A ground-breaking school event is taking place in Clarksburg this weekend.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will host its first-ever ‘Girls’ Summit’ on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Clarksburg High School.
About 800 people already are registered for the summit. The school system has invited girls from elementary to high school to participate along with their caregivers. The summit will feature a range of events and activities. Participants can speak to health experts, connect with community resources, and enjoy lots of fun activities including a fashion show.
The idea for the summit arose last winter when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an alarming report that showed teen girls were dealing with a record level of sadness, suicide risk and violence at levels not previously seen.
MCPS medical officer, Dr. Patricia Kapunan, said she saw a similar trend happening in the local community. Kapunan’s executive assistant, Stephanie Iszard, came up with the idea for the summit. Iszard conceived and produced every program that people will see during Saturday’s event. Kapunan said she hopes the summit will be just the first step in addressing some of the challenges girls face today:
Some of the topics and sessions students can attend include:
- Healthy relationships/dating violence
- Social media use and mental health, including cyberbullying
- Self-esteem
- Identifying symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Healthy eating and body image
- Music therapy, Zumba, and Kaiser Permanente spin bikes for art therapy
All sessions will be provided in English and Spanish and organized by grade level.
