Dispatch from the Ruckus | JUNE 2025
Sprinkles, Stories & New Beginnings
We’re still glowing from the fun of last week’s Spring Fling! It was a heartwarming gathering of FAB members, Coalition Group students, longtime supporters, and brand-new friends.
One of the most powerful moments of the evening came from Kaethe, a graduating FAB member, who delivered an inspiring speech that reminded us why we do this work. Kaethe has been a fierce, thoughtful leader during her time with Hardy Girls, and we’re so proud to celebrate all she’s accomplished.
Welcoming New Board Members
We’re also thrilled to welcome five new board members who are already bringing so much energy, expertise, and passion to the Hardy Girls team. Molly Woodhouse, from the Portland area, is a former FABber! And we’re honored to also welcome Laura Rickard and Sarah Twombly, from the Bangor area, Kristen Yu of Belfast, and Mads Hanna, who resides in Damariscotta. We’re excited for what’s ahead with their leadership on board!
June is Pride Month
This Pride Month, Hardy Girls is hitting the road with our friends at Maine Women’s Lobby as part of the Feminist Alliance—and we kicked things off with an incredible day at Waterville Pride on June 1st! It was a joy to connect with local community members, celebrate with our allies, and share space with so many passionate folks.
We’ll be tabling at Pride events across the state all month long, bringing stickers and ways to get involved in youth-led feminist activism.
Here’s where you can find us next:
Hallowell Pride – June 7
Ellsworth Pride – June 8
Brunswick Pride – June 14
Portland Pride – June 21
Bangor Pride – June 28
Franklin County Pride – June 28
Come say hi, snag some swag, and learn more about what’s happening at Hardy Girls this summer—from our Storytelling Project launch to FAB recruitment and beyond. We’re excited to celebrate Pride with you—across Maine and across generations.
If you love the work Hardy Girls is doing, please help us keep the momentum going. Your donation supports bold youth leadership, intergenerational activism, and the kind of radical joy we felt at the Spring Fling!
With gratitude and excitement,
The Hardy Girls Team 💜
Dispatch from the Ruckus | May 2025
As we wrap up an incredible program year, we’re filled with gratitude—and excitement—for what’s ahead. Come celebrate with us at our end-of-year Spring Fling on May 30 in Augusta! Here’s what we’ve been up to (and what’s coming next!):
Coalition Group Highlights
We’re in the final stretch of our Coalition Groups, and we’re so proud of what our youth have accomplished this year.
One of our Muses, Maya (pictured left) allowed Lawrence Junior High students to ask anonymous questions. She got topics ranging from dating to self esteem. Overwhelmingly, we hear that Coalition Groups create needed space for middle schoolers to ask those hard questions.
During a recent focus group with Belgrade Central School students, we heard from 5th graders who worked with other Muses. Their favorite conversations? Stereotypes, bravery, and standing up for themselves. One student even told us: “The group made me feel braver.”
⬆️ That’s the kind of feedback that fuels our work!
FABbers in Action
Feminist Action Board (FAB) members, Ava and Mia, were panelists for MeCasa on a Webinar called “Let Them Lead the Way: Engaging Youth as Leaders in Sexual Violence Prevention”. The audience was sexual violence educators that work in schools and in the community. (There were a few other panelists too that weren’t FABbers.) Ava and Mia did an awesome job answering questions like:
📍How did you get involved in leadership opportunities at your school?
📍Imagine you were asked to write a guide for adults working with youth, what would be your top 3 tip?
📍What’s an incorrect assumption adults make about what it’s like to be a teen now? What’s it really like?
What’s Next: Recruitment & Collaboration
As we close out this year, we’re already planting seeds for what’s coming next. Throughout May, we’ll be:
★ Recruiting next year’s FAB members and Muses
★ Connecting with schools interested in hosting 2025 Coalition Groups
★ Exploring exciting new collaborations with Speak About It and Maine Boys to Men to expand our school-based programming in powerful ways
Know a young person who might be a fit for FAB or Muses? Or a school that wants to bring feminist, youth-led programming to their students? Send them our way!
Intergenerational Storytelling Project: Coming Soon
We’re starting to build out our intergenerational storytelling project, connecting FAB youth with older Mainers who’ve paved the way in feminist spaces.
We’ll officially launch this work in the fall, but we’re starting to look for older feminists now. If someone comes to mind—a neighbor, teacher, activist, or family member—please send them our way. We’d love to help them share their story with the next generation!
Dispatch from the Ruckus | April 2025
We Did It – Be You Boldly 2025 Was a Hit!
Thank you to everyone who helped make our Be You Boldly! conferences such powerful and inspiring days! Over 175 middle school girls and gender-expansive youth joined us to learn, lead, and spark change – and we’re still glowing from the energy they brought into the space. “I felt really welcome!” – “I had a ton of fun!” – “THIS WAS AWESOME!”
We’re sending a big shout out to the amazing organizations who hosted Action Spots, helping participants explore topics like mental health, activism, gender justice, and more: Maine Family Planning, SARSSM, The Yellow Tulip Project, Maine Youth Action Network, League of Women Voters of Maine, NAMI Maine, Maine Youth Power, Grandmothers for Reproductive Rights, OUT Maine, Mama Mia Making, and the Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center. Your conversations were powerful and noticed!
