SPEAKING

Need a Speaker For Your Next Meeting, Event, or Conference?

Jane Balvanz and Blair Wagner, authors of the award-winning When Girls Hurt Girls® products, lead our audiences with a dynamic, riveting mix of very practical how-to information delivered with a high dose of inspiration, hope, and motivation. Their infectious energy and down-to-earth approach will help your organization and its members guide girls through painful friendships… simply, powerfully, and authentically.

 

Speaking Topics

For Parents   |   For Educators   |   For Communities |  For Girls
For Corporate Managers/Employers

For Parents:

When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar : 5 Effective Ways to Guide Your Daughter Through Hurtful Friendships Discover simple tips, powerful tools, and practical advice on coaching your daughter (grades K–8) through hurtful friendships, or female bullying. Specifically, you will learn: What relational aggression is and why girls use it The 5 common Friendship Weapons™ girls use against each other 13 effective strategies your daughter can learn 3 things that must be present for your daughter to solve a friendship problem To role play female bullying scenarios with your daughter How to listen so your daughter will really talk To teach your daughter to be independent and solve her own friendship problems You will walk away with specific strategies that can be implemented immediately with your daughter. Options:  We are available to facilitate a live When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar (contact us for more information… CustomerSupport@AWayThrough.com).  Or, you can purchase a When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar on DVD. Click here to learn more. Back to top

The When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar was a huge hit with our parent community!  I had so many parents thank me for bringing this seminar here. It blew me away how many people needed solutions to help their daughters with friendship problems.  They’ve said how helpful your 12 strategies are — especially knowing which strategies work best in different situations.  One mom said to me, “This is going to be very helpful for me at home.”  Another mom told me, “Now I know what to do and what not to do.”  It has been very empowering for our parents. What I personally liked best about the Parent Seminar was that it showed parents how they can empower their daughters.  It’s so important to enable girls to know they really do have control.  Lots of times, girls don’t realize this.  We need to move beyond telling our girls to be nice.  The When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar shows parents how to do this – how to help girls act with dignity while diffusing the situation. You’re doing work that’s much needed.  It’s sad, but true.  I was amazed at the number of people who were hungry for the information you shared.  I commend you for what you’re doing. Janelle Green Assistant Principal Hillside Elementary West Des Moines, Iowa

 

Attendee feedback: Nishna Valley Community School District gave the When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar a rating of 96% for its content and presentation.

 

The When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar provided hope and action tools for our parent community. The resources and reassurance you shared let adults in our community know that jumping in the middle of the bullying issue isn’t the answer. Talking with, supporting, and empowering girls is the way to go to ensure life-long skills. We love how you used several modalities — role playing, Q&A, concrete examples, hands-on resources, and more — to show adults how to empower girls. The most important thing we learned is that it’s about positive empowerment — giving girls the tools and strategies and allowing them to choose appropriate circumstances in which to use them. Community leaders and parents were very positive and asked for another workshop for bystanders. They want to invite parents and teachers to spread this information throughout the school district. Susie Weinacht President Cedar Rapids City PTA Council Cedar Rapids, Iowa

 

Attendee feedback: Following the Cedar Rapids City PTA Council seminar, comments from men and women included: “Giving many different examples was excellent.” “Real toolbox of tactics.” “I can’t solve my daughter’s problems.” “A lot of great ideas.” “The handouts were very helpful.” “Very informative — I learned a lot to use myself in work situations as well as to help my daughter.”

 

We LOVED the When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar at our school!  It was so interactive, and the role playing was great.  It gave our parents the opportunity to stand up and practice saying out loud the words they learned. I think it really showed everyone that a lot of parents are in the same boat.  It was a great way for parents to recognize they’re not alone.  Relational aggression is common among girls, and many people do not realize that. Our parents really appreciated the opportunity to get help with their personal situations they’ve had to deal with alone. It was so helpful to be able to categorize what their daughter is dealing with and better decide on options that really work.  There were lots of “oh, yeah’s” all the way through the seminar. The handouts were very helpful – They gave a takeaway that parents could use to follow along and take notes – and to use later at home with their daughters. The When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar is EXCELLENT!  I highly recommend it! Darcy Dalton, PTO President Enarson Elementary Villisca, IA

For Educators:

