Hardy Girls

Please introduce yourself and briefly describe the nature of your work and your partnership with Colby.

I am the Executive Director of Hardy Girls, a nonprofit that was founded in Waterville and now operates statewide to provide supportive, empowering programs to girls and nonbinary youth. I actually started volunteering with Hardy Girls when I was a student at Colby, and now I get to help run our volunteer program at the college!

Share a story or experience of a time you worked with a Colby student. What were the joys of that experience? What were the learning experiences?

Colby students and our other college volunteers around the state are absolutely crucial to our programs. The volunteers, whom we call “Muses,” work in pairs in local schools in the Waterville area and run Coalition Groups of girls and nonbinary youth in grades 5-8. These groups meet weekly and provide a safe space for their attendees to talk through the issues most relevant to their lives — and to take action to make social change! The relationships between Muses and the kids in the group are some of the most joyful things to see.

What is essential for a successful community partnership?

Trust and communication! It’s so essential that students are able to trust that Hardy Girls is providing the best possible resources, curriculum, and support for them as they work in local schools; and it’s crucial that the schools that we partner with can trust that Hardy Girls and our volunteers are committed to their students. Communication is a huge part of that, whether it’s emailing about schedule changes or having larger conversations about what curriculum and resources Muses need from our staff.

What is your favorite thing about the Greater Waterville area? What do you wish Colby students knew about your community?

It’s cheesy, but I just love the people in Waterville and Central Maine. I hope that Colby students get the chance — maybe in a volunteer role like ours! — to share space and have real conversations with people of all backgrounds.

How do you feel Colby students contribute to the mission and goals of Hardy Girls Healthy Women?

A big part of all of our programs is their intergenerational nature. Our high school program participants create and run conferences for elementary and middle schoolers, and our staff works to form genuine adult-youth partnerships. Colby volunteers in the Muse program work with elementary and middle schoolers in a really unique way where the younger students get to steer the direction of the groups and be in a space where they’re taken seriously by older people.

What’s the most important thing you’d like the college to hear from you?

I am so grateful for the many opportunities I had while I was a student at Colby, but perhaps the most impactful experience I had was volunteering with Hardy Girls — and clearly that experience has strongly impacted my career 🙂 I am glad to see the college continuing to invest in civic engagement partnerships and student opportunities.

What have we not discussed? Is there anything else you would like to share?

Come volunteer with us! If you’re interested in learning more, you can reach out to our program coordinator CJ at [email protected]. Thanks!