We were lucky to have a dream team of volunteers – many of whom are new friends to Hardy Girls! Whether you helped set up, passed out lunches, or hyped up exhausted FABbers, your support was felt and appreciated.
The feedback from participants, caregivers, and educators has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s some of our favorite quotes from conference attendees: “Today I learned….”
⭐️ That being a girl is amazing
⭐️ About public speaking
⭐️ About periods
⭐️ Why self love is important and how to raise a ruckus
⭐️ How to love myself
⭐️ To be good to yourself no matter what
⭐️ That I don’t have to go by beauty standards
⭐️ What resilience means
Huge thanks to our generous sponsors and supporters: Colby College and Waynflete School for hosting us; Elm Plaza Hannaford in Waterville for keeping everyone hydrated and fortified with snacks; Cappza’s Pizza in Waterville and OTTO Pizza in Portland for the fan-favorite cheese pizza lunches; Martin’s Point Health Care, Morning Glory Natural Foods, Maine Education Association, and Maine Women’s Lobby Education Fund for generously sponsoring us; and all the behind-the-scenes champions who made this happen.
We’re already dreaming about what’s next. Until then – stay bold, stay loud, and stay YOU.
With so much gratitude,
The Hardy Girls Team
Events, Actions, Resources 📣
★ Join Registered Maine Guide Hazel Stark this Saturday, April 5th, from 2-5 pm for a hands-on, interactive workshop designed to equip you with the essential skills and insider tips to make camping what it should be–a fun and inspiring way to connect with the outdoors and the people you choose to bring with you.
Registration is required for OWL programs. Visit https://whrl.org/programs/owl/ to learn more or to register.
★ YWCA’s VIRTUAL Until Justice Just Is campaign (UJJI), launches Monday April 14th. Registration for the Racial Justice Challenge is open now. For just a few minutes, each day for 4 weeks join the challenge and challenge yourself to learn more, ask more, and share more. This year’s theme is Equity in Action: Exposing Myths and Redefining Justice. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about the impact of institutional and structural racism and by building community among those who work to advance justice.
It’s FREE and fun – Request to Join!
FAB Spotlight ✨
Killing a girl
By Ella Nielsen, 3rd year FABber and junior at Messalonskee High
From day one pants went under her dresses
She held her father’s hand in public, always
When she enters school she can only be friends with girls
Boys want to be more than friends, even at 5 years old
When she enters the 5th grade she is shown a pad for the first time But is told to keep it hidden, as it is not polite to bleed
Middle school comes and now she wears bras
Though they can’t be seen because guys can’t handle it
High school is here and she kisses one boy, everything has changed
She will be friends with guys but they only want to see what those pants were hiding all those years ago
Graduation arrives and they want to see her bra
Does it match the color of her thong
College comes and she keeps her phone charged
Mentally maps where she walks, one headphone out at all times
She graduates again and again men aren’t her friends
They can’t simply want to talk
Marriage is here and she is worried about her honeymoon
The little girl she will then have to raise
When her daughter is born she cries tears of joy and fear
One day she will put pants under her daughter’s dresses
Dispatch from the Ruckus | FALL 2024
In the last few months, we have been flooded with sexist and racist memes, media about sexual assault, anti-trans comments, and patriarchal messages of every kind. We are a nonpolitical, nonpartisan organization – but we exist to nurture curiosity and critical thinking, and to help girls and nonbinary youth challenge the status quo through a feminist lens. That work has never felt more meaningful, or more important.
As we move forward, we will continue to center the youth in our community as the heartbeat of our work. We know that building intergenerational connections, creating safe spaces for them to grow their own ideas, and giving them the tools to be changemakers – not just tomorrow, but today – is the most powerful antidote we have to fear or fatigue.
And while the girls and nonbinary youth we work with bring us so much joy and hope for the future, we aren’t just leaving the work to them. We, as the adults at Hardy Girls, are working hard to make sure they know that we will fiercely defend their right to make their own choices for their lives and futures. We celebrate their brilliance, and we dare adult allies to join us.
Our new cohort of Feminist Action Board (FAB) members kicked off the year with an incredible start! On a sunny day that set the perfect tone, FAB members gathered in our new office space for a day of team-building, goal-setting, and collaborative planning. Within the first 30 minutes, the group naturally organized, with Catherine stepping up to facilitate the agenda—a strong example of the leadership we aim to cultivate.
The day was filled with great energy, inclusivity, and kindness. We’re thrilled to see new friendships forming, and everyone embracing the spirit of FAB. The group developed their mission statement and some shared norms to encourage safety and inclusivity.
This year’s FAB is already making a positive impact, and we look forward to watching them grow together, build coalitions, and lead with purpose. The individual FAB cohorts will be meeting in their three regional groups once per month all of this school year. FABers are currently making decisions about the types of workshops they’ll put together for the Be You Boldly conferences that will happen in the spring.
We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Training Institute curriculum, currently being piloted over the course of four weeks at North Yarmouth Academy! This program is designed using evidence-based research and aims to foster the next generation of women and gender-expansive leaders, with sessions on how to be impactful change makers and “respectfully cause a ruckus.” Available in 2- or 4-part formats, the curriculum is aligned with Maine learning standards and grounded in research. By empowering youth with a voice, the Training Institute boosts mental health and self-confidence, ensuring students feel seen and heard.
If you’re interested in bringing the Hardy Girls Training Institute to your school or community center, we’d love to hear from you and can answer any questions you may have on follow-up.