The class with Terrance Taylor, their coach from STAR Theater Company.

By Girls For Girls is a two week class taught during the Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP) for high school students. The course curriculum focuses on the crucial question: What do girls need to know to be healthy and empowered to understand women’s health issues: biological, social, and cultural?

Topics covered include anatomy and birth control, media literacy, body image, HIV, and representation of women. Students are also given the opportunity to widen their perspectives and examine women’s health around the globe. The class is discussion-based, and also draws on films, readings, and lectures from a variety of sources. Every step of the way, students are encouraged to speak up and ask questions about the issues that matter to them, taking ownership of their own learning.

The class culminates with the presentation of an original educational theater piece. The students take a trip to New York City to work on developing scenes with the renowned STAR Theatre company and the students create scenes based on the topics they found most interesting. At the end of the program, the students present their piece to share their knowledge with the other program participants in an exciting and engaging way.

Dr. Leslie Jaffe, the Director of Health Services at Smith College, has been teaching By Girls For Girls since 1997. This year, he was assisted by rising Smith College junior Sophia Deady.