A program to help inspire young girls and gender-diverse youth to be confident and connect with one another on a deeper level is starting up at an elementary school in Surrey.
For students in Grades 4 and 5, Panorama Park Elementary is running the My Voice, My Power! mentorship program for girls and those who identify as non-binary, two-spirit and other gender-diverse identities. The aim of the service is to help youth set boundaries for themselves, learn about gender disparity and navigate internet harms.
“This is an opportunity to really empower students and give them the tools they need to be successful,” Panorama Park principal Zahra Kabani said in a Surrey Schools release.
“It’s hard enough just trying to figure out who you are, and with so much coming their way, especially with social media, it really gives them the chance to delve into some of these topics and know how to deal with them and the support system they can find within each other."
The space is also intended to be safe for the youth to explore their own identities and discover themselves with the help of mentors.
“Some of those ideas and thoughts are happening so early that helping them identify what healthy relationships are at an early level is so important,” Kabani added. “That’s part of the foundation that they’re building for themselves on who they are and who they want to be.”
The program is a pilot for Panorama Park with hopes of expanding to more students around Surrey.
“It’s about their rights, their community, who they are as individuals and within the community piece, what they want for themselves and their future. ... To be able to give these students the opportunity to own into who they are, and to know they can use their voice and that it matters, it’s a really wonderful thing."
