that time, Harry Spence, and… offered him my ‘big idea.’ To my surprise, he leaned across the desk and said ‘yes, please.’” Spence helped her find builder Howard Cohen of Beacon Communities LLC and they purchased 45 acres of land in Western Massachusetts. Twenty-four months later, Cockerton’s vision sprang to life.

The non-profit Treehouse Foundation has a clear mission: “to provide children in the public foster care system with enduring relationships by implementing innovative programs and practices.” The Treehouse Community is a neighborhood where families who are adopting children from foster care can live with team elders, or “honorary grandparents.”

“There are currently over 100 people living in brand-new homes here, ranging in age from 1 year to 85 years old,” Cockerton said. “and I need people who are visionaries, who can think outside the foster care box. We always need people of all ages who are willing to work each day to bring about a new paradigm.  We have a rich tapestry of professionals, families, social activists and elders/ We are a multi-generational community.”

According to Cockerton, this community approach breaks down the barriers and stigmas that can coincide with being in a foster family, giving everyone involved a feeling of community and belonging.

The Treehouse Community offers market-rate homes and rental homes, including multi-bedroom townhouses. They also offer affordable senior cottages for those over 55 who want to make the choice to give of themselves and their experience and wisdom, and applications are always welcome. And they are zoned to build 33 new homes.

Cockerton’s vision is that the nation will embrace its most vulnerable children. We all can help. We can all get involved. Send kids the message that they matter. We see them, we hear them. And we’re turning outraged into action in order to help them.

For more information on the Treehouse Foundation, or to find out how to donate time or much-needed funds, visit
The Treehouse Foundation
One Treehouse Circle
Easthampton, MA 01027
413 527 7966
Judy Cockerton
contribute@treehousecommunities.org

Art and Soul
A Special Gallery Event at Jules Place
1200 Washington Street
Boston, MA
http://www.julesplace.com
6:30-8:30
Wine, Beer and appetizers from Pho Republique will be served.
Proceeds to benefit Ripples of Hope
For more information and to rsvp write to robin@misstropolis.com

Ripples. One person’s actions move another to act, and another and another, rippling though a community to affect profound change. Powerful examples set by parents start a ripple effect of understanding, compassion and generosity of spirit that last throughout a child’s life. Positive results from projects organized by visionaries in one city ripple through and inspire action in other cities, spreading Hope from coast to coast.

Such is the magic of true philanthropists - people like Kristen Atwood and Brooke Muggia of Massachusetts. Atwood and Muggia are organizing Ripples of Hope, a Service Journey to New Orleans which will take place from June 22 – June 26, 2008. Atwood and Muggia, inspired by a trip to New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina will travel along with members of 16 other families to New Orleans. Children ages nine to 18 are participating, as well as the entire families of the two organizers, including Atwood’s five children, and Muggia’s four.

Kristen Atwood was a founding staff member of City Year, and has always looked for ways to involve her family in charitable work. The same goes for Brooke Muggia who’s championship of environmental issues includes organizing the Step it Up 07 Rally in Boston and long term devotion to the Urban Ecology Institute.

Ripples of Hope is called a Service Journey because the entire time spent in New Orleans will be devoted to being in the service of the still-devastated city. At the same time, the focus on family activities will provide leadership roles for the children, and a real-world understanding of the importance of giving back.

In order to effectively and smoothly enter New Orleans communities, Ripples of Hope has established partnerships with a number of individuals and organizations.

The Rethinkers is a group of middle school students who came together after Katrina to “rethink” how New Orleans schools and communities could become stronger after the storm.

YA/YA (Young Aspirations/Young Artists) is an arts-focused non-profit, dedicated to providing opportunities for children to create and show their work.

Recognized as a national role model, YAYA was awarded the 1999 “Coming Up Taller Award” by the National Endowment for the Arts and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. In 2002, YA/YA was a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show as a recipient of the Angel Network “Use Your Life Award.” YA/YA has also received extensive media exposure with features in Fortune, Rolling Stone, and ArtNews, as well as on MTV’s House of Style, Sesame Street, NBC’s Today Show and Nickelodeon’s Nick News. Public acclaim has led to contracts for YA/YA designs for Swatch watches to murals to seat covers for the entire General Assembly of the United Nations. Such recognition has attracted national and international travel opportunities for the YA/YA artists, thus creating a ripple effect across boundaries and inspiring communities to establish similar programs.

The Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESY NO) is an agriculture project at the Samuel J. Green Charter School in the Freret neighborhood where Ripples of Hope is doing a lot of their work. With Ripples’ help, the Edible Schoolyard will plant and sustain expansive organic gardens on the grounds of the school. They are even working to integrate organic gardening and cooking into the school’s curriculum. Students will be involved in farming, preparing and serving meals.

