A long-time Norristown-based out-of-school program for girls in grades one through four has gone through some dramatic changes recently. The 11-year-old SAA After School changed its name to Girls First of Norristown to reflect its priorities in addressing the needs of students during the coronavirus pandemic but also to better convey its mission.

Originally named after St. Augustine Academy, where the group has held forth on typical afternoons from 3:30 to 5 p.m. since 2009, the program has always strived to reflect its goal of enriching the lives of girls through exposure to the arts, while also offering a full meal and academic support in a comforting environment.

But under the leadership of  Jennifer Pratt Johnson, Director of Development.  and Amy Grebe, Director of Education, that goal has intensified for the roughly 30 girls in the program,, and hasn’t taken a backseat to the pandemic in spite of being limited to virtual experiences.

“The focus of the name now is not where we are, but who we are,” noted Johnson. “The purpose of the program is to be replicable, to take it to other places, and right now we’re online. It’s as important as ever that our identity is who we are and that we’re serving our goals in a much different way than we were three months.”

In a release, board member Steve Jarmon reflected on the power of the name change.

“It’s a two-word phrase with multiple meanings. Given where these girls live and the fast pace at which they are forced to grow up, Girls First is a reminder that these little people are in fact children,” he said. “The name reinforces that everyday and reminds the girls that it is ok for them to just be girls. But Girls First also suggests that the organization is making them a priority. The name itself reminds them everyday that there are a group of people that care about them.”

In normal times, the daily meal, which is now provided by delivery, is one of the most unifying features of the program, Johnson said.

“The first thing we do is have a meal together. It’s really important because it’s a communal activity and it encourages the girls to share and to form relationships with our volunteers, who are the most lovely people. They come in and help cook the meals and they’re essentially these mentor figures,” she said. “The meal is a shared communal activity but it also takes care of one of their needs … the kids are fed and that basic need is taken care of.”

Until meals can be shared again, three different scenarios are looming for the imminent future of the program, “without any knowledge of which one will come into play,” Johnson said. “Are we going to be back in school in September, because we bus the girls directly from their schools to the program. So the regulations that closed the schools closed us as well. So we’re waiting with everybody else for the possibility of being back, the possibility of being online, or maybe a hybrid of the two.”

For the students of Girls First, the corona crisis has been especially frightening, Johnson pointed out.

“Before the health crisis, many families were already facing hardships and challenges. COVID-19 now has disrupted routines, and school closures have significantly impacted their education and separated them from those they care about.”

Grebe added, ““No one is immune to the collective adversity we are experiencing during this pandemic. Children are most at risk of suffering long term negative health issues due to their exposure to this adversity and the disruption of their cognitive, emotional, and social development. It is more critical than ever to remain connected, maintain safe spaces for positive growth and development, and practice creative skills that build resilience, determination, and perseverance.”

The Girls First program has long recognized the high percentage of children who have experienced adversity in and the negative effects adversity can have on brain development.

“Adverse situations frequently rob children of their ability to just be children; a situation Girls First sees frequently,” Johnson noted.

The result of the staff’s conversations with  local school district personnel has led to the development of a “replicable, trauma-informed, arts-based curriculum focused on building resilience and grit while cultivating empathy, agency, and efficacy,” according to Johnson.

When schools were initially closed due to the crisis, Girls First organizers were determined to continue the program and their mission in whatever way they could. They began hosting daily online meetings with students to help them stay connected and creative, while dropping off food and activity packs at their homes to help sustain and engage them; and even looking for ways to support parents.

Funding is supplied through individual donations, foundations, corporate and government support.

“We don’t have any earned income; it’s entirely free to the students. Unfortunately we always have one big event every spring to gather all of our support together so they can check in and talk to the staff, talk to the board, and that was canceled. That was a hard thing to lose because it was such an important opportunity for everybody to be in the same place together.”

To maintain the connections with donors and others, Johnson created “Notes of Joy” emails with original artwork “to brighten their inboxes, to keep our family of supporters together throughout this.”

A recent “Note of Joy” advised, “The greater your storm, the brighter your rainbow” (Anonymous), while noting that “Children from across the world are spreading cheer in the simplest way amid the COVID-19 global pandemic: creating rainbows to hang in their windows. Photos have surfaced recently in multiple countries of kids painting rainbows and posting them in their windows to cheer up people passing by. In one of our care packages recently,” Johnson continued, “we included information about the Rainbow Connection project and encouraged our girls to participate. And did they ever! This week’s Note is a collection of some of the rainbow creations they came up with.”

An unexpected consequence of the current stay at home orders has meant that the girls can easily share the joy of Girls First with young cousins and other family members, Johnson allowed.

“We’re trying to keep everybody engaged and creative at this point, so it was really interesting to see that happen. We’ve really been keeping the age open for the online program.”

Article written by: Gary Puleo
gpuleo@21st-centurymedia.com

Click here to read the article in the Times Herald.

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At Lamb McErlane PC Steve is a criminal defense attorney and partner at Lamb McErlane PC in West Chester, PA. He focuses his practice on criminal and civil matters.