Good Shepherd, Buffalo Hosts GLOBAL Academy Summer Program

In July and August, Good Shepherd, Buffalo opened its doors to welcome Dr. Carolyn Coles Benton’s Girls Leadership of Buffalo Aspiring Learners or GLOBAL Academy. The summer mentoring program, designed to foster identity, self-confidence, composure and caring in girls age 5 to 13, enrolled eight girls who met twice weekly during the summer months.

“Girls today are being exposed to bullying, self-esteem issues and trauma,” Benton said.  “Our objective is to help foster composure and self-worth. We encourage young women to create, respect and maintain their own diversity. The girls are in tune with each other’s feelings and attitudes and from that they grow and help not only themselves but each other.”

The program included time for reading and writing, hearing from guest speakers, exercise, music, and teambuilding. Dr. Marsha Tate Arunga, author of The Stolen Ones, taught girls about African culture. New York State assistant attorney general Denetra Roberts visited to give the girls a glimpse of her life and work, and Taherra Benton Talbi, a Delta international flight attendant, gave them virtual tours of Paris and Madrid.

Service to others also figured in the curriculum, and each girls made two no-sew blankets, one to take home and one to share with a member of St. Philip’s, Buffalo—a connection made by Linda Brown, a social worker who is a lifelong member of that congregation.

“The first part of doing the gospel work of bridging estrangement is being in relationship,” the Rev. Mike Hadaway, Good Shepherd’s rector, said. “This program is part of Good Shepherd’s engagement with the community.”

The Rev. Elizabeth Hadaway, priest associate at Good Shepherd, took the girls on a tour of the parish’s historic building. “The girls had so many thoughtful questions about our art and architecture. It was a joy to talk with them.” The church, consecrated in 1888, was built during the Arts and Crafts movement and “was meant to encourage appreciation of human work and care for the natural world,” she said.

“I hope the girls remember a connection between the ancient sea shells they could touch in our Onondaga limestone and the African shells they were reading about in class. I hope in winter they will remember how our windows still invite them to consider the lilies of the field.”

Benton intends to keep the girls connected during the academic year and is making plans for next summer’s academy.

“This year’s participants are already planning to serve as a cohort of leaders for next summer’s new participants,” she said. “Their leadership skills are blossoming and that pleases me greatly.”