At the charter school, Ripples of Hope will be creating two themed reading nooks, butterfly, fruit and vegetable murals (with YA/YA) gateways to the gardens and garden signage.

Misstropolis is proud to support Ripples of Hope with a special gallery event at Jules Place, the contemporary art gallery in Boston’s South End. We hope you can join us on Friday June 13 from 6:30 - 8:30 to celebrate the power of art to heal the heart and feed the soul. A portion of proceeds from all art sold will go to benefit this important journey. Please rsvp to robin@misstropolis.com. Join us!

Wilson has brought together businesses from the small, historic Beacon Hill neighborhood for an afternoon celebration of spring, style and supporting women in need. Sparkle - an afternoon fashion show and cocktail party, will feature all Beacon Hill boutiques, all owned by women. 

All it takes is one person to make it happen. “If it wasn’t me it probably would have been Cecilia Rait, (of the Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro) or someone else.” says Stephanie Wilson modestly, of initiating the upcoming Charles St. food and fashion event to benefit Rosie’s Place.

Wilson has brought together businesses from the small, historic Beacon Hill neighborhood for an afternoon celebration of spring, style and supporting women in need. Sparkle - an afternoon fashion show and cocktail party, will feature all Beacon Hill boutiques, all owned by women.

“Being a small business owner has its own set of challenges,” wryly observes the mother of two (+ puppy) with her infectious, self deprecating sense of humor. “Being a woman in business has its own set of challenges… Might as well spice things up and keep it fun.”

Though Wilson just purchased the majority stake of Wish in December, she says it seemed only logical that she and the other business owners on and near Charles Street would become a collaborative community. She met Rait, co-owner with her husband of the Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro who was immediately interested in a joining forces. Then Wilson says, “It just made sense to bring in Moxie and The Ruby Door.”

“We’re all women in business trying to do the best we can in this crazy economy.” Working together she says “is wonderful on a business level and on a personal level.”

Wilson wanted to do something to benefit Rosie’s Place because Wish had done charitable work with them in the past. But more than that, it was because Rosie’s Place is a sanctuary for poor and homeless women, and that too just made sense. Rosie’s Place offers emergency and long-term assistance to women who have nowhere else to turn.

“This is a very small community,” Wilson explains of Beacon Hill. “Everybody knows everybody.” It had never occurred to her before she owned a business, what a foundation that community is for the city as a whole. The connections, the reaching out, the coming together are really what it’s all about she realized, “It keeps a city alive… It’s been a really cool learning experience.”

“Sparkle” “…an afternoon of Fashion, Food & Fun” will take place on Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 3:30 – 5:00pm at The Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro, 75 Charles Street, Boston. Attendees will receive a complimentary gift bag.

Cost for the event is $15 and RSVP is mandatory as there is limited space. Included in the $15 admission price is a front row communal seat to the fashion show, light appetizers and 1 glass of sparkling wine. (Other beverages are available at a cash bar). Tickets are only available by calling 617-723-7575 and asking for Sparkle.

The Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro: 25 Charles Street, Boston
Wish: 49 Charles Street, Boston, 617-227-0170
Ruby Door: 92 Pinckney Street, Boston, 617 720-2001
The Ruby Door: 15 Charles Street, Suite 1 Boston, 617.720.2001

These girls are participants in a free after-school program called Science Club for Girls that is open to all girls in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Late in the afternoon, in elementary schools in Cambridge, Newton and elsewhere, small groups of girls make sparks fly and small explosions erupt. They observe how worms wiggle, bubbles pop and seeds grow. They ask a multitude of questions and research possible solutions.

These girls are participants in a free after-school program called Science Club for Girls that is open to all girls in kindergarten through sixth grade. On any given day, one group could be making ice cream out of chemicals; another could be learning about the human body by blowing up a pink balloon to the size of a human heart and placing it in the right place in a life-size drawing; another might be making sundials or learning the lifecycle of a star. One group is learning to make simple machines; another is dissecting a starfish.

The objective is to teach girls science. The bigger goal is to chip away at a nationwide gender disparity in which men outnumber women three to one in science and engineering occupations.

Launched in 1994 at the King Open School in Cambridge by a group of moms concerned that their young daughters weren’t receiving a science education on par with boys, the program now boasts 25 clubs in eight schools with more than 250 girls enrolled. Executive director Connie Chow, PhD, has a vision that these girls, along with the ones who have gone before and who will follow, will turn the tide on the statistics. “Our girls get a sense that it isn’t easy out there, but it can be done,” says Chow, who taught biology at Simmons College before assuming the director position two years ago.

