WLP alumnae Mackenzie Dart (IAC 2013-14), Alex Murray (GEB 2013-14), Rebecca Galanti (IP 2013-14), and Alaina Noronha (SHM 2012-13) began a Women and Youth Supporting Each Other branch at GW this year. WYSE aims to match female college students with middle school girls to discuss a variety of difficult topics. Read the article in The GW Hatchet.
Mackenzie Dart, a sophomore and one of five student co-directors, first heard about WYSE last spring when the organization’s national board approached the Women’s Leadership Program at GW. She said the group will aim to “break down the Foggy Bottom bubble that GW students often limit themselves to.”
They start each session with a group discussion about a pre-determined topic. They try to tackle challenging subjects, from healthy sex lives to abuse, and relate to middle schoolers who may come from difficult home situations.
“We have activities that help to break down [tough subjects] so that they aren't as daunting [to] bring them down to a more comfortable level,” Dart said. “We recognize that most seventh and eighth grade girls are too nervous to talk, so we have so we try to get creative with getting them to interact.”