BAM! Glen Ellyn Dist. 41 workshops about growing up
Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 will sponsor a series of workshops Saturday at Hadley Junior High to help empower boys in middle school.
The new event, Becoming Amazing Men (BAM!), will start at 9 a.m. at 240 Hawthorne Blvd. and feature an improv workshop by ComedySportz comedians, a music workshop led by Glen Ellyn's School of Rock and a health session.
Other activities will include a technology session where boys can make products like movies or graphics, a team-building session and a presentation from sports writer Kevin Allen.
BAM! is the brother to Hadley's POW! program, which stands for Powerful Outstanding Women and tries to empower Hadley girls.
POW! is the brainchild of Hillary Shumate, the school's problem-based learning coach. A couple of years ago, Shumate taught 8th grade literacy at the middle school and noticed problems with her female students.
"I noticed just a lot of my students not eating right, eating cheetos and diet coke for lunch, and not maybe speaking up in class, having the confidence, kind of letting boys kind of run the show," she said.
Seeing a female student obey a male student who pointed to his shoe and signaled for her to tie it was a breaking point.
Right after that incident, Shumate met with other colleagues and brought up an idea that later became POW!.
"I just said, 'Wouldn't it be great if we just have a day where girls could come together and just kind of like celebrate being a girl and feeling empowered,'" Shumate recalls.
POW! is now a day dedicated to Hadley girls and the women in their lives, giving the young girls a chance to enjoy activities like yoga, art and writing love letters to themselves.
Now, Shumate and other community members are bringing the same concept to the boys at Hadley.
"(It's the) same kind of message in terms of empowerment and confidence, but also with the spin of leadership," Shumate said.
The event will also give boys and the men in their lives an opportunity to bond.
"(It's) another way to show those boys that we care about you being here."