Chow points to what she refers to as the “leaky pipeline” of women in science and engineering occupations. According to data provided by the National Science Foundation, women trail only slightly behind men in the number of science and engineering bachelor’s and even master’s degrees they earn each year. Yet, a large gap starts to form between the numbers of PhDs granted annually to women when compared to men. When the number of women actually working in science or engineering jobs is compared to the numbers of men, the gap grows even wider.

“A lot needs to be done at the workplace, in companies and in graduate schools to keep women in science and engineering careers,” says Chow. “We’re doing one small part.”

A huge part of how Science Club for Girls is doing its part is evidenced in the way the program is structured. The girls are taught by female scientists just starting their careers and introduced to others who have been working in science for a long time. Gurtina Besla, a graduate student in astronomy at Harvard, has been volunteering with the program since 2005.

“There is a lot to be said about an all-girl environment in terms of fostering confidence in young girls,” says Besla. “The benefits of such an environment are particularly noticeable with quieter girls.”

“I had no idea how much young girls would benefit from having a scientist come in and teach,” says Katherine Sepp, PhD, who began instructing in the program last year while conducting post-doctoral research at MIT’s Picower Institute. “It is great to see first-hand how science outreach makes such a difference.”

Girls who complete the program and wish to continue enter the Junior Assistant and Junior Assistant in Training programs. They receive a stipend for their work, thus building solid work experience while also developing leadership skills. Chow says this makes Science Club for Girls particularly unique. “Very few programs that target girls as young as we do have continuous engagement,” she explains.

But the main reason girls like Cullen Fagan, a nine-year-old third grader who has been in Science Club for Girls since kindergarten, are involved is because it’s fun. “I like science,” she says. “It seems like a great way to do things.”

Fagan describes one of the classes she enjoyed most: chemical reactions and making volcanoes. “Volcanoes,” she informs a curious onlooker with complete self-assurance, “are basically chemical reactions.”

“I want them to be confident,” says Besla of her young students. “To never back down from asking, ‘why does that happen?’ or voicing their own hypotheses. That’s my main goal.”

Sharing the stories of the inspirational leaders and innovators of today is key to Misstropolis’ MISSion. When we learn of the heights others reach, we are more likely to shoot for the stars ourselves. A young constellation of achievement herself, Lindsay Hyde founded Strong Women Strong Girls when she was a freshman at Harvard. Last year she won the Samuel S. Beard Award, part of the prestigious Jefferson Awards, for “Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years or Younger.” Previous winners include Peyton Manning, Lance Armstrong, Faith Hill and Steve Jobs.

Strong Women Strong Girls is the charitable beneficiary of the Fabulous in Full Force event on May 1st. Misstropolis will be there to celebrate all that SWSG does to help build a generation of confident, empowered, happy girls. Tickets are still available to the event but are selling fast. To buy your ticket, click here.

Misstropolis caught up with Lindsay in between flights and speaking engagements. Here’s what she told us about herself, her MISSion, and what you can do to help:

Miss: You are a truly innovative and inspirational woman. What kind of role models did you have as a young girl?
LH: My mother was an incredible role model to me. Growing up, I really thought she could do anything. She was a single parent, so there was a great deal that she took on independently. Seeing her strength has inspired how I try to live my life. I feel fortunate to have her in my life.

Miss: Were there any difficult experiences in your life that made you especially sensitive to the challenges that young girls face in our society?
LH: Many people think that growing up in a single parent family is a challenge, but what I always tell people is that I wasn’t just living with a single mom, I was living with a Super hero! In fact, it was really seeing the power of female role models, and imagining the the possibilities for women and girls, that made me want to work to provide all young girls with that experience. That experience of feeling like they had a super hero in their lives.

Miss: When exactly did you decide to start Strong Women Strong Girls? What made you realize pairing elementary school age girls with college women would be a good fit?
LH: I piloted Strong Women Strong Girls during my senior year in high school. I went to a public high school with a strong ethic of community service and some truly amazing teachers. When I arrived at Harvard, I looked for existing opportunities on campus to work with girls and when I didn’t find any I said, “Hey I already have this curriculum I wrote in high school. I’ll start Strong Women Strong Girls here!”

Originally the reason that pairing college women with girls seemed like a good fit was because we were all college students! However, as I moved forward in developing the program, it became clear that the energy and enthusiasm of college students is unparalleled. Also, because they are closer in age to the girls in the program, they are able to relate to them in a really unique and special way.

Miss: What kind of research did you do while in the process of founding the organization? What unexpected things did you find out?
LH: I am a total research geek, so I love to look at the data and I work really hard to keep current on the literature. In my initial research, which included the AAUW reports “Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America” and “How Schools Shortchange Girls,” I found that a lot of what the research was finding very much resonated with my own experiences. As many girls know, our self-esteem takes a huge hit during our middle school years. But, with good champions and good guidance it is something we can make it through!

