Partnership for Women's Health

Teenage Self-Esteem Program Successfully Tested In Public Schools

Dr. Jane Knudson, Principal of Indian Hill Middle School

Indian Hill, Ohio- February 5, 2000- Educators, mothers, mentors and students gathered at Indian Hill Middle School for a unique program, sponsored by the Partnership for Women’s Health at Columbia University, on building and maintaining teenage girls’ self-esteem. The “Dive Into Leadership” program consisted of a series of workshops for 7th grade girls including: “Setting Goals,” ”Body Image,” and “Handling Stress and Relationships.”

Dr. Ann-Kearney-Cooke Partnership Distinguished Scholar Director of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute

Dr. Ann-Kearney-Cooke, director of the Cincinnati Psychotherapy Institute, developed “Dive Into Leadership” in collaboration with Dr. Marianne J. Legato, founder and director of the Partnership for Women’s Health At Columbia University. The public school program was adapted from the successful national program, “Helping Girls Become Strong Women,” held annually in cities across the country.

“The data indicate that teenage girls have a precipitous drop in self-esteem around the

7th grade and may never fully recover,” says Dr. Kearney-Cooke. “This condition contributes to higher depression rates, suicides, drug use and teenage pregnancies.”

“One of the prerequisites for growing up as a strong woman is healthy self-esteem, a sense of one’s potential, competence and value,” says Dr. Legato. “Unfortunately, low self-esteem is virtually an epidemic among girls today.”

Mary Ellen Clark, two-time Olympic bronze medal winner for platform diving, was the keynote Speaker at “Dive Into Leadership” and gave strong advice to mothers and daughters about staying focused on goals.

Mary Ellen Clark Olympic Team Driver Bronze Medals At Barcelona & Atlanta

The Partnership and Dr. Kearney-Cooke are currently working on a modular curriculum design for this program to allow its incorporation into regular health classes across the country. They are also working on a parallel program for teenage boys.

“Dive Into Leadership” was sponsored by the Indian Hill Schools’ Parent Teacher Organization, SECRET deodorant and many local businesses. The national program is made possible through unrestricted educational grants from SECRET and NIKE. The Partnership plans to work with other leading women’s health organizations to bring the national program to as many as five cities next year.

The Partnership for Women’s Health at Columbia University is the first collaboration between academia and the private sector dedicated to advancing the study and practical use of the differences in the normal physiology of men and women and how they experience disease.

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