FOR SCHOOL STAFF:  When Girls Hurt Girls®:  Educators Guiding K – 8 Girls Through the Maze of Painful Friendships (and what to do when nothing works) This workshop for school staff covers simple tips, powerful tools, and practical advice on guiding girls (grades K–8) through hurtful friendships, or female bullying in a school setting. Specifically, you will learn: What relational aggression is and why girls use it What brain research tells us about the female brain The 3 ingredients that must be present to solve friendship problems The 5 common Friendship Weapons™ girls use against each other 13 most effective strategies your girls can learn 7 bystander types and how to become a Positive Active Bystander™ The most effective school educator mindset How to support “Frequent Flyers” How to teach your girls to be independent and to solve their own friendship problems FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS:  When Girls Hurt Girls®:  Insider Secrets for School Counselors on Guiding K – 8 Girls Through the Maze of Painful Friendships (and what to do when nothing works) In this workshop, school counselors will have access to the recipe-like strategies for coaching girls in grades K – 8 through relational aggression.  You will learn a progressive approach to working with girls (from girls who are hungry for help to “frequent fliers” who seem to thrive on the drama).  You’ll learn the most effective school counselor mindset. We will share what brain research tells us about why girls use relational aggression and how to help them find alternatives to hurting each other. We’ll cover 16 Friendship Weapons™ girls use against each other and the 13 most effective strategies girls can learn.  You’ll learn 7 negative Bystander types and how to help them.  And, you’ll learn the 3 conditions that must be present in order for girls to become independent friendship problem solvers. Click here to contact us for more information: CustomerSupport@AWayThrough.com FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS:  When Girls Hurt Girls®:  5 Strategies to Reduce Relational Aggression in Your School(s) Relational Aggression , or female bullying, is a problem in schools.  It hinders learning, frustrates the staff, and adds to increasing demands being put on educators.  We’ll personally guide you in creating a school climate where your staff is educated and equipped to handle Relational Aggression and where your girls know how to solve friendship problems effectively. In this workshop, school administrators will gain simple tips, powerful tools, and solution-focused strategies on reducing Relational Aggression in your elementary and middle school(s).  Specifically, you’ll learn: Why problems between girls emerge so frequently:  what brain research tells us The 5 most common Friendship Weapons™ girls use against each other The 13 most effective strategies girls can learn 5 common school mindsets that exacerbate the problem 5 methods you need to implement in order to reduce female bullying in  your school(s) Why you must prepare for this in kindergarten Click here to contact us for more information: CustomerSupport@AWayThrough.com Back to top

Ed Elsea President, Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals Attendee Feedback: The When Girls Hurt Girls® presentation content was rated 4.9 out of 5 by the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals in March 2011.

 

The When Girls Hurt Girls® training for Menomonie School District staff was great! We learned some key principles, such as the fact that focusing on the consequences alone doesn’t fix the underlying problem. I appreciated the philosophy that our thinking creates reality. Now, we can help girls understand that no one can make anyone feel any certain way without their permission. The most valuable takeaways were the When Girls Hurt Girls® strategies for dealing with emotional bullying. They have a wide range of strategies that work district-wide, for kindergarten through high school. The training was a great reminder that unless the girls are willing to take responsibility, we can’t fix their problems for them. Thank you for your guidance! Lori Smith Principal Oaklawn Elementary School Menomonie, Wisconsin

 

The When Girls Hurt Girls® presentation at the MAESP conference is the best bullying program I’ve attended. It focuses on helping the target, not stopping the bully. Darci McFail Principal Otterville Elementary School Otterville, Missouri

Attendee Feedback: At INPEA Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, the When Girls Hurt Girls® content was rated 4.9 out of 5!

Following your When Girls Hurt Girls® presentation at the Indiana Non-Public Education Association conference, we heard a lot of positive comments. Your topic, relational aggression, was very popular, and those who attended said it was really, really good. We appreciate you sharing your knowledge with our members and hope you can join us again at a future conference or event. John Elcesser Executive Director Indiana Non-Public Education Association http://www.inpea.org/ Indianapolis, Indiana

 

Attendee feedback: Educators at the Menomonie School District staff training gave the A Way Through content a score of 4.8 out of 5.0!

