On Tuesday, the Junior Women’s Club of Chevy Chase hosted an Election Night activity for the girls in our programs as part of their GEMS project. The women cooked a healthy potluck dinner with the girls and had dialogues about the elections and issues that are important to them.

The girls from our programs were put into teams with JWCCC volunteers and listed issues and topics that are important to them such as healthcare, educational support, women’s supportive services, and the value of unique recreational experiences on the weekends. The issues were discussed in small groups and together they brainstormed solutions.

The activity was deliberately called “dialogues” rather than “debates” to encourage the participants to listen to each other, recognize their own and each other’s underlying values and beliefs, and see what they have in common.