Miss: What are some of the challenges you have faced in scaling the organization into other schools and other cities?
LH: Entering into new communities has been an incredibly exciting process! As businesses increasingly become more global, and as technology because more readily and inexpensively accessible, distance is becoming less of a challenge in managing enterprises. And, what we have found over and over again is that it all comes down to building meaningful, authentic relationships with individuals. That translates across any geography!

Miss: Who are some of your favorite historical role models?
LH: Eleanor Roosevelt is definitely a hero for me! I also greatly admire Katherine Graham. I think her work at the Washington Post was so pioneering.

Miss: What do you respect most in a person? In a woman, in a man? (A little Proust here!)
LH: I most respect the desire and ability of a person to build meaningful, authentic relationships. Reaching out across difference, across traditional boundaries, or even just across our increasingly tight schedules, is incredibly important.

Miss: What is your vision for SWSG’s future, in the short term and long?
LH: To serve more girls, better. We’re using a new metric to think about our growth and development, which is “lives touched.” We want to meaningfully engage girls in communities across Massachusetts and across the country to ensure that they have the champions and role models who can support them!

Miss: What are some of the greatest challenges you currently face?
LH: FUNDING, FUNDING, AND MORE FUNDING. We have so many girls who are interested and excited about the program but as a young organization building infrastructure is really core to what we need to be doing.

We are also always looking for volunteers to get involved with us! Here are 10 ways people can get involved!
1.  Come visit us at Fabulous in Full Force!
2.  Become a member of the strong women, strong girls mentor-to-mentor program.
3.  Make an in-kind contribution, such as office space, printing services, or event space
4.  Spread the word in your community or office by hosting a “lunch and learn”
5.  Make a donation to strong women, strong girls at http://www.swsg.org
6.  Volunteer as a speaker for a strong women, strong girls field trip
7.  Become a member of the board of directors
8.  Write an article about strong women, strong girls for a publication you read
9.  Lead a workshop for SWSG volunteer mentors
10.  Talk to your local schools about bringing strong women, strong girls to your community!

The Vincent Club is widely recognized as Boston’s foremost fundraising force dedicated to advancing medical research in women’s health.

Founded in 1892, following the opening of The Vincent Memorial Hospital the year before, the Vincent Club has raised millions of dollars and helped Vincent Memorial, now the Women’s Care Division of MA General hospital, work toward its dual goals of advancing the field of women’s health and caring for “sick and indigent women.” According to the Vincent Club, Vincent doctors care for more financially disadvantaged women than any other department at Mass General. Now that’s something to celebrate.

Lawson Prince Allen, the President of the Vincent Club explains it like this:
Our mission is to raise funds in aid of the Vincent Memorial Hospital… and to host educational forums that provide information and support for the issues and concerns of women’s lives… For over a century, The Vincent Club has provided a structure for, and a model of, women helping women.

On Wednesday, April 30 at noontime, the Vincent Club is hosting
“A Celebration of Women’s Health”
to honor that tradition, inspire new women to join and share the Vincent’s latest research developments.

The luncheon will be held under a tent on the terrace at Massachusetts General Hospital. Lead researcher Jonathan L. Tilly, PhD will speak about his groundbreaking clinical work. The Director of the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Chief of the Division of Research, Vincent Obstetrics & Gynecology Service at MGH and Associate Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School, it’s safe to say Dr. Tilly is something of an expert on women’s reproductive health. His long term goals of improving reproductive healthcare and overcoming infertility have led to breakthrough studies on menopause and gynecologic cancers.

A Celebration of Women’s Health
Mass General Hospital Terrace
12:00 noon on April 30, 2008

For ticket information, call The Vincent Club Office on 617-523-3900 or email office@thevincentclub.org

Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecological Services at Mass. General Hospital offers contraceptive management, pre-conception counseling, Pap smears and related services. Vincent also specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility offering IVF, single embryo transfer, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and cryopreservation.

24 years later, with few amendments to that law, Massachusetts lags behind most other states. The MA Office of Victims Assistance, or MOVA, http://www.mass.gov/mova/amHome.shtml
established in 1984 in accordance with the Bill of Rights, is determined to change that.

In 1984 Massachusetts passed the MA Victim Bill of Rights, putting us at the forefront of the growing Victims’ Rights Movement and allowing us to offer more comprehensive support and protection to victims of crimes than any other state in the nation.

24 years later, with few amendments to that law, Massachusetts lags behind most other states. The MA Office for Victim Assistance, or MOVA, established in 1984 in accordance with the Bill of Rights, is determined to change that.

