Amy Baskin

Director of Communications and Community Education

For generations stereotypes have existed for boys and girls. Gender advertising teaches us that gender roles are those of femininity and masculinity. Men and women are portrayed in advertisements according to the constructed definition of femininity and masculinity.

To be a woman is to be feminine and to be a man is to be masculine. The effects of advertising on body image have been studied by many researchers and we know that media and body image are closely related. We also know that those images are often not realistic or true.

More Than Pink is a new program offered by Austin Community Education. This program teaches girls in third through sixth grade to be true to themselves. The goal of the program is to encourage girls to think of themselves as Strong, Smart and Bold.

More Than Pink will empower girls to celebrate their bodies, honor their voices and embrace their gifts through mental and physical fitness. The program runs three days a week for eight weeks (June 14 through Aug. 11) from 9 to 11 a.m. Each day contains 50 minutes of fun fitness activities and 50 minutes of life lessons. Life lesson topics will focus on self-worth, body image, friendships/healthy relationships, peer pressure, cyber safety and more.

The girls are divided into two groups, third/fourth grade and fifth/sixth grade. We will celebrate the conclusion of the program with a community wide 5K on Thursday, Aug. 18. Everyone is invited to join us in this fun run to honor these participants, their strength and individuality.

The program is $75 per person. This includes all materials and a cool T-shirt. Scholarships are available thanks to many community partners and individuals. Registration is available online at https://austin.revtrak.net in the Community Ed youth section or by calling Austin Community Education at 507-460-1706.

Girls who participate in community programs are more likely to go to college than girls who have never participated (www.girlsinc.org). More Than Pink provides positive community involvement to create healthy minds and bodies for our girls.