GROW

Blasting Back to the Past

2009-12-29T14:30:00.000-08:00

The G.R.O.W. girls were whisked off to Charlottesville on a historical adventure to examine the past and how it influences our present. By visiting the homes of Jefferson and Madison, the girls learned about the contributions each made to our country.
One of the highlights of the trip occurred at the home of James Madison. There, the girls explored an archeological restoration of Montpelier as well as building using tools from the 1700s. Each girl tried drilling holes, sanding, and chopping wood.
During our trip, each girl was presented with a journal to record their thoughts, experiences, and reflections. The girls thoroughly enjoyed being able to privately reflect on the day's occurrences and will be adding embellishments and mementoes to their journals during Tea at Auntie's. The G.R.O.W. girls also welcomed a new member to the ranks during the summer excursion to Charlottesville. Breya joined the ranks of the G.R.O.W. group and cannot wait to make her mark.

How You Can Help G.R.O.W. Girls Blossom

2009-06-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

G.R.O.W. is a not for profit organization, seeking 501(3)C status. Everything we do depends on generous donors like you!

From the day-to-day experiences at school to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, the program needs constant financial support. The girls need community service opportunities. Volunteers from the community have demonstrated everything from candy making to therapeutic writing. Please contact us to set up community service projects or to volunteer to spend an afternoon with the girls, sharing your expertise. And, as ever, cash contributions will be gratefully accepted.

Almost Up, Up, and Away

2009-03-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

During the last week, three of the G.R.O.W. girls received a fantastic invitation to be a part of Upward Bound. Upward Bound is an extraordinary program that provides high school students with academic and cultural enrichment opportunities. This program assists high school students in developing necessary skills for success in college through academic and cultural enrichment, career development, and personal growth.

Upward Bound offers opportunities for enrichment during the summer months as well as academic support during the school year for its members. For six weeks during the summer, Upward Bound participants live on a college campus, are involved in an intensive academic program, and receive instructional assistance in the areas of math, science, English, foreign language, SAT preparation, study skills, computer science, counseling, and physical education. In addition, students visit various college campuses, learn about the college admissions process, attend workshops, and participate in cultural enrichment activities. Once the school year begins, Upward Bound participants continue their relationship with the program. Students meet on Saturdays (September-May) for academic assistance and counseling sessions. Upward Bound coordinators also visit target area high schools on a regular basis. College visits and cultural activities are included during the academic year as well.

It is so exciting for me to see these girls branch out and GROW into being the successful young ladies. Thank you Upward Bound for giving children a chance to blossom and GROW!

A Once in a Lifetime Experience

2009-01-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

Whether you voted for our new President or not, there is one thing that can be said about experiencing the Inauguration Ceremony up close and personal- Amazing! When you are this close to a defining moment in history it is easy to be absolutely awestruck with what is in front of you. But the founder of G.R.O.W., Stephanie Doyle, bundled up as best she could and put her best foot forward to take in the moment. It started with a very early rise and shine at 2:30 AM in order to get ready to catch the Metro by 4:00AM. Needless to say it was just as cold as it was early and the combination of the two made for a very astounding wake up call! As the day began citizens from across America, young and old, began to converge onto Washington DC to attend the festivities. This year, record crowds of upwards of 3 million people were on hand for the historic swearing-in of the nation’s first African-American president.

Stephanie, this years Virginia State Teacher of the Year, had the privilege of being invited to the ceremonies by her State Senator, Mark Warner, which she gladly excepted. As she arrived in Washington DC the crowds were enormous and it became very obvious that being a guest of a Senator definitely had its benefits. Everywhere she turned around there was another person she had seen on TV, either in politics or in Hollywood, standing in close proximity to her. It was exciting and amazing all rolled into one. She even got to meet Jay Z and Beyonce while making her way to get seated for the ceremonies. Below are a few of the additional pictures that Stephanie was able to take throughout the day. Click on any of the pictures in this blog to see them in a larger size.

