UCCS Smart-Girl Academic Course Options
Smart-Girl Leadership Training Course (2 credits)
Smart-Girl Group Facilitation Course (3 credits)
Dr. Abby Ferber
Professor of Sociology, and Women’s and Ethnic Studies
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
719-255-4139; aferber@uccs.edu
The Smart-Girl Leadership Institute consists of two courses designed to provide additional knowledge and
in-depth exploration for individuals attending the Leadership Training, and/or working with a Smart-Girl
(SG) Program. The Leadership Training has been widely recognized as an excellent program for anyone
working with, or planning to work with, youth. Many individuals from a variety of youth serving
organizations have completed The Leadership Training. These courses are designed to allow you to fully
participate in the training and/or program, and reflect upon the new knowledge you learn there. The classes
are designed to extend and maximize your learning experience, and provide you with an opportunity to
connect the SG experience with research and best practices in the field, to apply your knowledge, and to
further your own process of transformation. Students may enroll in either one or both of the courses.
This is an independent course experience built around the SG program. Participants must register for and be
accepted to participate in the SG Leadership Institute (SGLI) before registering for the Smart-Girl
Leadership Training course. The Group Facilitation course is designed for participants who, after
completing the training, go on to work with a Smart-Girl or Smart-Guy group. Participants must be
approved by SG and assigned to a group in order to receive academic credit. Course requirements must be
completed by students and submitted to Dr. Ferber in order to receive credit for either course.
Questions about the Smart-Girl program, registering for SGLI and scholarship opportunities, should be
addressed to Katie Boysen: kboysen@smart-girl.org.
Questions about registering for academic credit should be addressed to UCCS LAS Extended Studies:
lases@uccs.edu
Questions about the academic course should be addressed to: aferber@uccs.edu
Required Resource for both classes:
Smart-Girl Curriculum and other required Smart-Girl resources
Dr. Abby Ferber
Women’s and Ethnic Studies and Sociology • 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy • Colorado Springs, CO 80918
t 719-255-4139 • aferber@uccs.edu
Requirements for Leadership Training Course: (2 credits)
The training will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work with a Smart-Girl
program, and more generally provides essential skills for all of those who work with or plan to work with
youth. The SG training and academic course is open to all interested students. Students will attend all
sessions, be actively involved in all activities and discussions presented in the training, become familiar
with the curriculum, and meet all other requirements set forth by Smart-Girl for the training.
WEST 4900 Undergraduate Students: read 2 books (at least one from the list of recommended readings) and
complete 2 page journal entries for each book; submit a three page reflection paper.
SOC 5010 Graduate Students: read 4 books (at least three from the list of recommended readings) and
complete 4 page journal entries for each book; submit a five page reflection paper.
Grading:
1. Active participation in the full training: 50% (Students’ active participation in the training will be
evaluated by the SG Trainers.)
2. Journal: 30%
3. Reflection paper: 20%
Requirements for Group Facilitation Course: (3 credits)
Not all students who complete the required training will be approved for the Group Facilitation internship
experience to serve as a SG Guide. In order to enroll in this course for credit, students must be approved and
assigned to a SG program. The internship will be completed through actual group facilitation of the SmartGirl/Smart-Guy curriculum. Students will attend all sessions and debriefs, be an active and responsible guide
or coach, and meet all other requirements set forth by Smart-Girl for Guides and Coaches.
WEST 4900 Undergraduate Students: read 2 books (at least one from the list of recommended readings) and
complete 3 page journal entries for each book; submit a five page reflection paper.
WEST 5010 Graduate Students: read 4 books (at least two from the list of recommended readings) and
complete 5 page journal entries for each book; submit a six page reflection paper.
Grading:
1. Active participation in the full training: 50% (Active participation in the training will be evaluated
by SG)
2. Journal: 30%
3. Reflection paper: 20%
ALL assignments are due within 30 days of completing the training or internship. If this due date
proves problematic for you, please contact instructor. Submit all class assignments to:
aferber@uccs.edu
Requirements and Readings:
Journal: Participants must submit one journal entry for each book read.
Dr. Abby Ferber
Women’s and Ethnic Studies and Sociology • 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy • Colorado Springs, CO 80918
t 719-255-4139 • aferber@uccs.edu
Journals are comprised of two components: summaries and reflections. I ask that you provide a summary of
each reading, which you may bullet point. However, if you prefer not to bullet point the summaries, limit
them to one paragraph each.