With powerful bi-partisan support and a group of extraordinarily brave victims willing to share their stories, MOVA is working to see a new bill, Senate Bill 802, signed into law. Entitled “An Act to Protect & Enhance the Rights of Child & Adult Victims & Witnesses of Crime,” S.802 would:

* Ensure victims and witnesses in court have a separate and secure waiting area.
* Allow child or disabled victims and witnesses to have a support person in the courtroom during their testimony and an orientation to the court process.
* Ensure broader notification of victim rights, including making rights available to non-English speaking victims and witnesses, and to families of victims in unsolved homicides.
*Require that a summary of victim rights be posted conspicuously in courthouses and police stations and that police notify victims of their rights.

In a massive show of support, hundreds joined MOVA, Committee Chair Attorney General Martha Coakley, legislators from across the state, and seven astoundingly brave victims at the State House on March 4th at a public hearing for the bill. The testimonies of the victims were a key factor in the bill’s successful award of an Extension Order for further review.

Yoko Kato lost her 23 year old daughter and 18 month old grandson in 1993 when they were brutally murdered by the baby’s father. Stabbed 57 times, they died in each other’s arms in a pool of blood. In support of the bill, she told her story to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and the hundreds of others gathered.

“A year and a half later, the murder trial was underway… The courtroom was filled with over 100 members of the defendant’s family and friends. Because my family is back in Japan, I had only my eldest daughter and a few friends with me for support. It was terrifying and intimidating for us – but we felt we had to be there for [our loved ones], who had lost their voices.  During the five days of the trial, we sat on a hard, cold bench in the hallway of the courthouse. The courtroom and hallways were filled with supporters of the defendant – who spit on us as they passed. They followed us and imitated our walks, stared us down, and added to the terror and pain of the process.”

Emma McAlary, the survivor of a sexual assault that occurred just two months into her freshman year of college shared her experience.

“I’ve come to terms with what happened to me… What I have not come to terms with is the re-victimization I felt when I had to come face-to-face with my perpetrator in the Eastern Hampshire District Court House. I am still angry to this day.”

These courageous testimonies more than obviate the need for the security provisions in the bill; they make it seem criminal that Massachusetts fails to offer them. As Beverly Myers Bailey, who along with her parents learned of her younger brother’s gruesome murder on the news rather than from the police or the state put it, “I urge you to pass Senate Bill 802, because victim safety is a basic human right.”

What you can do: write to your local lawmakers in support of the bill. Share information about the MA Office of Victim’s Assistance with your friends. Show up at the Massachusetts Victim Rights Conference - Preventing Youth Violence: Supporting Youth, Strengthening Communities, Inspiring Hope, on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at the State House in Boston. If these testimonies don’t move you to act, hearing keynote speaker, Mr. Hubie Jones who has had a long and illustrious career fighting for social justice, racial justice and children’s rights surely will.

Karen Webster knows first-hand how women recently diagnosed with breast cancer feel when they are awake at 3:00 AM - scared, worried and unsure what to do. In 2001 she was one of them. Told she had cancer at age 44, she found herself online in the middle of the night, searching for answers.

Last year, she launched LivingConversations.com, a website dedicated to women (and men) telling their stories of breast cancer. Unlike news and information sites, LivingConversations is a collection of short videos in which women speak, in their own words, about their diagnoses, treatments and lives after breast cancer.

Webster was inspired to start the site, she says, because her own late-night Internet scanning produced information in two categories: “cold hard realities and cold probabilities of death.” Neither was encouraging. “I shut down,” she says. “What I found comforting, when I shared my diagnosis, were the women who would share their stories.”

Since its launch in the summer of 2007, LivingConversations has uploaded more than 30 five- to nine-minute videos from breast cancer survivors from around the country. It even includes the story of one man who was diagnosed and treated with the disease. Visitors are invited to upload their own videos and share their stories. Webster says that the site, which was created by web developers Saber Imagery, has the infrastructure to support what she hopes will be an “explosion” of people contributing to it.

What strikes a first-time visitor to LivingConversations are two impressions: one is that several of the photos are of women who are younger than might be expected. Many are in their 30s and 40s. The other is that all of the women featured in these photos look healthy and strong.

“The way I feel now, I think I am the most beautiful woman in the world,” says Deanna in her video. Deanna is not alone. Many of the women whose videos appear on the site tell stories of how facing and beating cancer made them realize a strength they never knew they had.

Webster started her own business after her treatment and says in her video, “On the other side of cancer, I’m actually a different person. I think I’m a better person. I have a perspective on life that I actually never had before. And I can do things I never thought imaginable.”

More than 2.4 million women in the United States are survivors of breast cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, breast cancer is second behind melanoma as the most common form of cancer in women. In addition to providing peer support, Webster, who self-funds her website – “It’s my gift,” she says – also includes information about new research, approaches to treatment, news about diet and exercise and other topics. In her blog, Webster discusses everything from interesting scientific findings to asking tough sociological questions about breast cancer in society.

