Free2b Girls originated in the regional town of St Helens on the East Coast of Tasmania in 2017...
It began by two women recognising a need in their community for a place where girls can come to that's independent of school, home or sporting clubs where they can "just relax and be themselves in for a while..' (St Helens Free2b participant.).
In collaboration with the St Helens Neighbourhood House, the women sorted out a weekly venue, found a budget for some food, and gathered a few craft materials.
They decided to call the group "Free2 Be" and advertised it in the school newsletter as a:
"space for girls aged between 10 and 15 where they can feel free to hang out and express their naturally creative selves through music, dance, art craft and cooking, The space will run in a way that encourages freedom within the boundaries of safety and respect"
The first week the doors were opened, 2 or 3 girls came along. Within a month there were around 8 and since that first week, there have been up to 15 girls regularly attending each week.
Throughout this time, the broader community of St Helens has become involved with supporting the group both financially and in kind - offering work experience, skills sharing, fundraising ideas, workshops...and simply valuing the opportunity to engage with the vibrant and dynamic qualities girls in this age group share.
In 2019, in response to the regular FAQ's "Why do the girls keep coming along?" and "How can we have something like this in our community?" the Free2b Girls Program was developed and is now a model for social and cultural change that is gradually expanding throughout Tasmania and Australia.
It began by two women recognising a need in their community for a place where girls can come to that's independent of school, home or sporting clubs where they can "just relax and be themselves in for a while..' (St Helens Free2b participant.).
In collaboration with the St Helens Neighbourhood House, the women sorted out a weekly venue, found a budget for some food, and gathered a few craft materials.
They decided to call the group "Free2 Be" and advertised it in the school newsletter as a:
"space for girls aged between 10 and 15 where they can feel free to hang out and express their naturally creative selves through music, dance, art craft and cooking, The space will run in a way that encourages freedom within the boundaries of safety and respect"
The first week the doors were opened, 2 or 3 girls came along. Within a month there were around 8 and since that first week, there have been up to 15 girls regularly attending each week.
Throughout this time, the broader community of St Helens has become involved with supporting the group both financially and in kind - offering work experience, skills sharing, fundraising ideas, workshops...and simply valuing the opportunity to engage with the vibrant and dynamic qualities girls in this age group share.
In 2019, in response to the regular FAQ's "Why do the girls keep coming along?" and "How can we have something like this in our community?" the Free2b Girls Program was developed and is now a model for social and cultural change that is gradually expanding throughout Tasmania and Australia.
The Free2b Girls Program
The Free2b Girls Program is an early intervention approach to the personal development and social inclusion of girls aged 10-16 living in regional communities.
The 3 phase program helps build self-belief and identity in girls through focusing on their creative capabilities, positive attributes and contributions to their local community. It is designed to be adaptable and flexible according to the unique needs of individual communities and develops according to the creative input of the women involved and the girls who participate.
Phase 1 of the program involves providing up to 20 girls a space where they can develop their own agendas and activities within established boundaries of safety, tolerance and respect. Groups run weekly for approx. 2 hrs and are facilitated by local volunteers trained in The Free2b Approach to youth and community engagement.
This approach enables the girls’ interests, passions and individual personalities to thrive and guide the group dynamic so that it becomes a space they feel they belong to and want to return to each week.
Phase 2 and 3 of the program focus on creating connections within the community and seeking localised support so that the program becomes community run and sustainable in the long term.
The 3 phase program helps build self-belief and identity in girls through focusing on their creative capabilities, positive attributes and contributions to their local community. It is designed to be adaptable and flexible according to the unique needs of individual communities and develops according to the creative input of the women involved and the girls who participate.
Phase 1 of the program involves providing up to 20 girls a space where they can develop their own agendas and activities within established boundaries of safety, tolerance and respect. Groups run weekly for approx. 2 hrs and are facilitated by local volunteers trained in The Free2b Approach to youth and community engagement.
This approach enables the girls’ interests, passions and individual personalities to thrive and guide the group dynamic so that it becomes a space they feel they belong to and want to return to each week.
Phase 2 and 3 of the program focus on creating connections within the community and seeking localised support so that the program becomes community run and sustainable in the long term.
The Free2b Model
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The Free2b Girls Program offers a model for social change that invites local communities to actively demonstrate support for their young women by creating conditions for them to thrive in.
It enables opportunities for members of a community to volunteer, share skills, attend events, financially support and show consideration for the challenges girls may experience during their transitional phases of life. The Free2b Program helps break down intergenerational and attitudinal barriers through providing a platform where the interests and motivations of girls are valued as important catalysts for change. It provides a way for girls and their community to begin creating together. |
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The Free2b Women
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Free2b Girls provides an umbrella under which passionate, inspired women can set up a girls group.in their community.
We provide the training, the policies, the record keeping systems, safety protocols, reviews - all the 'red tape stuff' so that the women involved with running the groups can just focus on being involved! We also assist with funding strategies, advocacy, program development and provide ongoing support as required.. Our focus is on ensuring safety within the groups so that freedom can flourish...both for the women and the girls who come along. |
The Free2b Approach
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The Free2b Approach is an approach to youth engagement that teaches how to set aside personal agendas, open up minds and learn the art of flexible and adaptable communication.
It is an approach that ensures Free2b Girls groups are run in a way that encourages freedom, choice and creativity within boundaries of safety, tolerance and respect. Developed by Tani Langoulant, Founder of Free2b Girls, The Free2b Approach is inspired by her lived experience of running a group for teenage girls in St Helens, Tasmania since 2017 . It is also informed by Tani's background as a counselor and social ecologist blended with research in the areas of youth engagement, neuroscience, psychology, educational philosophy, youth policy, mental health strategies, evolutionary biology and sustainable development. All women running Free2b Groups are trained in this approach so that the 'Free' in Free2b Girls can be sustained...... |
Contact Tani to find out more about The Free2b Approach
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