What is the YWSC?
The Young Women's Studies Club is a multi-layered, collaborative effort that bridges the academy and the community. It is a joint effort between the Women's Studies Department at San Diego State University (SDSU) and Hoover High School. It includes a SDSU Women's Studies professor who acts as a liaison and advisor, a graduate student coordinator, additional graduate students, and undergraduate student mentors. The educational project also comprises the Hoover High School administration, teachers and advisors and, most importantly, the Club members themselves.
During the weekly lunchtime Club meeting, held at Hoover High School, students are mentored by college undergraduate students currently enrolled in an upper-level General Education Women's Studies course at SDSU. The student mentors have been trained in cultural competency and appropriate mentoring methods. Under the leadership of the graduate student coordinator and through the mentoring of the undergraduate students, Club members pursue educational and community-based activities aimed at raising consciousness about issues, struggles, and accomplishments experienced by diverse American women, both currently and in the past. Club members are also guided in obtaining hands-on life skills (detailed elsewhere).
During the weekly lunchtime Club meeting, held at Hoover High School, students are mentored by college undergraduate students currently enrolled in an upper-level General Education Women's Studies course at SDSU. The student mentors have been trained in cultural competency and appropriate mentoring methods. Under the leadership of the graduate student coordinator and through the mentoring of the undergraduate students, Club members pursue educational and community-based activities aimed at raising consciousness about issues, struggles, and accomplishments experienced by diverse American women, both currently and in the past. Club members are also guided in obtaining hands-on life skills (detailed elsewhere).
Mission Statement
The YWSC softball game in Balboa Park
The Young Women’s Studies Club at Hoover High School seeks to empower young women and men eager to create a more just and feminist world. Through educational programs members participate in cultural events, discussions, creative activities, and self exploration. At the center are issues of gender equity; honoring racial, ethnic, and geographical diversity amongst all social classes; acceptance of diverse sexualities; and promoting girls’ and women’s self esteem, healthy choices, and future goals.
There are four goals that mentors of the YWSC seek to realize each year with the high school students. The first objective is to help the students learn about themselves by discussing life issues and the necessity of making the right choices as teens. The second goal is to instill high aspirations by improving the Hoover students’ self esteem. This is achieved through participation in a series of events aimed at promoting social justice and gender equity and encouragement of self worth. By offering life skills tutorials such as budgeting and college/job
applications, the members can plan and actualize a positive life course. The third goal is to provide positive role models and is accomplished through the persons of the SDSU faculty advisor, the graduate student coordinator, graduate students, and undergraduate Women’s Studies Community Based-Service Learning (CSBL) students. Also, guest speakers from the university and community, Hoover faculty and advisors, and historical figures provide additional role models. Finally, mentors work to discredit negative stereotypes about feminism, Women’s Studies, strong women, intelligent women, caring for oneself, and women who pursue personal/social justice issues while honoring familial obligations.
There are four goals that mentors of the YWSC seek to realize each year with the high school students. The first objective is to help the students learn about themselves by discussing life issues and the necessity of making the right choices as teens. The second goal is to instill high aspirations by improving the Hoover students’ self esteem. This is achieved through participation in a series of events aimed at promoting social justice and gender equity and encouragement of self worth. By offering life skills tutorials such as budgeting and college/job
applications, the members can plan and actualize a positive life course. The third goal is to provide positive role models and is accomplished through the persons of the SDSU faculty advisor, the graduate student coordinator, graduate students, and undergraduate Women’s Studies Community Based-Service Learning (CSBL) students. Also, guest speakers from the university and community, Hoover faculty and advisors, and historical figures provide additional role models. Finally, mentors work to discredit negative stereotypes about feminism, Women’s Studies, strong women, intelligent women, caring for oneself, and women who pursue personal/social justice issues while honoring familial obligations.