The most important message, however, says patient Linda Herter, is that women can and do survive breast cancer. Like many women, Herter immediately went online after learning she had Stage 3 breast cancer. What she learned, she says, “was not very pleasant. I wish I would have had this website to go to and to have heard stories of women who survived.”

But now others do, so when they are searching at 3:00 AM and find statistics and probabilities and frightening charts and diagrams, they will also find Webster’s “Community of Strength” and real voices telling real stories, just like theirs.

“I want her to know she can get through it and live her dreams,” says Sara, when asked the question about how she wants her story to help women. Sara, who was diagnosed at age 31 – only six months after being married – is holding her two young children, born since her treatment, in her video . “It’s not a death sentence. It’s a time to refocus.”

Don’t Miss Events to help you give back, whether to children, teenagers or abandoned pets.

Shamrock Shootout 2008
To benefit the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation

Shamrock Shootout Play In
The Shamrock Shootout ‘Play-In’ a more affordable alternative to purchasing a team for Sunday’s competition.
Saturday, March 1 at Basketball City
Only 24 teams will compete. Top four (4) teams advance to Sunday’s competition.

Shamrock Shootout
March 2, 2008 at TD Banknorth Garden
Only 32 teams will compete. Top four teams receive tickets to that night’s Celtics vs. Hawks game at 6:00 p.m.
Top two teams will compete at halftime for Championship title. First place team will “Travel With The Team” to an away game in the 2008-2009 season!

VIP Parque Package: $10,000
Sharp Shooter Package: $5,000
Hurry up and submit a team of five to either event for your chance to travel with The Boston Celtics to an away game next season!

The mission of the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation is to extend the reach of the Celtics championship legacy into the community. The Shamrock Foundation benefits our children directly, through programs that provide education and support. The Shamrock Foundation also partners with community-based organizations that provide healthcare, shelter and vital services for children in need. This year the Shamrock Foundation is partnering up with Children’s Hospital Boston, Horizons for Homeless Children, and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC).

Paws for Celebration!
Friday, March 7th 2008 at 7:00pm.
The Shaw’s Center in Brockton.
Tickets are $35.00 each.

Join fellow animal lovers and food connoisseurs on March 7th at Paws for Celebration, a gourmet evening of fine dining including dinner, wine and chocolate tastings. The event will also include a silent auction to benefit the MSPCA Metro South Animal Care & Adoption Center. All proceeds go directly to helping homeless and abused animals in our community.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Banned in Boston
April 26th, 2008, 6:00pm.
Kresge Auditorium at MIT, Cambridge, MA

Banned in Boston is a madcap musical revue featuring some of Boston’s most illustrious people. Last year’s cast included Deval Patrick, Mayor Tom Menino, Tom & Ray Magliozzi (the Car Talk guys) and Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton! Proceeds benefit Urban Improv, the nationally acclaimed violence prevention program that is making a profound difference in the lives of thousands of Boston school children.
Urban Improv is the innovative theater program that uses structured theater improvisation to teach violence prevention, conflict resolution, decision-making and impulse control.

Starry Starry Night
May 22, 2008
Boston Common


Starry Starry Night is City Year’s annual benefit gala which is quickly developing into one of Boston’s premiere events. Held under the stars in the beautiful Boston Common, this evening is filled with exceptional cuisine, inspirational speakers, and dancing. More than 850 citizen supporters, business and community leaders, and City Year Boston corps members come together on this evening to show their support for the efforts and mission of City Year. Featured speakers have included President Clinton, Tom Brady and Theo Epstein.

Look forward to spring, plan ahead and get ready to have fun with others working hard to make Boston a better place for all those who live here - all ages, all species, all athletic abilities!

As President and CEO of the Big Sister Association of Boston, Re receives letter from Big and Little Sisters in all stages of their lives. She recently received one from a 14 year old who had initially had difficulty accepting the support of the program and letting go of her intense anger. But after time in the program she developed a sense of personal responsibility and love for the group, which moved her to write a letter she never would have written before joining. “I am so sorry I missed the ice cream party yesterday,” it read, “… my trust and love have grown stronger for you...” Deb says letter like these reflect the profound benefits of what they are doing, and the need for more eligible volunteers to get involved.

Deborah Re has a dream. She would like to see every woman in the city dedicate at least one year to being a mentor for a young girl. She has seen the incredible difference just one day a week for one year can make in the lives of girls. And she has letters to prove it.

As President and CEO of the Big Sister Association of Boston, Re receives letter from Big and Little Sisters in all stages of their lives. She recently received one from a 14 year old who had initially had difficulty accepting the support of the program and letting go of her intense anger. But after time in the program she developed a sense of personal responsibility and love for the group, which moved her to write a letter she never would have written before joining. “I am so sorry I missed the ice cream party yesterday,” it read, “… my trust and love have grown stronger for you...” Deb says letter like these reflect the profound benefits of what they are doing, and the need for more eligible volunteers to get involved.