 

 

The district-wide “When Girls Hurt Girls® ” staff training gave us excellent guidance on successfully handling relational aggression situations between girls. We learned how to help girls handle situations where they’re being harassed by other girls. Plus, you’ve given us the opportunity to teach girls that they “own” their feelings. That’s huge!   I really liked the role playing where you showed us how to effectively address angry parents in a caring, yet strong manner.  We saw great examples of how to treat difficult parents respectfully. It’s exactly what we want our staff to do.   Your training was low key and very practical. It was exactly what we needed! Carol Montz Superintendent, Williamsburg Community Schools Williamsburg, Iowa

 

"Blair and Jane, I very much enjoyed your When Girls Hurt Girls® class, especially the practical ideas to use with girls. I have attended many seminars, workshops, clinics, and websites about this topic.  I came away from your class with more ideas to use with girls than any other time! Thank you so much for the "down to earth" ideas and for tying in literacy, which is a focus in our district.  I appreciate your mission to help empower girls with personal power and to decrease emotional aggression." Sue Bradshaw, NCC School Counselor Messalonskee Middle School Oakland, ME

 

Attendee Feedback: At the When Girls Hurt Girls® Parent Seminar in Corydon, Iowa, the presenters were rated 4.8 out of 5!

 

I really enjoyed having you ladies come to Corydon! I learned a lot and received many positive comments from staff members and parents.  People were very appreciative of the service you provided to our district.  Some would like it to happen every year! One junior high teacher teaches a class called "Adolescent Skills" and asked right away to see the When Girls Hurt Girls® curriculum.  It fits right in with units she is already doing, so she was really excited to have the materials! I continue to use the skills I learned almost daily with students and adults!  These are daily living skills that all people need! Kim Arnold School Counselor Wayne Elementary and Jr./Sr. High School Wayne Community Schools Corydon, Iowa

 

For Communities:

When Girls Hurt Girl®:  How to Reduce Female Bullying in Your Community Discover simple tips, powerful tools, and practical advice on coaching girls (grades K–8) through hurtful friendships, or female bullying. Specifically, you will learn: What relational aggression is and why girls use it The 5 common Friendship Weapons™ girls use against each other 13 effective strategies girls can learn 3 things that must be present for girls to solve a friendship problem Early warning signs Strategies to reduce bullying in your community Why you must prepare in kindergarten Click here to contact us for more information: CustomerSupport@AWayThrough.com Back to top

 

Attendee Feedback: At the Beyond Rubies Women's Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 13 of 17 participants gave this program the highest rating of "EXCELLENT".

 

For Girls:

When Girls Hurt Girls® Girl Workshop (Grades K-8) This workshop equips and inspires girls in specified grades to develop confidence and skill in independently solving hurtful friendship problems. The workshop is educational, interactive, and a lot of fun for the girls. The workshop includes a combination of large group and small group activities.   The girls leave the workshop knowing what to say and what to do in any relational aggression (emotional bullying) situation and feeling confident in their ability to respond effectively. They know how to independently solve their own friendship problems and when to get an adult’s help. Click here to contact us for more information: CustomerSupport@AWayThrough.com Back to top

 

Attendee feedback: 100% of the girls in Menomonie, WI, and 95% of the girls in Hastings, IA, recommend that the middle school friendship mentor training be offered again.

 

Sitting in the principal’s chair, it’s easy to become reactionary. You do what you believe is right with giving consequences, but often, I’ve not enabled the students to act on their own and learn from experience. The When Girls Hurt Girls® workshop for 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade girls empowered the girls to work through exclusion, gossip, name calling, secret sharing and teasing on their own. In addition, when you facilitated our 6th grade Friendship Mentoring Training, they learned how to deal with relational aggression independently, plus they received great tips to become friendship mentors to younger girls. These workshops position our students to focus on academics rather than social issues. Thank you! Chad Blanchard Principal Nishna Valley Community School District Hastings, Iowa

 

For Corporate Managers/Employers:

Relational Aggression in the Workplace Relational Aggression Definition:  Manipulation of another to gain security or to manage power Synonyms:  Emotional bullying, covert bullying, social bullying, workplace aggression, workplace bullying In the workplace, relational aggression typically shows up in the following Workplace Weapons™: Backstabbing Bad memory Blackmail Cyber Bullying Exclusion Gestures Gossip Idea Stealing Information Controlling Intimidation Lying Manipulation Name Calling Possessiveness Rumors Sabotage Sarcasm Secret Sharing Silent Treatment Teasing Threats For information on workshops and coaching on Relational Aggression in the Workplace, contact customersupport@awaythrough.com or call (319) 621-6381. Back to top

 

 

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