Shine On!

is a student-driven SUNY Plattsburgh program that aims to develop self-

confidence and resiliency in elementary school girls to help them resist societal pressures
they’ll face in middle school and beyond, leading to more positive behavioral outcomes and
success in life. The three objectives of Shine On! include media and marketing literacy,
character building and communications skills.
We are so grateful for The Development Corporation’s continued support, which has
helped make our program successful over the last nine years. Shine On! consists of the
children’s overnight conference, an educational outreach component to local middle
schools, and a workshop series that teaches parents how to raise resilient girls. This year
we would like to request $2,500 to fund the parent workshop series.
Our organization’s proposal fits with The Development Corporation’s mission and
grant-making interests in all three categories, primarily its third objective. Our educational
workshops involve collaboration between college women as mentors and community
leaders as workshop presenters. Shine On! recently won the Higher Education Civic
Engagement Award from The Washington Center, recognizing the program for its work in
involving the community and positively impacting young girls in the process. We would be
thankful for your support in our continuing efforts to return the Raising Resilient Girls
series to North Country parents.

Contact: Colleen Lemza

Title: Associate Professor/Founder of Shine On!
Telephone Number: 518-570-7898
Email Address: colleen.lemza@plattsburgh.edu
Overview of the Program:
Now in its ninth year, the main component of Shine On! is a weekend workshop for
third to fifth grade girls. What has grown from a half-day workshop with 75 girls is now an
overnight conference with 200 young girls mentored by 45 SUNY Plattsburgh college
women. In collaboration with local community professionals, Shine On! provides 12
interactive workshops with curriculum including: the misleading nature of media, healthy
eating, needs vs. wants, social media safety, understanding hurtful language,
communication skills, diversity, media misrepresentation, Rock your Confidence rock
climbing wall and other team building activities. Each year, these workshops are updated
and change slightly while remaining true to our three main objectives of media and
marketing education, buildin character, and enhancing communication skills.
Our mentor program is extremely selective to ensure positive leadership and safety.
Last year, the student committee reviewed 140 applications and over 70 interviews to
select 45 college women who represent our program's values, and show true leadership
and responsible commitment. Through multiple training sessions, mentors learn ways to
effectively carry out the mission of Shine On! ensuring safety, security and support for the
younger girls.
Our ultimate goal is for all girls to feel confident enough to chase their dreams, and
not allow the media or peer pressure to make them feel inadequate. We do this by
educating young girls about negative messages from the media, providing knowledge about
character strengths that will help them become successful, and providing them with the
communication skills to become upstanders.
Our Raising Resilient Girls series is a parent version of some of the workshops the
younger girls hear. With workshops entitled, “Healthy Eating for Busy Families on the Go”,
Understanding your Daughter’s Social Media World”, “How to Raise a Gritty Girl”, “What
Marketers Don’t Want Moms to Know”, “This isn’t Kansas Anymore, Toto,” and others that
will help 21st Century parents raise more confident young women.

Funding Possibilities
Our funding request from The Development Corp for 2017 is specifically for the Parent
Workshop Series, however included below is a brief summary of all three aspects of Shine
On! We’d be grateful for funds to assist with any of these three programs.
1. When we offered the Parent Workshop Series two years ago the sessions were held
off-campus to make it easier for parents. We included light refreshments and
sessions were well attended. We ran out of seating for the social media and gritty
girl workshops, but moms were happy to sit on the tables. We also ran out of
refreshments for those last two workshops. We’d love to be able to offer this series
of six workshops again, if funding permits. Program expenses ran approximately
$2,500 when we last had grant funding for this series. Community professionals
presented the workshops and we did provide them with either a thank you gift
certificate or a small honoraria for their time. After the first couple workshops
attendance really grew due to word of mouth and many parents asked when we
were running this series again.
 2. Shine On! is holding its 9th annual conference this April. Program expenses are
approximately $13,750 each year. All staffing and professional workshop leaders
are volunteers. Shine On! is a practicum course for students in the public relations
program. Our small budget forces us to limit the number of participants. With
limited resources, we can only accept the first 200 girls who register, often turning
down 75 girls or more. All girls deserve the opportunity to build their self-
confidence and grow into strong, resilient, successful young women, which is why
additional funds are imperative since there is no charge to attend any Shine On!
conference or event, ever. Annual conference support is one way Shine On! could
utilize funding from your grant.
3. Our organization also hosts an education outreach program that works with young
girls at various local schools. We aim to educate girls on the same topics we teach at
the conference but the Education Outreach program often includes middle school
levels. The Education Outreach program costs approximately $800.00 per year in
travel expenses and program-related materials, depending on the number of schools
enrolled. As with the Shine On! conference, there is no paid staff and the outreach
sessions are offered at no cost to the schools or the attendees. With your help, Shine
On! could run Education Outreach programs at more schools.

Budget overview for the 2018 conference, Education Outreach program and Raising
Resilient Girls Parent Workshop Series
GIRLS’ CONFERENCE EXPENSES

Conference Site Expenses

Memorial Hall use – 28 hours includes, gym, lobby, all Donated by SUNY
classrooms, pool/locker room, rock climbing wall, Plattsburgh
aerobics and spin studios, all racquetball courts used as
breakout classrooms.

Instructional Expenses for 6-credit practicum course and Provided by SUNY

1-credit mentor training Plattsburgh -
Journalism and
Public Relations
Department

Custodial Staff - overnight Donated by SUNY

Plattsburgh

Website/Registration oversight/Conference Services -- $800.00

paid to CAS

Registered Nurse in attendance – 28 hours No Cost – time

donated in previous
years

University Police – Security monitoring – 28 hours Donated by SUNY

Plattsburgh

Total $800.00

Food Costs

Lunch for all attendees, mentors, committee members, 325 @ 7.50 $2,437.50
and workshop presenters

Dinner for all attendees, mentors, committee members, 325 @ 8.00 $2,600.00
and workshop presenters

Breakfast for all attendees, mentors, committee 275 @ $4.00 $1,100.00

members, and workshop presenters

Mentor Training expenses 3 trainings @ 150 $450.00

Trailmix daytime snack $150

Popcorn night time snack Donated by

Cumberland 12

Total $6,737.50

Workshop Costs

Tshirts 325 @ 8.00 $2,600.00

Smoothies for nutrition workshop 325 @ 3.75 $1,218.75

Fabric Bags, Water Bottles 325@ 3.15 ea. $1,023.75

Ziploc Bags $29.00

Tablecloths, Poster boards, balloons, banner, signage, $840.00

markers, Post-its, all workshop materials, photos, first-aid
kit, etc

Background checks on mentors/presenters $500

Total $6,211.50

GIRLS’ CONFERENCE TOTAL EXPENSES $13,749.00

EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAM

Travel for education outreach school visits for 2016-2017 30 miles once a week $330.00
for 20 weeks @ 0.55 per
mile

Materials for Activities $450.00

TOTAL EDUCATION OUTREACH EXPENSES $780.00

PARENT WORKSHOP SERIES

Refreshments - included space rental Average of 35 @ $7.50 $1,575.50

(6 Workshops)

Program Materials $275.00

Presenter Thank You gifts/Honoraria 8 @ $75 600.00

TOTAL PARENT WORKSHOP SERIES EXPENSES 2,450.50

Miscellaneous - shared among all programs

Printing/Duplicating $300.00

Thank You Notes $30.00

Year-End Debrief Lunch $150.00

Postage $150.00

Total $630.00

Grand Total for Girls’ Conference, Education

Outreach, and Parent Workshop Series $17,609.50