International Day of the Girl

 Friends,

Today is International Day of the Girl. It’s a day to celebrate our strides towards equity and re-commit our focus, so we can continue to elevate our programs and partnerships as, together, we lift up all girls, everywhere, to reach their potential.

For Nike, focusing on play isn’t anything new. We’re doubling down on the future of play for kids across the company. But in the last few years, we’ve deepened our focus on girls, establishing programs and targets geared at moving further, even faster. The simple reality is that girls experience complex cultural, social and economic barriers to play and sport. And as a result, they lack the support of caring, trained coaches who look like them, and access to the right product to play.

To meet these challenges head on, over the past two years we’ve donated 75,000 Nike sports bras and 3,000 Nike Pro Hijabs through our community and business partners to girls around the world, so they have what they need to successfully, and confidently, participate in sport. To enhance the experience for girls, we’ve also built tools for caring adults to guide conversations, and fit cards for girls so they can determine for themselves how these products should feel, and fit, to support their sport journey. And in the spirit of open-source innovation, we’re sharing our sports bra and hijab playbooks ­– with everyone. 

We’ve also developed specific tools for how caring adults can step up and learn how to coach girls. The Coaching Girls Guide – another tool free to anyone, created in partnership with We Coach (now the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport), with additional support from Youth Sport Trust in Europe, the Middle East and Africa – equips coaches with tools to connect with girls to help make sport fun. 

For IDOTG, our Kids team has re-imagined the guide and brought it front-and-center for the empowering adults in kids’ lives. On @NikeWomen Instagram, our new film puts girls at the center to answer questions as only kids can and make spirited statements about what play and sport looks like for them ­– and what they need from us to keep showing up as they play bold, brave and new. 

All around the world, in the key cities and employee backyards where we partner with nonprofit organizations to create active, inclusive communities, we’re upping the ante for girls so they’re getting the same opportunities to play – and stay playing – for a lifetime. More than 135 partners spanning six continents have our support, and investment, for the on-the-ground programming necessary to level the playing field. 

We hope you’ll celebrate with us: 

•  Join us today on social media to share how you’re empowering and advocating for girls in sport. 
• Take action by reading the five facets of creating girl-friendly play and sport environments.
• Participate in an ICOACHKIDS-hosted webinar about motivating girls to stay active on Oct. 14 at 2 p.m. CET in partnership with Youth Sport Trust International, TAFISA and Nike. 
• Learn how Naomi Osaka’s Play Academy is extending its investment to nonprofits supporting girls in LA and Tokyo to join our Haiti partner. 
• Get ready to cheer on the Angel City Football Club as they announce a significant donation of Nike sports bras to LA-area nonprofits. 

Because when it comes to getting more girls connected to the power of play and sport, the ball is in all our courts – today, on IDOTG, and the 364 days in between. My sincere thanks for teaming up with us to make sure we keep that ball, and all girls, moving. 

Forward,
Caitlin Morris

Vice President of Social & Community Impact, NIKE, Inc.
@Cmorris_nike #MadeToPlay

 

Colonial Middle School Transition Fair

MCIL talks about THE TALK

 

By Allison Donald
Christina Clift and I attended the Colonial Middle Transition Fair for parents of children and young adults with disabilities.  This was my third year attending the event as both a vendor and a presenter in a breakout session. My breakout session this year was entitled The Talk:  How to Begin the Conversation about healthy relationships with your child with a disability. 

This transition fair was an opportunity for parents to connect with resource organizations directly related to disability.   It was also a good opportunity for MCIL to communicate with parents and let them know that the Center provides services that can benefit children with disabilities.

Our primary goal for the fair was to make parents aware of the services MCIL offers. Particularly self-advocacy, peer counseling and information and referral.  As vendors we spent the majority of our time talking with parents about options for their children with disabilities. 

Christina and I outlined how we assist people in setting goals and achieving them. We also took the opportunity to network with organizations like You Can Achieve Now (UCAN). They work with adolescents through mentoring, workforce development, and bully awareness.  UCAN is starting to explore working with youth with disabilities.  MCIL would be a great partner for UCAN and I look forward to following up with their outreach team. 

The presentation was to the point we wanted the parents to know that the conversation on intimacy. The Talk is one that typical children and disabled children must have.  

Christina and I addressed the stereotypes about people with disabilities and what could happen if those myths are not talked about openly with your child.  At the conclusion of our presentation we told parents that people with disabilities need to know what healthy relationships look like in all forms. To pretend that part of being human does not include intimate relationships is not reality.