Getting to Witness History

2009-01-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

No matter what you may think about our upcoming Presidential Inauguration one thing is for sure, it will be history in the making. The cool thing for Stephanie Doyle, the founder of G.R.O.W is that she will have a front row seat. Over the past week she has been invited by Senator Mark Warner to be a guest of his. Senator Warner wanted to invite the Virginia State Teacher of the Year to the event and, as a history teacher, Stephanie is ecstatic about the opportunity. To read more about this opportunity please read the front page article in the Roanoke Times written by Code Lowe.

G.R.O.W. Goes to Radford University

2009-01-10T18:56:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 6, the G.R.O.W. girls ventured to the campus of Radford University. The girls were guests of Anne Pascucci, Director of Sponsored Programs and Grant Management. Mrs. Pascucci planned a wonderful day to introduce the girls to various careers in science. The girls first visited the Library, where they were completely amazed by the books, DVDs, and other media. We, then, headed to the planetarium, where Dr. Rhett Herman gave us a tour of the night sky. From there, we proceeded to the lab of Tara Phelps-Durr. The girls examined human and plant DNA and discussed how Dr. Phelps-Durr studies mutant genes in plants. Mrs. Pascucci whisked the girls off to RU West, where the Nursing Clinical Sim Center is headed up by Dr. Cynthia Cunningham. There, the girls examined simulation mannequins, taking their pulse and listening to their hearts.

After a delicious lunch sponsored by Mrs. Pascucci, the girls headed down to the research labs to visit the lab rats used in research studies at the University. After that, Dr. Donna & Cliff Boyd, Co-Directors of the Forensic Institute, hosted the girls in their Forensic lab. The girls analyzed animal and human bones as well as learned what can be learned about a person from their skeletal remains. A campus tour was arranged during our visit to give the girls an overview of college life. Lastly, the girls spent time with Dr. Matt Dunleavy, Asst Prof. School of Teacher Ed working with Augmented Reality.

This was an amazing experience for each of the four girls. The girls’ eyes were opened to what lies beyond their neighborhoods and were introduced to various career paths that they may not have known about before. This experience took my breath away!

Please also see the article in The Roanoke Times that documented our trip for more information on our journey.

Starting Off the New Year Right

2009-01-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

The G.R.O.W. girls closed out 2008 and welcomed in 2009 with a tea party hosted by Lynne Victorine. Mrs. V, or Auntie as the girls affectionately call her, treated the girls to sweets and savories along with delicious Christmas tea. The treats were scrumptious! Shannon, a friend of Auntie's also joined our tea party. Shannon is a lawyer and shared with the girls how she went to college on a full ride thanks to academic and athletic scholarships. The girls definitely soaked up Shannon's advice about getting scholarships.

In order to close the door on 2008, the girls participated in writing regrets and 'junk' from the past year that they wanted to forget. These were written on red paper and then taken out back and burned in the fire pit as a symbol of putting the past to rest. To usher in 2009 with a fresh start, the girls began setting short and long term goals for the year. Auntie helped the girls start the process by having the girls help with her goal setting of getting in shape before her nephew's wedding in September. Once the girls helped Auntie, it was their turn. Each girl picked one goal and created a step-by-step plan on how to achieve it. It was wonderful to see the girls focusing on what they can control and making a plan for action.

G.R.O.W. is currently seeking community members who are interested in sharing their time and talents with our group. If you are interested, please contact me at sdoyle@rcps.info.

Celebrating the Holidays

2009-01-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

As a kick-off to the holiday season, Mrs. Heather Gerbus invited the G.R.O.W girls into her home for an afternoon of candy and cookie making. Mrs. Gerbus, who is an baker by hobby, taught the girls how to make chocolate candy using molds. The girls painted chocolate molds with colored chocolate to create candy presents, snowflakes, Santas, and other holiday symbols.

While the chocolates were cooling, Mrs. Gerbus gave lessons in cookie decorating using pastry bags and icing tips. The girls set about creating beautiful cookies for their friends and family. The fun did not end there. Mrs. Gerbus graciously gave each of the girls their own candy molds and meltable chocolates to take home so that the girls could teach their siblings how to create chocolates.

