{"id":16277,"date":"2019-05-24T12:12:30","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T16:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/?post_type=education_blog&p=16277"},"modified":"2025-04-01T15:17:54","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T15:17:54","slug":"im-a-woman-i-can-do-anything-ladies-first-at-sa-harlem-1","status":"publish","type":"education_blog","link":"https:\/\/www.successacademies.org\/education-blog\/im-a-woman-i-can-do-anything-ladies-first-at-sa-harlem-1\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m a Woman, I Can Do Anything: Ladies First at SA Harlem 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among the young women of the Ladies First Club, the most popular future profession is president of the United States, followed closely by a job in fashion. During a career-focused community-building exercise, one scholar announces her intention to become a lawyer, doctor, <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>dancer. \u201cI can do them all!\u201d she exclaims. <\/span><\/p>\n

Every Tuesday at 4:00PM, the scholars of the Ladies First Club put on their signature hair bows, personalized with their names, and gather in room 344. The Executive Board\u2014President Najiba, Vice President Neriah, Secretary Amina, and Treasurer Makela\u2014kicks off the meeting, leading the group through a welcome exercise, shout-outs, roll call, announcements, and check distribution. (Members are awarded \u201cscholar dollars\u201d for exemplary behavior and leadership throughout the week.)<\/p>\n

At SA Harlem 1, being selected for the Ladies First club is an honor that scholars look forward to for years. \u201cIt\u2019s like when you\u2019re in high school,\u201d club advisor Ms. Cousins explains, \u201cand everybody\u2019s looking forward to prom. To the fourth grade, this is the prom.\u201d Scholars become eligible for the club during the first month of fourth grade. They submit resumes, personal statements, and teacher recommendations before being invited for interviews and ultimately selected by club advisors Ms. Cousins and Ms. Fox to participate. This year, the club has 25 members. \u201cThere\u2019s this hype about getting into the club. The little ones see the Ladies and know they need to start being role models now, so that they have a chance to join. It creates a positive atmosphere in the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ladies are each other\u2019s loudest cheerleaders. \u201cI know it\u2019s a hard job,\u201d one scholar says during shout-outs, \u201cand I\u2019m proud of you for being such a good president.\u201d Najiba beams. Scholars praise each other for having integrity, showing respect, being kind, and asking for help when they\u2019re struggling with hard math problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the ladies in this club work together to make sure that this community is good\u2014in school and out of school,\u201d one scholar tells me. In school, Ladies First members help younger scholars improve their reading during DEAR (Drop Everything and Read), and outside of SA Harlem 1, they do community service projects such as visiting homeless shelters. <\/span>\u201cI like that I can be around other ladies who want to become leaders,\u201d one scholar explains. \u201cWe\u2019re showing the little ones how to lead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey take what they learn in here and they use it in their classrooms and outside,\u201d Ms. Cousins <\/span>tells me. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to be watched to know to do the right thing. They\u2019re automatically doing it because of the conversations they have in here. They truly want to be good people and be leaders.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

During a break, scholars talk to me about what they\u2019ve learned in Ladies First. \u201cIn Ladies First, you learn how to be a very independent woman\u2014proving that women don\u2019t only cook and clean and take care of kids. You can also become a mathematician, an astronomer, a paleontologist.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m learning how to be more independent,\u201d another scholar echoes, \u201chow to be stronger, so if someone tells me I can\u2019t do something, I think, \u2018You don\u2019t know what I can do. I\u2019m a woman. I can do anything.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

As fourth grade graduation approaches and the women of Ladies First get ready to start middle school<\/a>, they sit down to write letters to their future selves\u2014they\u2019ll get the letters back on the first day of eighth grade. Before sealing their envelopes, they gather on the rug to share what they\u2019ve written. \u201cThis is what you\u2019re going to do as a leader,\u201d one scholar reads. \u201cYou\u2019re going to get good grades, follow through, and be responsible and mature\u2014not only in school, but outside of school too, girl. By the way, what\u2019s there to be nervous about? You already have friends beside you.\u201d<\/p>\n

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