3 Awesome New Additions and Enhancements in Hello, Superstar!
As we proudly shared — or more accurately, exclaimed — in our 7 Reasons Why We’re Excited About Hello, Superstar! blog, there is so much GOTR goodness to look forward to in 2024. Since 1996, we have been on a mission to support girls’ physical, emotional, and social needs and spark joy! Hello, Superstar! continues to deliver on that commitment. We are oh-so energized to share more details about this new set of lessons. Let’s explore and expand on some of the specific additions and enhancements coming with this launch.
1. A stellar program theme
As we’ve mentioned, Hello, Superstar! specifically focuses on a universal theme – the confidence to be yourself. We call this Star Power, a favorite concept introduced in earlier versions of our curriculum. The curriculum not only helps girls develop their own confidence but also shows them how to encourage others to do the same. At the beginning of the season, coaches lead a visualization activity to help the participants understand this power. This excerpt showcases the meaning:
Star Power is the power to be yourself and shine in your own way. Just like no two stars in the sky are the same, there is no one else in the world who is just like you. When your Star Power is activated, you love what makes you, YOU.
The starry theme twinkles throughout the program. There are dozens of team activities, and a few spotlight the theme, like how to be a star sparkler and create constellations. The materials are a bright cosmic orange color with eye-catching icons that represent the theme. We’ve even created a tangible keepsake with a shooting star to remind girls to confidently be themselves, activate their Star Power, and shine brightly years after the season ends.
2. Even more voices involved in the creation of the curriculum
Hello, Superstar! is part of a whole new suite of curricula. (Yes, that means we will say “hello” to two more curricula versions over the next 18 months.) The rollout of this suite took two years due to the time, energy, and intentionality of our development process. Why? Well, we adhere to best practices in curriculum design and development. (For the educators out there, we follow tenets from experiential learning and constructivist/child-centered learning, just to name a few.)
We listened to more than 2,000 people across the country – participants, coaches, caregivers, and more – to assess what really matters to today’s girls and determine what our lessons should include. We partnered with additional external experts in inclusion and positive youth development who reviewed our work at every stage of development. When we piloted the lessons, we really listened to the girls’ specific, detailed feedback. Our superstar participants helped shape the final product! We are so thankful to the chorus of voices that helped bring this curriculum series to life.
3. Creating a place of belonging
We strive to be a place of belonging for young girls and welcome, engage, and value all people. In Hello, Superstar! we intentionally designed the curriculum (and our coach training) to create an inclusive environment in several ways:
- As in past curricula, many Hello, Superstar! lessons focus on core topics that foster inclusion: resolving conflict, celebrating differences, and standing up for others. We added even more, including a lesson called Be an Includer! And we’ve updated the examples we use to be sure they are relevant and timely. Within our pilot, 100% of coaches and caregivers surveyed agreed that the lessons are relevant to all team participants.
- We made even more space in the lessons to allow girls to lead the conversation and share what matters to them based on their own experiences and backgrounds. So, even though every team follows the same curriculum, the same topic can come to life in entirely different ways.
- We designed all activities with disability inclusion in mind, showing photos and instructions on how to adapt warm-up exercises and including instructions on how to alter other activities when needed. Our partner at the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability reviewed all lessons.
- Inclusive language and imagery help people feel heard, seen, and included. We have chosen photos and words to ensure that all participants feel part of the team.
There are many more reasons we are excited about the lift-off of this tremendous new curriculum. Tell us why you’re excited and sign up for Hello, Superstar! by finding a council near you.
