81.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesNot for Profit: Girl Power at Addelita Cancryn Junior High

Not for Profit: Girl Power at Addelita Cancryn Junior High

Teachers Therese Hodge and Rochelle Todman flank student Girl Power president, Rhea Blyden.Therese Hodge is busily assembling Christmas ornaments which she and her Addelita Cancryn Junior High School Girl Power students are creating to decorate their school tree in Emancipation Garden.

“We have to have these ready by next week,” she says while positioning a paper poinsettia leaf to a silver disk that she then strings on a pole delicately balanced on an exercise machine in her physical education classroom. “We have to have about 160 of these,” she says.

Hodge is never still. She is one of the island’s most recognized outdoor personalities, a role she doesn’t relish.

“I do what I do.,” she says, dismissively.

Nonetheless, the St. Thomas Roadrunners Association leader is front and center at every race. In fact, her Cancryn Girl Power contingent more often than not walks off with honors at each year’s Womens’ Jogger Jam.

“The girls have fun when we decorate the tree at the Garden,” she says with a laugh. “Tourists come and ask questions, they take pictures. You’d think they’d never seen seventh graders before."

Hodge, the school’s physical education department chair for 30 years, and fellow physical education teacher Rochelle Todman, took over the Cancryn Girl Power program 10 or so years ago when the previous advisor retired.

Hodge loves her students, she loves teaching.

“It’s not a job. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she says. "I believe that when you live in a community, you should do something to make your community better.”

The thing she thrives on is working with the girls, teaching them values, to give back to the school and the community, she says. She tries to open their eyes to career options available in the Virgin Islands other than government jobs, by letting them experience things that tourists do.

"My biggest challenge," she said, "has been learning to beg creatively. I’ve had to come out of my comfort zone and ask for help."

The program, comprising 20 girls, has little outside funding.

The national program program was created in 1996 by Donna Shalala, then U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, to support and nurture girls from nine to14 years as they begin their journey through adolescence.

“We want them to explore career opportunities, have fun at the same time, develop self-esteem, learn to care for themselves,” Hodge says.

That covers a broad network of possibilities. Hodge has the girls doing everything – road racing to Zumba dancing, community service, creating poetry, field trips, kayaking, tennis, yoga – and that’s just for openers. If is can be done and it’s good for the girls, Hodge explores it.

“You have to explore the possibilities.” she says. “At this age, you never know what’s going to turn on the light bulb.”

Rhea Bryan, Girl Power president, talks about something else she has learned.

“When I first came in, I used to scream all the time,” she says, rather surprisingly. “Now, I’ve learned to be calm. I’ve risen to be a better student.”

The girls get the opportunity to do some teaching, themselves.

“They read to the elementary students at Yvonn Browsky School and they participate at the UVI Read on the Green, where they also get to read to younger children.”

Parents are a big part of the program.

“We try to involve the parents in after-school and weekend activities,” Hodge says. But the real biggie is the annual Mothers and Daughters luncheon. “It’s our premier event,” she says. “This is the time we really shine.”

Hodge takes obvious delight in talking about it..

“We get everyone involved. Teachers, parents. Nobody says no.” she says. “Last year a baker friend made 50 cakes. She taught the girls how to decorate them, cutting them into individual squares. We got some little flower pots and put a piece of cake in each.”

The luncheon is actually the last item on the agenda.

“We spend the whole afternoon with games, for moms, grandmothers, caretakers. It’s an afternoon of bonding, that’s so important.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.