Big Sister of Boston is one of only two programs in the states focused exclusively on the needs of girls. It was this focus that attracted Re to the position in 2006. “Their needs are changing, and their needs are increasing,” she says. Modern technology has led to modern problems such as cyber-bullying, privacy violations, attention deficit and deteriorating self-esteem. Re says one of Big Sister’s priorities is keeping a lively feedback loop going with their Big and Little Sisters to assure that all new issues can be addressed in the program’s various curriculums. The goal of Big Sister she says, is to helps the Littles make healthy choices - and the nature of those choices depends on their age, home situation, health and school status.

In order to meet this range of needs, Big Sister has a range of programs. The One on One Mentoring is most likely what one thinks of when hearing Big Brother or Big Sister. In community programs, girls ages 7-15 are paired with a Big Sister and enjoy once a week visits to their home as well as trips to museums, sporting events, or other activities. School programs for the same age group arrange for Little Sisters to meet their Bigs at lunch or after school.

Group Mentoring is geared toward older girls ages 11-17 facing very different challenges. The middle and high school age girls are listening more to their peers than to adults, Re says, and therefore are vulnerable to negative pressure to make unhealthy decisions. In the group programs, girls can form relationships with adults in which they are supported and encouraged. The curriculum allows them to bring up the issues that are most pressing in their lives, and work through them together over time. In one of the letters Re told me about, a woman reflected back on her experience with her Big Sister. She said the constancy of the support was the most important thing to her. She noted that her Big Sister was the only constant in her life at that time, and that without it she would have fallen prey to the negative pressures inherent in her life growing up in a dangerous housing project.

“Girl Power” is a system of training and education geared both toward the Big Sisters themselves, and more and more toward the Bigs and Littles together. The subjects discussed are always changing - they work with the Big Sisters to identify areas of concern. It is yet another effort by the organization to facilitate dialog and identify areas of concern.

The goals of the program Re says, are to help the girls develop confidence, conflict management strategies, communication skills and a healthy self image so that they can meet such challenges on their own as well. Their research, and even more importantly, those wonderful letters, show that the important efforts made when the girls are young contribute to a healthier, more productive and meaningful life for the length of the girls futures.

Big Sister wants to spread the word about the importance of mentoring. Re says they are always building, always growing and looking for more volunteers, more help. There are at least 200 - 250 girls on the waiting list at any given time. Big Sister provides many different ways for people to get involved. Take some time to look at their web site and take the online orientation, and consider making a difference in a girl’s life. If we all take a small step, we can bring Deborah Re one step closer to her altruistic dream - that every woman in the city spend a year mentoring a child.

Big for a Day is a program set up for children on the waiting list. “We want to make sure they know they are not forgotten.” Re says. It is also a good way for people who are not sure about whether they might want to become a Big Sister experience the program. Once a month, volunteers not matched with a Little Sister, take girls off the wait list for a special adventure. Check out the website here for more information. The programs offered by Big Sister Association are free to girls. But it takes an average of $1,000 to make and support a match between a Big and Little Sister. The organization sometimes holds “Matchmaker Challenges” at their events, where they encourage people to bid in increments of $1,000 to take girls off the waiting list.

Big Sister also holds occasional fund and awareness raising events. On Sunday, April 13, they will hold their annual Celebrity Chefs Event at Radius with chef Michael Schlow and others. This is a small, intimate benefit and a great way to learn more about the organization first hand. At every Big Sister event participants in the program share their experiences. Last year, Little Sister Charlotee spoke about her Big Sister’s help in getting her into Johnson and Wales for cooking school.

Let’s help Big Sister Association make this dream a reality. Click here for more information. What better way to open your big heart this Valentines Day, than by spreading love to a girl who will always and forever love you back.

Aaah, a sunny day in the middle of the winter; a rare gift at any time, but for me, today, it’s especially sweet. I ran 7.5 miles today—a beautiful route from my house in Roslindale along the Arborway and then around the Fens. To the diehard runner, 7 miles may not seem that remarkable. But for me, today is a milestone in an 18-week training regimen to run my first ever-half marathon. When I registered for the run—which is April 6--back in December, I was barely able to finish 1.5 miles without walking at least part of it. The prospect of a 3-mile long-distance run brought fear. But I registered anyway, and laced up my sneakers.

Why? Believe me. There hasn’t been a run since, long or short, during which at some point as I huffed and puffed along, I haven’t asked myself, “Why in the world am I doing this?” This is…outrageous! But, in the end, that’s the point. It is outrageous. I’m 43 years old—not too old to run, sure, but a lot older than I was when I ran regularly more than 13 years ago. And even then—in my more toned and svelte body (such that it was) I only averaged about 3-4 miles per run. The furthest I have ever gone “way back then” was 8 miles; next Sunday, I will match that distance, and if I can, I will go a little beyond it. The following week, I will run 9 miles; the week after that, I will attempt 10. Crazy talk.

