Meet Stephanie Kurlow, a 15-year-old Australian dancer who is changing the face of ballet in Australia. Kurlow grew up in the south-west of Sydney, and has been dancing since the tender age of 2. She also happens to wear a hijab.

In 2010, Kurlow stopped performing ballet when her family converted to Islam. At the time, finding a school which accommodated both her religious beliefs and dance needs seemed impossible, and Kurlow thought her professional ballet dreams were over.

“I didn’t have any role models that looked like me. I didn’t have anyone who had a layout of, ‘This is what I’ve done, this is how I’ve become this,’” Kurlow told the SBS.

However, inspired by the determination and success of public figures like principal ballerina Misty Copeland, Emirati weightlifter Amna Al Haddad, and American news anchor Noor Tagouri, Kurlow decided to give her dream one more shot.

She launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a full-time ballet-school education, and her story quickly spread worldwide, catching the attention of Swedish sport fashion company Bjorn Borg in early 2016. The company was so moved by Kurlow’s story that they awarded her their first ever Game Changer scholarship, equal to around $8400 AUD and sufficient to cover a year of ballet tuition.

“She’s a true game changer,” said Bjorn Borg marketing director, Jonas Lindberg Nyvang. “We were genuinely inspired to learn about her story. The courage it takes for a 14-year-old to fight for her right to dance ballet against all odds is exceptional.”

To read more, find the full article here.

To read about more other world-changers, order your very own copy of “Girls Do Good” here.

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Abu Dhabi: One is a leading doctor in Abu Dhabi, who also boasts three additional Master’s degrees, while another plans to take the world of engineering by storm after completing her university education.

Dr Ayesha Al Memari and Fatima Al Kaabi also have two Abu Dhabi Awards between them, and are convinced that none of these achievements would have been possible had they not been Emirati women.

“Emirati women are enabled and empowered. Whether as a student or as a career woman, I have always felt supported by our leadership, and their vision and the opportunities provided to us means that families also support their members to achieve their most ambitious goals,” Dr Al Memari, 40, told Gulf News.

She was speaking ahead of Emirati Women’s Day, which is celebrated on August 28 every year, with the aim of highlighting the contributions of Emirati women in the UAE.

Support in education

Dr Al Memari is an emergency medicine and critical care consultant at Al Mafraq Hospital, but her workload and responsibilities haven’t stopped her from pursuing a Master’s degree in quality and safety in healthcare management, another Master’s in organ donation and transplantation and a Master’s in business administration.

“I wanted to give back to my country after all the opportunities it has afforded me. After all, my medical degree and my specialisation in emergency medicine and critical care were only possible due to the scholarships I had received,” she said.

So although she is a physician leading her department, Dr Al Memari set out to enhance her qualifications in fields that would help her pay it forward, specifically in fields like organ transplantation that are priorities for the UAE.

Computer genius at 17

Like Dr Al Memari, Al Kaabi, 17, has also received a scholarship to study the subject she is passionate about. This fall, the young Emirati who was recognised as an inventor in 2015 will begin her undergraduate degree in computer engineering at Virginia Tech.

“My parents’ love for the sciences have carried over to me, especially as they have always encouraged me to dream big. The unquestionable support for women is also a hallmark of the UAE, where no woman is held back because of her gender,” Al Kaabi said.

During her studies abroad, Al Kaabi therefore wants to change the misconceptions about Emirati women.

“We are supported by our government, and are driven and ambitious. I want to portray this to the people I come across,” she said.

Sheikha Latifa congratulates Emirati women

Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairwoman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), congratulated Emirati women at home and those working in all fields on the Emirati Women’s Day, and said that UAE women continue to pursue their journey of success, with honour, hope and determination.

“Today, we stand in respect for the great strides made by our wise leadership in laying policies and programmes on women’s empowerment. This an exceptional day for Emirati women to inspire the meanings of love and giving for the nation from Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum, who is the best example of a loving and giving woman and mother,” she said.

Sheikha Latifa urged Emirati women to continue their path towards a bright future.

Read more about Girls Do Good here.

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2. Sandra Oh at the 2019 Golden Globes.

3. UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi scored a perfect “10” on her floor routine and it went viral!

4. Marsai Martin made #BossMoves with her film ‘Little!’

5. Missy Elliot was inducted into the songwriter’s hall of fame.

6. Lori Lightfoot comes mayor of Chicago.

7. The “Octo- Champs” crushed five consecutive rounds of perfect spelling at the Scripps National Spelling Bee!

8. Michelle Obama’s book is the most popular memoir ever!

9. Youth-led climate activism goes global!

10. California “CROWN act” bans workplace discrimination of natural hair.

That’s a wrap! Let’s keep the positivity going. When we get to December and look back, we will be able to say: “Yes, there’s still good around us!”

Source: https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a25957136/good-things-happened-2019/

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Reading is a great way to spend the days you’re not at school. And, here are three reasons why we think you should nose-dive straight into the pool…erhm…we mean, a book!

