Welcome to GO-GIRL Central!

GG Central is the place to watch for GO-GIRL news and highlights. Check us out to see what's happening!

Friday, February 19, 2010

GG Day 2




Saturday, February 13, 2010

What a fun-filled day at GO-GIRL! Today the girls and their teams discussed surveys and the who, what, why, where and how of them. Each team brainstormed a topic of interest for them. Although each team's survey and topic is in different stages of development, what they have come up with this week will get them thinking and going on further creating a topic for their eventual survey.

Because of all of the teamwork and brainstorming, today the girls seemed to come together and they got to know one another a little better. Each team began to create a team poster highlighting themselves with their team name, the team members, and adjectives to describe themselves. Wait until you see how creative they are! The sense of community is strong and always growing!

With this weekend off due to the school breaks, we hope everyone is resting well and preparing for a BUSY week next week. We're going to the Undergraduate Library (UGL) on Wayne State's campus and it is going to be so exciting to learn more about research from our favorite librarians! Hopefully everyone remembers to wear their GO-GIRL t-shirt so we can stick together and show our pride!

And, parents, don't forget about the GG Parent Cafe being held for you from 9:30-11:00am in Room 10 of the College of Education building. Our staff, university experts, and community resources persons will join us to provide opportunities for networking, share information and resources, and help you help your daughters.

We'll look forward to seeing everyone next Saturday, February 27th!

Saturday, February 13, 2010

GG of the Week: Alexa I. Canady


Alexa I. Canady
Alexa Canady was born on November 7, 1950. She is an African-American Neurosurgeon.

Canady was the first Woman and First African American to become a Neurosurgeon in America. From Lansing Michigan, Alexa Irene Canady is the daughter of Elizabeth Hortense (Golden) Canady and Clinton Canady Jr. Her father was a graduate of the School of Dentistry of Meharry Medical College, practicing in Lansing. Her mother was a graduate of Fiasco University was active for years in civic affairs of Lansing. She also served as national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Young Canady and her brother grew up outside Lansing and were the only two Black students in the entire school. Despite the obstacles, Canady was an exceptional student and named a National Achievement Scholar in 1967. She attended the University of Michigan, getting her BS, degree in 1971. After this came the University of Michigan, Medical School, and her M.D. cum laude in 1975. Canady’s Interned at Yale’s New Hane Hospital from 1975 to 1976, and an example of her non-recognition due to being Black and a woman came on her first day of her residency at Yale New Hane Hospital. She was appointed as first female and first black to a residency in neurosurgery. As she began making her rounds a hospital administrator referred to her as "the new equal-opportunity package." Despite the remark, Dr. Canady viewed her accomplishment as a double achievement for herself and both women and African Americans.

From there she went to the University of Minnesota in neurosurgery, from 1976 to 1981. She also worked at the University of Pennsylvania Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Ped Neurosurg from 1981-82. Currently, Canady is the director of neurosurgery at Children's Hospital in Detroit and a clinical associate professor at Wayne State University. Her Areas of Expertise are Craniofacial Abnormalities, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Pediatric Neurosurgery, and Tumors of Spinal Cord and Brain. She has also added to special research topics such as assisting in the development of neuroendoscopic equipment, evaluating programmable pressure change valves in hydrocephalus, head injury, hydrocephalus and shunts, neuroendoscopy, and pregnancy complications of shunts.

Besides Dr. Canady's position as the director of pediatric neurosurgery, she also works to change the perspective of how African Americans both how patients and physicians are perceived. She claims the major medical problem for Blacks stems from the scarcity of research targeting their specific health concerns and needs. Canady believes the issues will be better addressed now that medical schools are diversifying their student bodies and their faculties.

In 1975, Canady was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Honorary Medical Society. In 1983, she was Teacher of the Year, Children’s Hospital of Michigan, and in 1991, Dr. Canady was honored as Alumni, University of Michigan.

Dr. Canady holds two honorary degrees: a doctorate of humane letters from the University of Detroit-Mercy, awarded in 1997, and a doctor of science degree from the University of Southern Connecticut, awarded in 1999. She received the Children’s Hospital of Michigan’s Teacher of the Year award in 1984, and was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989. In 1993, she received the American Medical Women’s Association President’s Award and in 1994 the Distinguished Service Award from Wayne State University Medical School. In 2002, the Detroit News named her Michiganer of the Year.

Dr. Canady is now retired and has more time to spend with her husband, and on working to change the view and assumptions about black patients and black medical personnel. She claims the major medical problem for blacks stems from the scarcity of research targeting their specific health concerns and needs.

Information originally from:
http://www.aaregistry.com/detail.php?id=2824

Friday, February 12, 2010

GG Day 1



Saturday, February 6, 2010

Today was Day 1 of GG 2010! First, the GGs paired up to get to know each other and work on Personality BINGO and "All About Us" venn diagrams. These activities allowed the GGs to explore some similarities and differences among themselves.

Once everyone was well-acquainted with one another, the GGs and their teams chose their team names, which are as follows:

Team 1 - Mentors: Michael & Nicole
S.W.A.G.G. (Super, Working, Awesome, GO-GIRLs)

Team 2 - Mentors: Tracey & Laura
B.O.U.N.C.E. (Beautiful, Outgoing, Unique, Nice, Cute, Educated)

Team 3 - Mentors: Kelli & Jennifer Lee
The Stinging Roses

Team 4 - Mentors: Stephanie & Michele
Blazin' Babes!

Team 5 - Mentors: Colleen & Sabine
G.I.A. (Girls In Action)

Team 6 - Mentors: Jen Lenk & Angela
The Shining Stars

After creating their wonderfully individual team names, the GGs and their teams created and completed a survey. Some of the themes of these surveys included after-school snacks and stores for shopping. This is only a taste of the kind of social research the GGs will conduct over the next 9 weeks.

The GGs also learned more about GO-GIRL by playing GG Jeopardy and watching a video montage of photos from last year's GG 2009 semester.

We're looking forward to a great second week! :)

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Kicking off GO-GIRL 2010!



GG Orientation, Saturday, January 30, 2010

GO-GIRL got off to a great start last Saturday as the new batch of 57 GO-GIRLs and their parents, friends, and relatives met their new GO-GIRL mentors and team members. This semester's 57 GO-GIRLS proudly represent 16 different communities and attend 38 different middle schools.

Held in the cafe of the WSU Towers Residence Hall, the orientation included a meet & greet among GO-GIRLs and their new team members and mentors. Dr. Sally Roberts gave an uplifting opening speech during which parents and GGs snacked on cookies and sodas.

Whitney, a former GO-GIRL participant from the Class of 2003, has returned to support the new class of GO-GIRLs. She is now a sophomore at Wayne State University and is majoring in languages including Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese. We are so excited that she will join us this semester and know that she will be a source of inspiration to new GO-GIRLs.

GO-GIRL seems to have recurring faces, like Whitney, and sisters of former GO-GIRLs. This semester there are at least 3 girls whose older sisters have graduated from GG in the past. Our family of GO-GIRLs continues to grow!