Again. Why? Maybe the best answer is “Why not?” At age 43, I am embracing, probably for the first time in my life, the idea of being outrageous. After an entire career working in large nonprofit organizations, I took a year-long detour to go to culinary school, graduated with honors and launched a short-lived catering business, then returned to what I really know best - communications, writing, and editing - but without the safety net of a steady paycheck or the luxury of paid vacations. In August last year, I started my own business. I’m not sure which of these pursuits is more ridiculous: pulling on a pair of lycra pants and heading out in the midst of a snow squall or setting up a makeshift office in my dining room with a 5-year-old laptop computer and a half-way decent list of contacts.

Training for a half-marathon and who knows, maybe next year, a full marathon! for me, is about setting outrageous goals for myself. It’s also why I wanted to start this blog. Maybe you have an outrageous goal or two of your own, but you’re not quite being outrageous enough or ridiculous enough! to start moving in that direction. Sometimes, my goal is just getting past the thought that this - all of this - is ridiculous. Sometimes I am more ambitious: breaking six figures on my own; running a consistent 10-minute mile, the whole way, without walking just once.

The running is just one goal, but, accomplishing it demands immediate attention: I must run every week the number of miles scheduled for that week. I can say I don’t want to until my breath runs dry and I can use every excuse in the book to not run (it’s too cold, it’s too icy, I don’t feel good, I’m tired, it’s a bad hair day) but, eventually, it will catch up to me and then when I finally do get out there, it will really feel like s—t.

So, I run. Even when I don’t want to. Even when I don’t feel well. Even when it’s cold and icy. Period. I run. I’m doing the same in my business. If I want this to all work out, then I must work when I don’t always want to, make calls I don’t feel like making, write when there are no words left in my head. Outrageous goals take action. Sometimes, the action is just getting past my own excuses for inaction. Tomorrow, I’ll take a break; it’s ok, it’s a scheduled part of the training regimen. The next day, I’ll run again. 

Why would anyone fund a non-profit organization that spends 40% of its resources hiring teens from affluent Boston suburbs? 

“Because collaboration and exposure are needed among all socioeconomic groups to facilitate change,” states Jen James, a staff member at The Food Project (TFP), a non-profit organization based in Lincoln and Dorchester. “We believe that change cannot be achieved only by impacting those who are in need. The need for change has to be implanted in those who have the capacity to make a difference given the fortunate circumstances into which they were born.”

TFP started in 1991 with the vision of bringing young people from the inner city and the suburbs together for summer jobs. The idea was that they would learn how to to grow organic produce, and then distribute it to food shelters. Over the last 17 years, the program has taken root and grown. 

In its first year, TFP hired 18 teens and raised 20,000 pounds of produce. Last year, TFP hired just under 100 kids and raised 250,000 pounds of produce. With this growth, the organization has also undertaken new initiatives, including youth-run enterprises such as farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), a catering business, writing and selling textbooks on how to discuss diversity and enact change, and an urban farm on the roof of the Boston Medical Center.

But what differentiates the organization from others, is its focus and impact on middle to upper-class youth, as well as those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.The hiring process is highly selective, with hundreds of students applying for just under 100 positions.

Once they are hired, everyone is treated equally. The kids are divided into different squads, given commuter rail passes and provided TFP work uniforms. They alternate weeks working on the 31 acre farm in Lincoln and the two-plus acre farm in Dorchester. 

The work days are divided into workshops that include debates on topics such as the importance of buying locally and training on how to test soil for lead contamination. The participants also explore differences in gender, race, socioeconomic class and the feelings associated with all of these subjects. They discuss the impact of the media and politics, their initial impressions of each other and of Lincoln and Dorchester. They learn about agriculture, pesticides, testing soil and hunger. They work in food shelters and help suburban families pick up their CSA shares in Lincoln. Through all this, they become friends and realize that they aren’t all that different, but live under different circumstances that are to be respected and perhaps, someday, changed for the better.

“I sometimes take the commuter rail out to the Lincoln farm and sit on the land.  It is nice to be surrounded by nature and enjoy the quiet,” says Dominique, who lives in Dorchester.

“I grew up in Lincoln, but prior to working at TFP, I had never been to Dorchester. The Dorchester farm is more vibrant. Neighbors stop by to talk and encourage us; you can hear the traffic and it feels alive,” adds Shirin, a Lincoln resident.

After having put hours of work and sweat into the land, all the kids develop a sense of pride in the two farms. And many of them have picked up at least the seedlings of a new world view as well.