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Working On Their Self-Esteem

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By LOIS KINDLE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 30, 2007

RUSKIN - Sixty 11- to 14-year-old girls made new friends and learned to appreciate and express themselves at the Ruskin Neighborhood Senior Center a week ago.

They were participants in the Ophelia Project of Tampa Bay's second annual Summer Bash, a free event designed to foster expression and build self-esteem in young girls.

The day began with a drum circle facilitated by Jana Broder of Drum Magic, a Brandon-based business. Mimicking Broder, each girl beat rhythms on their own Djembe, an authentic African drum.

'This is equivalent to a workout,' Broder told the circle of children. 'But I won't tell you that it's good for you because then you won't have so much fun.'

Other hands-on activities included scrapbook making, self-defense instruction and a charcoal drawing class.

'It's pretty cool,' said Kamali Culpepper, 10, as she practiced a single wrist grab in the Queen of Your Own Space self-defense demonstration. 'I think it will help me a lot if someone ever tries to grab me.'

Many of the girls at the event had been there before.

As she was registering with her mother, Angelica Williams, 12, of Gibsonton, said this was her second time.

'It's something fun to do during the summer,' she said. 'I hope to see some of the friends I made at the last one. I like it because the activities include everyone.'

One activity the girls seem to especially enjoy was a visual arts project where they shot digital photos, downloaded them into laptop computers, picked their favorites and displayed them in a slide presentation. Those photos will be presented Aug. 11 at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 1627 W. Snow Circle, Tampa, as part of the organization's children's outreach program.

'This activity gives each child the opportunity to be creative and work with others in their group as a team,' said Jim DeMauro of the museum. 'When it's over, each girl will receive a disk with their pictures on it.'

Nine of the girls attending the bash were foster children under the care of Hillsborough County Children's Services.

'It helps them build their self-esteem and starts them communicating with other children,' said Renee Thomas, senior child-care specialist. 'I think (the Summer Bash and other Ophelia projects the girls attend over the course of a school year) helps them learn how to break the ice when they go to school, a new foster home or another facility.

The Summer Bash was hosted by the Ruskin Neighborhood Service Center, with the support of volunteers from the community. The Interfaith Council of Sun City Center provided funding, which came from a $5,000 grant it gave to serve girls in South Shore. Other supporters included the Ruskin Advisory Board, the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and the Ruskin Family Support & Resource Center.

The Ophelia Project is a Tampa-based, nonprofit organization that provides social and emotional support for adolescent girls, and helps them form healthy peer relationships in a safe social climate.

OPHELIA PROJECT OF TAMPA BAY For information about the organization, call (813) 924-4303 or visit www.ophelia tampa.org.

Reporter Lois Kindle can be reached at (813) 865-1553 or lkindle@tampatrib.com.

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