Creating Mindful Programming in a Virtual Setting

As a Social Justice Intern at GirlForward, I was able to be part of the community that is GirlForward by supporting the Education Program manager in her work to manage and sustain the After School Tutoring program. Given the virtual setting in which we had to hold Tutoring hours, I focused my work as an intern on fostering and building relationships within the Zoom classroom in order to make the space the most welcoming and accessible to students and tutors alike. In doing so, I found that what makes the relationships formed within GirlForward the most empowering is how they focus on the student as an asset with the potential for the development of the greater Chicago/Austin communities. In addition, I found that my work was the most empowering when everyone felt welcomed and actively involved in the community, and so I tried to integrate these two elements–asset-based focus and inclusion–into my weekly tasks.