Reflections: The focus of this class is relevant to all of our lives; your journal is your opportunity to relate
what you are reading about and make it meaningful for you. You should use your entries to analyze issues
raised in the selected readings. Focus on some issues in the readings which interest you, either because the
ring true, trouble, disturb or shock you, amaze or surprise you, or impress upon you in some way. Try to be
narrow and specific, providing examples. You may include brief quotes, but this is not necessary. Questions
to think about while writing your journals: How do the readings make me feel? Do I sometimes feel
uncomfortable? Do the readings reflect my own experiences or the experiences of my friends or family in
any way? Do they make me think about my experiences in a new light? Does the author raise issues I have
never thought about before, or make me think about it in a new way? If I have not thought about these
things before, why is that?
Reflection Papers: Attendees must submit a reflection paper at the end of the class. This paper should
examine your own personal development and lessons learned in this course experience, as well as
reflections upon the development/experience for the girls you worked with. You may discuss specific
activities, challenges, incidents, dynamics among guides, among girls, etc. Has your own understanding of
the issues facing youth changed? Has your understanding of your own life experiences changed in any
ways? What has been most personally meaningful and transformative in the class for you? What did you
learn about yourself in your training or internship experience?
Ethical Conduct: The responsibility for ethical conduct, academic honesty and integrity rests with each
individual member of the UCCS community. The Student Codes and Academic Policies (which may be
found at: http://www.uccs.edu/~dos/studentconduct/index.html) are followed in this class. In general,
academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on assignments or examinations, plagiarism
(which means misrepresenting as your own any work done by another), misuse of academic materials, or
interfering with another student’s work. Violations of the honor code may result in dismissal from the
program.
Recommended Readings:
Still Failing at Fairness: How Gender Bias Cheats Girls and Boys in School and What We Can Do About It.
David Sadker & Karen Zittleman. 2009. Scribner.
The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America's Schools. Jessie Klein. 2012.
NYU press.
Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life. Annette Lareau. 2011. University of CA Press.
Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. William Pollack. 1999. Owl Books.
Queen Bees & Wannabees: Helping your daughter survive cliques, gossip, boyfriends and other realities.
Wiseman, R. 2002. Crown.
Dr. Abby Ferber
Women’s and Ethnic Studies and Sociology • 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy • Colorado Springs, CO 80918
t 719-255-4139 • aferber@uccs.edu
The Curse of the Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls With Courage and Confidence. Rachel Simmons.
2009. Penguin Books.
Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls. Rachel Simmons. 2002. New York: Harcourt.
Learning the Hard Way: Masculinity, Place, and the Gender Gap in Education. Edward W. Morris. 2012.
Rutgers University Press.
Optional readings:
Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters.
Jessica Valenti. 2007. Seal Press.
Dude, You're a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School C. J. Pascoe. 2011. University of CA Press.
Masculinities in Theory: An Introduction. Todd W. Reeser. 2010. Wiley Blackwell.
Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. Michael Kimmel. 2009. Harper Perennial.
Ophelia Speaks: Adolescent Girls Write About Their Search for Self. Sara Shandler. 1999. Harper
Perennial.
Real Boys' Voices. William S. Pollack. 2001. Penguin Books.
My Sisters' Voices: Teenage Girls of Color Speak Out Iris Jacob (Editor). 2002. Owl books
You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys. Betsy Franco (Editor). 2001. Candlewick.
Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina. Rosie Molinary. 2007. Seal Press.
Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel
Jean Kilbourne. 2000. Free press.
*The following suggestions are published by Youth Communication. Youth Communication “Youth
Communication has won dozens of awards for its publications and work with teens including: President's
Committee on the Arts, and the Humanities, Parents Choice, Parents Guide, Association of Educational
Publishers, Casey Journalism Center, Child Welfare League of America, Independent Press Association,
National Mental Health Association, MacArthur Foundation (MacArthur Fellowship awarded to Executive
Director and founder Keith Hefner)” (amazon.com). For more information visit www.youthcomm.org
Vicious: True Stories by Teens About Bullying. 2012.
Pressure: True Stories by Teens About Stress. 2012.
Dr. Abby Ferber
Women’s and Ethnic Studies and Sociology • 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy • Colorado Springs, CO 80918
t 719-255-4139 • aferber@uccs.edu
Rage: True Stories by Teens About Anger
Different But Equal: Teens Write About Disabilities. 2005
Things Get Hectic: Teens Write About the Violence That Surrounds Them
Second edition, 2006.
Starting With "I": Personal Essays by Teenagers. 1997
Growing Up Asian: Teens Write About Asian-American Identity. 2005
Growing Up Black: Teens Write About African American Identity. 2005
Living a Lie: Teens Write About Surviving Sexual Abuse. 2006
Please contact Dr. Abby Ferber with any questions about these two courses: aferber@uccs.edu
Dr. Abby Ferber
Women’s and Ethnic Studies and Sociology • 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy • Colorado Springs, CO 80918
t 719-255-4139 • aferber@uccs.edu