Sweet Escape: You might not be traveling, but a good book can take you on the adventure of a lifetime!

Productive + Positive: We love reading because it’s productive, yet relaxing…how nice is it to lie down in a comfy spot with your favorite stories at your fingertips! We know we love it!

Find inspiration: Sometimes a break from school can feel boooo-ring! Reading helps! Pick up a book you love and let all the wonderful stories inspire you!

Onwards and upwards, summer readers! Don’t forget to join us on Instagram and tell us what you love about your favorite holiday books and authors!

Order you copy of our book here.

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As children grow and develop, they experience a number of emotional reactions that they know are different or even negative feelings, but they haven’t the experience to understand what they are dealing with. However, they will let us know when something is wrong even when they aren’t entirely sure of what it is.

While children may look at things differently than we do, giving them a deeper insight into another outlook on any given situation- they aren’t as educated or self-aware as an adult.

To them, their feelings that are constantly changing and evolving can be confusing, and putting a definite prognosis on their health isn’t likely. Instead, they will tell us their symptoms, awaiting our experience and wisdom for help.

However, up until recently, most adults were completely unaware of the prominence of childhood mental disorders, other than ADHD. And even in adulthood, it seems that anxiety isn’t taken as seriously as it should be, because most people think that anxiety is simply the occurrence of a normal fear taking hold of us. But anxiety is much more than that and can be quite consuming for the person dealing with it.

What child doesn’t have a moment in which they cower behind their parents because it is dark outside, or because they heard a loud noise? In these situations, the child is anxious, but rightfully so, leaving no cause for concern.

But, in some cases, children can develop an anxiety disorder which will affect their relationships, their education, and their overall quality of life.

Recent statistics have shown us that at least 1 out of every 8 children develops an anxiety disorder. If left untreated, the initial anxiety disorder can transpire into difficulty maintaining and developing connections with their peers and severe sleep disturbance.

Look For These Signs:

-Constant stomach aches during stressful situations

– Agitation

– Restless behavior

– Avoiding people/situations that could even slightly stress them out

– Meltdowns over slight issues

– Difficulty transitioning

– Extreme perfectionism

– Strange coping mechanisms that could be considered as self-harm (biting, scratching, pinching or even the pulling of their own hair)

Catching the symptoms early can mean a better probability for therapeutic intervention, meaning medicine may not even be necessary.

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“Girls Do Good: is more than just a book: it contains elements of Augmented Reality and gamified experiences, aiming to combine sensory learning with technology.”

“Girls Do Good” was inspired by the need to share the stories of amazing girls following their world-changing dreams. Often we focus on women that have reached great heights.

We wanted to shed the light on world-changing girls and share their accomplishments.To find out more about Jos’s inspirations behind this innovative initiative, read the full article by Ella Letter here.

You can purchase your copy of ‘Girls Do Good’ here.

Onwards and upwards! x

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Tell us about the book and what inspired it?

Girls Do Good was inspired by the stories of 11 girls and how they followed their world-changing dreams. They’re represented in the book as 11 real-life superheroes. It’s about raising awareness of inspiring girls and their accomplishments.

It also looks at the diverse experiences that shape our world. We want to shed an equal light on these stories – highlighting the achievements of girls from Malawi, the Netherlands, Colombia, UAE and beyond.

Read more about her tips to raise happy, empowered little thinkers and why creativity is so important for development. Full article can be found here.

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Jos Dirkx is an award-winning media and communications advisor, international public speaker, creative strategist and author. Originally from The Netherlands, Jos was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has since lived in twelve countries across the world, having visited near 100. Jos is passionate about telling stories that change the world: whether through the arts, by creating content that challenges the status quo, through her global speaking engagements and work with clients on creative communications, or through the award-winning not-for-profit organization Girls & Football SA she founded in South Africa.

Jos has delivered two TEDx talks, founded an award-winning not-for-profit organization and runs a creative communications consultancy. She has written two books, “Girls Do Good”, an Augmented Reality infused kids’ coloring book, “Tackled!”, which looks at working with boys and young men. She co-lauched a mobile health campaign that reached over 70,000 girls. Her drive to build equal societies has taken her around the world and she seeks to develop creative ways to share the world’s most beautiful and diverse stories with multi-cultural audiences.

Read the full article here. See all the #40WomentoWatch here

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Here’s a quick Q&A she did with the school kids:

Q: What inspired you to write ‘Girls Do Good’?
A: I love telling and building stories that can change our world!

Q: How long did it take to write ‘Girls Do Good’?
A: It took about five months from concept to bookstore!

Q: How many people are involved in writing a book?
A: Many people are involved! An author, an editor, an illustrator, a designer, a marketer, a publisher…for ‘Girls Do Good’, we are all passionate about kids changing the world!

Book Jos for a book signing and workshop at your school today 🌸 Changing the world one real-life superhero at a time!

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