The Pursuit of Mentoring

2009-01-01T06:25:00.001-08:00

The Pursuit of Mentoring event through Leadership Roanoke Valley was an amazing experience for all of us. Brittani and Brianna attended the event as the spokeswomen for G.R.O.W. Both of the girls also worked the G.R.O.W. booth, introducing community members to our program. While there, each girl connected with other community organizations throughout the Roanoke Valley that offer opportunities for youth.

During the afternoon keynote session, I spoke of how my childhood and my involvement with a mentor from Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Roanoke Valley spurned my mentorship of young girls into becoming G.R.O.W. I introduced the Leadership Roanoke Valley to the G.R.O.W girls and how mentoring has changed the lives of those involved. Lastly, I challenged the members of the LRV to get involved in the life of a child through mentoring.

Showcasing G.R.O.W.

2008-12-15T17:25:00.001-08:00

The Leadership Roanoke Valley Education Program is hosting a program on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 entitled The Pursuit of Mentoring. Mentoring organizations from around the valley have been invited to share their programs with members of Leadership Roanoke Valley. G.R.O.W. is among the mentoring organizations that will be showcased during the afternoon trade show, where participants can learn more about each program and how to become involved in mentoring. In preparation of the trade show, Lynne Victorine aided in creating a display. The display contained photos of past events and the D.C. trip as well as information about the G.R.O.W. program. The display turned out beautifully and I can't wait to display it during the trade show. To round out the day, I am going to be the afternoon keynote speaker for the event! I will be speaking on the impact of mentoring, the roots that led to the G.R.O.W. program, and how one can start a mentoring program from scratch.

Growing Within the Community

2008-12-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

G.R.O.W. focuses not only on building strong girls who will become strong women, but we also focus on building stronger communities. The G.R.O.W. girls participate in monthly community service designed to help wherever we can. In August, the G.R.O.W. girls worked in conjunction with Roanoke City Public Schools and the Central Council PTA to bag school supplies for the Back-to-School Extravaganza at Patrick Henry High School. The girls spent an entire afternoon creating over 1,000 bags of schools supplies for students in RCPS. At the end of August, the G.R.O.W. girls handed out those school supplies at the Back-to-School Extravangza. Because of their volunteer work during the month of August, the G.R.O.W. girls were honored at a Roanoke City School Board Meeting. During the month of November the G.R.O.W. girls continued their service within our community by assisting with ticket sales and the handing out of brochures for the Annual Virginia Gentlemen Barbershop Concert held at Hidden Valley High School. We do have more events we plan on being a part of in the future so be sure to check our calendar to see what we will be up to.

More than a Pumpkin Patch.

2008-11-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

To kick off the fall season, the G.R.O.W. girls ventured out of their comfort zone within city living to spend a day on the farm! This trip took us on an adventure to Jeter Farm in Troutville, VA; a small country town filled with beautiful mountains and farms as far as the eye can see. This was a far cry from what the girls were used to, seeing as how none of them had ever experienced farm life. During our visit, the girls were able to feed farm animals such as goats, donkeys, and we even got to pet some miniature horses!
We then got to go on a hay ride that took us to the entrance to a corn maze. The maze was really cool because it was shaped like our state of Virginia and the girls used maps to find their way to the observation deck and then to the pumpkin patch. After getting lost a few times we finally made it to our destination of the pumpkin patch. We all got to pick out our very own pumkins and then the girls and I took another hayride back where we started. This was another very memorable trip for our girls and they had a great time seeing what "a day on the farm" might look like.

A Glimpse Outside of the Neighborhood

2008-11-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

This spring the girls involved in this program passed all of their Standards of Learning tests with flying colors and as a reward the G.R.O.W girls traveled to Washington D.C. on August 4, 2008 to August 7, 2008, where they were immersed in the workings of our government, the nation’s history, and the many cultural opportunities it afforded. The girls were invited to tour the Supreme Court as guests of Justice Clarence Thomas and were invited to the Capitol as guests of Congressman Bob Goodlatte. The trip continued with visits to the Washington and World War II monuments and to the Holocaust Museum, to name a few. This was something none of them had ever done before. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our girls.