Look for Patterns in Experience
It is an important role of the facilitator to listen to and acknowledge what individual participants share and also to listen for what the girls have in common. In our experience, noticing what themes are repeated in participants’ experiences and exploring these topics is at the heart of girl-centred programming. To do this, you need to stay alert to, and curious about, the emerging trends of what girls are interested in and be motivated to act on these. Listening for what the girls have in common also means reading between the lines and listening for the implicit questions that are not explicitly asked.
When you are able to identify patterns in experience, you will be able to respond to themes that have emerged in the workshops you plan. For instance, if it seems like a lot of the girls are talking about their favourite celebrities, you may want to discuss what makes these individuals interesting and attractive and look at what it takes to become a celebrity. Perhaps you could organize some activities that analyse the popular media!
As a facilitator, looking for patterns in experience is about asking good questions that help you and others explore how issues relate. This is about making connections from the experiences of one girl to another. It also means figuring out how these experiences are impacted by messages and expectations from family and friends, by even larger social issues, as well as the influences of school, pop culture, and the media.
The following is a practice you can use to help you connect these dots.
